TPA crafters gathered September 30 for the now-monthly get-together for those who have something to make – or just want to hang out and have fun.

Inspired by the sign painting event at the Common Ground demonstration garden on Sept. 13th (scroll down for the event post), Trina and Michelle painted colorful signs for the back garden.

Monica sewed cloth napkins, Roy and Barbara sketched and cut out letters for the new Transition Palo Alto banner, Emily sewed cloth heat pads (to be filled with rice), William experimented with knots, and Herb supplied mellow background music.

If you have a craft you like to do, want to learn crafts, or just want to come and join with what others are doing, come to the next craft night in late October. Details will be sent to the transitionpaloalto@yahoogroups.com mailing list.

by Debbie Mytels, September 25, 2014

As the Earth’s cycle turns to autumn, many cultures – and our educational systems – consider it the beginning of a “new year.” So as the leaves turn brown and fall, it’s an important time to reflect on what’s been accomplished during the past and what can be done differently in the time to come.  So a dozen enthusiastic members of the Transition Palo Alto/Silicon Valley Steering Committee — along with reps from Heart Beat Earth, Sunnyvale Cool, Move to Amend, the Fools Mission and the Palo Alto Unitarian Church Green Sanctuary Committee — organized an evening workshop on “Seasons of Change” on September 10 led by Menlo Park author and career counselor Carol McClelland, Ph.D.

Carol developed the workshop from ideas in her 1998 book, “Seasons of Change: Using Nature’s Wisdom to Grow Through Life’s Inevitable Ups and Downs.”  This inspiring book analyzes the process of personal change.  It start with the “autumn” feeling that “something needs to change,” then moves into the “early winter” of confusion and questioning, and then to the dark solstice of despair – and the search for “sparks of light.”  Out of this darkness in “late winter” some new seeds of possible choices develop – and by spring they can burst into bloom with new energy for some new growth and initiatives.  By summer the changes are thriving and you feel the full enjoyment of life.  And then, perhaps, the process will continue to cycle again.  For those of us who have gone through some deep personal changes, this pattern rings very true and we’ve learned to look towards the natural world for reassurance and wisdom — in both dark times and in abundance.

In her current work, Carol is now exploring how these “Seasons of Change” apply not only to individuals going through the cycles of their lives, but also how these seasons occur in the life of organizations, social movements, and society as a whole.  The goal of the September 10 workshop was to introduce Transition activists to the Seasons of Change concepts, giving us all a common language – and a roadmap of sorts – for examining the effectiveness of the work we are doing and setting a course for the future.

When applying these concepts to organizational life, Carol also pointed out some of the pitfalls that can happen as an organization grows through the cycles.  One obvious challenge is that a group fails to notice “the signs of fall” – and keeps doing the same things while declining in vitality and effectiveness.  Another pitfall is failing to stop for reflection, allowing for a period of dark solistice resting, questioning, waiting . . .  Still a third mistake is to jump too quickly to solutions, rushing into action without being prepared for its consequences or planning for follow through. Embedding the Seasons of Change metaphor into its organizational culture can help a group become more vital and to weather the storms of change both internal and external.

As our local Transition movement and its friends who attended the workshop continue to evolve, we will all be enriched by the deep Earth wisdom that Carol shared with us!

If you are a part of a group that would like to experience one of Carol’s workshops, you can contact Carol via her Green Career Central website:  www.greencareercentral.com

by Peter Ruddock

A small group of Transition Palo Alto’s craftiest people congregated at Common Ground Demonstration Garden on the morning of September 13. They met to engage in an act of Craftivism – that is, activism through crafts. In this case, they painted plant names signs for the garden, so that visitors can know what the wonderful edible plants they are looking at are called. Painting was an activity that allowed for a very social morning, which concluded with a very tasty potluck lunch.

There is still some work to do. The new signs need to be attached to uprights and then planted in the proper places. Stay tuned to Transition Palo Alto’s newsletter and Yahoo Group for information on that activity. It would be great to have you join us.

Imagine a way for local communities to meet their climate action plan targets for greenhouse gas reductions AND save residents and business money on their electricity bills AND give consumers a choice of power options AND have money left over to pump back into the local community. That’s the ideal of Community Choice Energy, also known as Community Choice Aggregation.

In simple terms, CCA allows local cities and counties join together to buy (and generate) electricity for local residential and business use.  Palo Alto has its own utility, but most of the surrounding cities don’t and they have little or control over the energy sources that PG&E provides. In 2002, California began allowing communities to form CCAs, pooling their electricity demand to purchase power for local use. Since then, Marin has established a successful CCA, and Sonoma recently launched their own program.

CCAs are now a hot topic in the South Bay, with Sunnyvale beginning a feasiblity study, and Mountain View, Los Altos, and other local cities possibly joining in.

Sunnyvale estimates that forming a CCA might make more of a difference in
meeting their climate action plan than all other options combined.

Last September’s Fourth Friday featured an intro to CCAs by Bruge Hodge. Inspired by Bruce’s presentation, Transitioner Jan Butts has been following the movement closely. She recently went to Sacramento to lobby against AB2145, an industry-sponsored bill that would make it more difficult for communities to form CCAs.

Here’s Jan’s report. And to learn more about CCAs, click here.

Monday Aug 4 was my debut as a rookie lobbyist.

I traveled to Sacramento with Margaret Okuzumi to join about 20 other folks to lobby against AB 2145, which is supported by PG&E and Southern Edision utilities and would hinder the CCA movement with unfair restrictions. Margaret and I met with briefly with Senator Jerry Hill, and later with his staff, to express our support for CCAs and opposition to the bill. Later, 23 of us spoke at the Appropriations committee. Here’s a link to the video.

The next big decisive day will be 8/14 or 8/15, which is the last day for the bill to be forwarded to the Senate floor or as we hope, die a quiet death in the Appropriation Committee’s “suspense” file.

–Jan Butts

Links to more info:

Presentations:
CCAsunnyvalecondensedJuly232014
CCASVCoolPresentation072314

Website for the No on 2145 effort:
http://www.no2145.org/

With sewing machines, colored paper, yarn, embroidery, and more in tow, Transitioners gathered for the second Transition Palo Alto Craft night – a delightful evening of visiting, repairing, and creating. Thanks to Trina Lynn and Emily Rosen for organizing the event and to Trina Lynn and Roy Kornbluh for being such wonderful hosts!

Here are some photos. Check your email for future craft nights – all are welcome!

On Saturday July 19, William Mutch, Victoria Armigo, and Barbara Weinstein joined Transitioners from all around Northern California to share successes, challenges, and ideas for the future. Here’s a link to some photos from the get-together, which was held at the Permaculture Learning Center in Sebastopol (definitely worth a visit!).

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.804693989575576.1073741832.615249635186680&type=1

Film and discussion, plus special guest – producer Mark Lipman

In the midst of the economic meltdown, Gaining Ground explores the innovative, grassroots organizing efforts of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) in Boston. Over the course of two years, you’ll see a new generation of leaders working to prevent foreclosures and bring jobs and opportunities for young people to one of the city’s most diverse and economically challenged neighborhoods. More info about the film

July 25, come at 7:15 for social time, film starts at 7:30, discussion to follow
Recommended donation: $5-$10 to cover film costs and venue
Where: Fireside Room
Palo Alto Unitarian Universalist Church (UUCPA)
505 E. Charleston Avenue, Palo Alto
Directions

What a glorious summer evening for the Fourth Friday picnic in Mitchell Part July 27.  Good food, lots of visiting, meeting new folks, and even a bean bag toss and other games.  A fine time was had by all!

Great stuff at the Summer Sharing Expo Sunday June 15! Roy Kornbluh gave a “hands-on” bio char demo, showing how to convert liquidambar (aka sweetgum) seed pods into odor-catching sachets that you can later mix in the garden to give your plants an extra boost. Trina Lynn Wilson supplied the liquidambar, the sample sachets and information sheets.

And much more!

• Diane Ruddle and Dave Lantz demoed solar ovens and a solar dehydrator and gave samples of delicious banana bread baked on the spot.
• Master gardener Marianne Mueller hosted an advice table for intrepid gardeners.
• Annette Puskarich gave the scoop on composting.
• Debbie Mytels showed the Acterra display of different kinds of lighting and how they use energy.
• Holly from FabMo shared fabric and wallpaper samples.
• William Mutch hosted a Permaculture Cafe on permaculture and our local agricultural ecosystem.
• Herb Moore and the young attendess made music and fun.
• And lots of garden bounty, toys, clothing, books, and crafts were exchanged.

Here are some pix. Thanks to Trina Lynn for sharing her photos.