All Blog Posts (190)

Join the KYOTOplus Campaign

I have decided to get more active in urging our government to become more responsible in addressing climate change and I want you to join me!

Canada is not honouring its commitments to fight climate change under the Kyoto Protocol and has been obstructing efforts to reach a new international agreement. I am increasingly embarrassed by our position in the international community. I want to help change Canada into a leader on climate change. I want to see Canada at the… Continue

Added by Bill Shields on August 31, 2009 at 2:00pm — No Comments

The most important thing

Although I've felt for decades that our Global Market economic system wasn't working for most (and so not actually working), I've never had much idea of how we could change it. What to do first for example?

I find it difficult to "get my head around" what's required. For example, I remember going to a bioregional conference in Maine almost 20 years ago with two folks now here on Transition Ottawa. There 150 or so amazing people imagined what the new locally oriented world would look… Continue

Added by Andrew MacDonald on August 30, 2009 at 12:00pm — 2 Comments

Sustainable neighbourhoods

Bill and three others created an interesting open space meeting at Somerset West Community centre Wednesday evening to explore building sustainable neighbourhoods. A number of diverse ideas sprung from our sharing, like the idea of a neighbourhood map with names and phone numbers, sharing of tools, skills and services in the neighbourhood - sharing in general. One person shared how in the past each person offered (i.e. not sold) unique skills, and shared responsibilities within the collective.… Continue

Added by Kaia Nightingale on August 27, 2009 at 2:31am — No Comments

What can - or should - be done now?

The following article from The Guardian, a conversation between George Monbiot (author of Heat: How to stop the planet from burning) and Paul Kingsnorth, reveals the insides of two committed activists with very different world views speaking of what can done now. Neither one wins imo but their dialogue outlines the seriousness of the situation and the twin poles of the dilemma. Comments encouraged!

The Guardian… Continue

Added by Andrew MacDonald on August 19, 2009 at 9:23pm — 4 Comments

Futures Conversation report

Exciting learnings at the monthly Futures Conversation group I'm hosting in Sharbot Lake (and will do in Ottawa starting next month). We met last night, a very small group as most people were away on holiday. But we did great work anyway, and why not. For me it's becoming clear that hooking up our own interests, loves and gifts with what's needed out there in the world (or our local corner of it), is a powerful way to go. Things get real and juicy quickly.

If we just focus on what's… Continue

Added by Andrew MacDonald on August 10, 2009 at 9:31am — No Comments

Coming back from Transition Town Peterborough (TTP)

I'm just coming back from Peterborough, the first official Transition Town in Canada. I spent a week discussing with Fred Irwin the initiaor of TTP. They started some concrete actions like the publication of there Greenzine, a reskilling Institut and a permaculture center. I thought it would be very interesting for you to check there web site and have a contact with them.

TTP: http://www.transitiontownpeterborough.net/

By the way, they share a lot of… Continue

Added by Camille on August 8, 2009 at 6:38pm — 3 Comments

Changing the world means changing moi

Thinking about how to effect positive change in the world. It seems to me that the old certainties are headed for the dustbin and that we're not going back to the way it was: a stable economy, climate, resource supply. These may exist for some but not for all. Even the "we" in we're not going back to the way it was is changing methinks, or is going to. The old "we" of common speech implies a them that's not there anymore. We's gonna be them and they's gonna be we.

Maybe… Continue

Added by Andrew MacDonald on August 7, 2009 at 10:28pm — No Comments

Futures Conversation group for exploring our future

Hi Transitioners!

Wow, you're at a formative meeting for transitionottawa and I'm writing this. Consider me on board! At Blue Skies festival last weekend chatting with Kaia and John Eastcott I committed to writing something about one of my passions, which is groups to grow in. So here's how that looks today . . .

Usually the world the future I envision where peak-oil and profound climate change have changed the fundamentals in all of our daily lives isn't often reflected back to… Continue

Added by Andrew MacDonald on August 6, 2009 at 5:30pm — 4 Comments

More than plants grow in a community garden

Yesterday I was prowling around the community garden site on Laurier Avenue, just east of Bronson. There are, I'd say, at least a couple of dozen plots there, each about 8-foot square or so. Most are doing quite nicely, with tomatoes, squash, broccoli, peppers, lettuces and so on rapidly maturing.

I was there taking some footage as part of an introductory video we're putting together for Transition Ottawa. It's a pleasant enough site, a quiet, lush oasis beneath the towering… Continue

Added by Transition Ottawa (/jd) on July 19, 2009 at 9:30pm — 5 Comments

Ottawa Awakening...

In the midst of a deep discussion with my wonderful friend Tania in the UK, the conversation turned to peak oil and global oil dependence. Tania responded, “Many people here see the writing on the wall. We’re getting together in towns and villages, planning how we are going to transition into post-peak oil life.”

“Really?! Wow – that makes sense. We might as well use what remaining oil we have to set up infrastructure for the time to follow, simplify our lives, create more community…” I… Continue

Added by Kaia Nightingale on July 15, 2009 at 5:31pm — 2 Comments