Sustainability Film Series 2011 is a collaborative series of local premieres of documentary films that explore sustainability, followed by panel discussions with leading academics, community leaders, and citizens on local trends in sustainability. It is a collaborative, multi-venue project in partnership with the The Film Society of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, the Bell Museum, the Institute on the Environment (IonE).
Check it out. Anyone want to join us for a movie?
This week only there is a special showing of 5 short (30-40 min) documentaries at The Riverview Theater. Two of them include stories relevant to climate change and environmental issues.
Sun Come Up – USA, Papua New Guinea/38 MIN, Director: Jennifer Redfearn
Sun Come Up follows the relocation of some of the world’s first environmental refugees, the Carteret Islanders – a community living on a remote island chain in the South Pacific Ocean. When rising seas threaten their survival, the islanders face a painful decision: they must leave their beloved land in search of a new place to call home.
The Warriors of Qiugang – USA/39 MIN, Director: Ruby Yang
Villagers in a remote district of central China take on a chemical company that is poisoning their water and air. For five years they fight to transform their environment and as they do, they find themselves transformed as well.
The Longfellow Sustainability Group will start reading The Transition Handbook. The group plans to meet in the community room at Peace Coffee on Saturday mornings, 10:30 to noon on February 19 and again on March 19.
UPDATE: We’ll use a web-based reading for the first meeting in case we don’t all have the book yet. (But do get going on obtaining the book: “The Transition Handbook ” by Rob Hopkins)
For an overview of Transition Town movement (and there are many others which you may find via Google), let’s read:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/support/what-transition-initiative
And for an explanation of “What is the Transition model?” let’s read:
http://www.transitionnetwork.org/support/12-ingredients
Rob Hopkins, author of the Transition Handbook, is coming to town!
Yesterday night we attended a planning meeting for the 2011 Sustainable Communities Conference. There were a couple dozen people from neighborhood groups, city and suburban government, congregations and green teams, and, hey, shout out to KBEM radio. The program for this year looks like a lot more inspiration is on the way, especially with guest speaker Rob Hopkins from Transition Totnes in the U.K. Closer to home, Krista Leraas from Backyard Harvest will talk about local food.
Want a sneak peek at the plans?
On Sunday, January 23, from 10 to 11 am, KFAI radio will feature Sean Gosiewski and Terry Gips of the Alliance for Sustainability. They will be talking about, “Taking the Natural Step to Sustainability: Saving Money and the Environment while Creating Healthy, Vibrant Communities.” KFAI-FM is found on 90.3 in Minneapolis and 106.7 in St. Paul. You can call in with questions and comments to the studio line, 612-341-0980.
This has already occurred. If you missed it, you can listen to the KFAI archives at http://www.kfai.org.
The program will explore practical steps to sustainability we can all take at home, work and in the community. It will examine the Natural Step Framework from Sweden and its use in the Nobel-Prize-winning Fundamental Needs Work of Chilean economist Manfred Max-Neef. It will also look at some important local efforts people can get involved with, including the Sustainable Communities Action Network, Sustainable Communities Conference and the Living Green Expo.
The local group, Alliance for Sustainability, is giving a 2-part presentation on the natural steps framework. It looks like a great presentation.
Mon Jan 24 and Tues Jan 25 6 – 9:30 pm, Valley Community Presbyterian Church
3100 Lilac Dr, Golden Valley, MN 55422
Tuesday January 18, Bryant Lake Bowl, 7:00 pm (6:00 doors open)
Café Scientifique is a happy hour exchange of ideas about science, environment, and popular culture. Topic: Households and Urban Pollution. The University’s Twin Cities Household Ecosystem Project involves a survey of 3,100 urban and suburban households in Ramsey and Anoka counties and their household emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and phosphorus. The study centers on a range of behaviors, including household energy use, food choices, vehicle use, air travel habits, pet ownership and lawn care practices. University scientists Larry Baker, Sarah Hobbie, and Kristen Nelson will discuss the surprising results of this new study.
Wednesday, January 19, White Bear Lake Unitarian Universalist Church, 328 Maple Street, Mahtomedi, MN 55115, 7:30 PM
“Cars, Houses, and Sustainability” a talk by Dr. Chris Wells, Environmental Studies, Macalester College. What if Americans drive cars more than anyone else on the planet not because of a great “love affair” with the automobile, but because of how we’ve organized the places we live, shop, and work? Chris will discuss his research on America’s car culture and sustainability. He studies U.S. environmental history, including movements such as green architecture, New Urbanism, and Smart Growth. Look for his upcoming book: Car Country: Automobiles, Roads, and the Origins of Car-Dependent Landscapes in the United States.
This is part of the 2010-2011 Global Climate Change Speaker Series,
on the third Wednesday of the month, 7:30 -9:00 p.m. The Global Climate Change Committee at White Bear UU Church educates and informs the congregation on global warming and urges action to solve the problem.
Think of It As An Adventure 