Possible Action Areas

[Cherie Brown]

Please post any ideas, general or specific, that you have about where we might focus our efforts!  Think about things that will help to reduce oil dependency, build localization, build community, build "resilience," offset our area's carbon footprint, etc.  

We'll discuss these ideas at the next discussion meeting (date TBD).

[William Wilson]

http://www.planeasttn.org/

From their website:  

Imagine East Tennessee in 30 years. What will be the condition of our roads, housing, and environment? Will our economy be healthy? Will we be healthy? Is action needed to make certain our children thrive in the communities they inherit? Plan East Tennessee (PlanET) is a regional partnership formed to ask East Tennesseans these questions and develop the tools to ensure that our future reflects our vision and values.

I signed up for email updates and "liked" their facebook page.  

[Cherie Brown]

Development of a trade/barter and/or time sharing system could be a good project for us.

[Cherie Brown]

Reskilling initiatives... workshops or other support to enable people locally to acquire subsistence skills

[William Wilson]

The permaculture guild has a time bank - look on the top menu bar that runs across the top of the page, all the way on the left.  

[Cherie Brown]

Awareness raising and public outreach; general group and community building; getting the word out about what we are working on

[Cherie Brown]

I'd like to see a physical print guide to local food systems for consumers that catalogs both direct and restaurant-based sources, explains different farming systems briefly from consumer and environmental perspectives, maybe an article about how to engage farmers conversationally to better understand practices and choices, etc... Something that could be ad-funded and given away for free. This might tie in with a larger "buy local" awareness / promotion campaign. Creating demand in the hope of attracting more local growers.

[Cherie Brown]

Choose a large area (local food systems, healthcare, etc.) and form a group of interested participants that will undertake an analysis of that area as its first action.  

The analysis involves talking to people who are expert on the topic for the Knoxville area, getting an idea of what the components of that system are, and where the holes are or what's causing problems.  It also involves finding out what other local groups are working to reform that system, making contact with those groups and finding an appropriate angle to complement the existing work that's being done.  It could involve looking at the issue more regionally to find out if other towns or bioregions have attempted to addressed those problems for themselves, what they did, whether or not it was effective, etc.  

Analysis is "time bound" to keep the group from staying indefinitely in this phase.  Action items evolve from there.

[Brian Miller]

Quick question: I didn't realize there had been any activity on the group discussion. Typically on most groups you get an email to let you know a new thread has been started. Any ideas on why this is not happening?

Although I haven't made the last two meetings I do hope to make some future meetings. I was speaking with Tim (a fellow farmer here in Roane County). We both wanted to weigh in on the idea of meeting someplace where we can grab a beer and some food. An hour drive for us at dinner time should be rewarded! I'm kidding...but, I'm not.

Some of the ideas floating around are covered with the Permaculture group: skills and resources. I see part of the goal of this group to tie them more directly into why they are important in a post-peak resource world.

[Cherie Brown]

Occasionally I also don't get an email for a post.  I don't know why - maybe a bug.

I agree that the post-peak issue is central to the Transition model.  Part of moving forward, to my understanding, should be to get the mission of the group clearly in mind so we can evaluate what we're taking on and make sure it works toward the larger goal.

Any thoughts on where there is (1) beer (2) quiet enough atmosphere for conversation and (3) a decent amount of space?  It also needs to be free - for instance, Barley's has a meeting room but costs $50 to use.

[Brian Miller]

Could be on the "bug". I'll just stop by periodically and check on updates. As to the question of where to meet I really do not have any suggestions. I've been out of that area for sometime. Any idea on when the next meeting will be?

My best,

Brian

[Cherie Brown]

Hoping it will be next week.  I'm waiting to finalize the date till we have a location confirmed for us to meet.

[John Leitnaker]

With another hot, dry year, dying pastures and gardens etc., I keep thinking about transitioning to a new climate/processes. This looks like it will be on us before the energy crisis. Is this appropriate for our discussion?