Every couple of months, I have the
privilege of gathering with other peak oil activists and educators from
around the state. We try to find a
location that makes it at least periodically possible for
representatives from every group to travel a "peak oil distance," as
Tim Sevenson of
Post Oil
Solutions likes to say. We take stock of the situation
locally, state-wide, nationally, and in the world. We acknowledge
our state's legislative intelligence when we see it, and mourn lost
opportunities when they appear to fall by the wayside. We ask
ourselves what we are doing, how we are going about it, and what more
can be done. And we try to strike a balance between asking the
impossible of ourselves and our communities, and glorifying the
glimmers of light at the end of every tunnel (some of those lights
might be trains...!). The work of peak oil education is
difficult; organizing a community to respond to a situation they don't
want to hear about can amount to a Sysiphian task. Party invitations
have dropped
off dramatically, and when planners see us coming, many roll up their
eyes
instead of their sleeves.
Is it something we said?
Spending the afternoon chatting and strategizing with folks who speak
the language, as I was recently able to do, is a welcome relief from
the sense
that one has somehow stumbled into a foreign country without a guide.
These get-togethers are crucial to community activism. But
maybe it's time we learned how to speak to the natives... After all,
these are the folks with whom we're going to experience this
transition. The sense of urgency that our communities must "get
it" in
order that timely preparations might be made often leads to a tangible
frustration that precedes us as we enter the room. If frustration
drives our message and its delivery, there isn't much for listeners to
latch onto. We don't want reaction, we want
action!
So, how do we get there?
We asked ourselves about our own and other similar organizations'
successes... and discovered that an important element of generating
citizen activism on sustainability is "going with the energy of the
community"--- identifying issues that invite broad participation,
increase social contact, and connect us with the experience of living
in Vermont and the values that keep us here. Maybe it isn't only
about leading; it's also about looking for a spark that
already exists in the community, one compatible with the need to live
more locally and sustainably, and fanning
that flame! The opportunity
to make the link to oil depletion will arise at the right moment, and
knowing that the action one is engaged in is a positive response will
go a long way towards "sustainability."
The Localvores are a great example of this kind of allignment and
facilitation. Working with an issue about which people had
passion (eating!), the Localvores built on citizen participation and
raised not only awareness about the benefits of eating local foods
(fresh, healthy, good for the local economy, etc.), but also about the
need
to reduce fossil fuel use in production and transportation of goods
that can be produced closer to home (better for the
environment, hedge to higher food costs caused by rising
transportation expenses, etc.). Their activism led to good
questions about food security: do we have enough
agricultural land in
production in Vermont to feed everyone locally? Is there adequate
"local food
accessibility," enough to make the privilege - and growing necessity -
of eating locally and well an option for all? Is agriculture an
attractive career for young people, the "farmers of the future?"
And what about the
bees? All of these
items come to the table along with the latest and
greatest recipes; and legislators, growers, entrepreneurs, and
non-profit leaders are beginning to notice.
In our own Peak Oil circle, the
First Branch
Sustainability Project's effort to launch a Solar Hot Water Heater
installation campaign worked on similar principles. There was an
interest... the peak oil activists didn't need to generate it, they
just needed to help it along. And that is exactly what they did.
They secured a grant to support informational events,
crafted a media blitz, and held meetings in Chelsea with 135
attending, in Norwich with 211 attending and, at the last in Randolph
(on the second sunny day in weeks) with approx. 40 attending.
Interest is moving into action as households begin to sign up for
Solar Hot Water.
And there are many other examples. What they all have in common
is an ability to appeal to a broader community base via shared
values: the preservation of agricultural land, empowerment through
local decision making, reduced dependence on fossil fuels, creation of
a robust local economy, promotion of
a healthy environment, development of a community that is safe and
enriching for everyone who lives there, and a sense of
possibility. Many efforts
also hint at the great need for equity that begs to be addressed in our
state.
Grow Team ONE's initiative
provides an excellent example of a citizen-driven project that reaches
across traditional socio-economic boundaries to offer opportunities for
greater self-sufficiency
and
an increased experience of neighborliness for all. These are the
moments of hope that nurture confidence in our ability to address the
challenges of our times.
Does this mean that we should give peak oil education and preparation a
back seat? Heavens, no. In fact, we'd benefit from looking
for a number of ways to further our communities' preparedness (example:
develop an emergency preparedness strategy for your neighborhood or
community... your selectboard may already have one; find out. You
don't even have to say "peak oil" to do this!) The need to educate
legislators continues; plans like those laid out in the
Portland
(OR) Peak Oil report remain to be re-imagined and tailored to
Vermont by informed governmental bodies and citizenry alike.
There are places to be leaders still. But we may also
benefit from reminding ourselves that
one of our primary roles as activists is to act as a catalyst to others
and be collaborative. Sometimes our job is to go where the energy
is, not to supply it.
Some take-away tips:
• Take an opportunistic approach; watch and
respond to openings, sparks in the community.
• Collaborate with existing and emerging
ideas/projects.
• Run with it! You don’t have to
lead, you can follow, too!
• Think: both/and.
• Remain on track re: guiding
mission/purpose. Use discernment; avoid derailings!
• Act with urgency in mind, but not in front!
• Encourage confidence, engagement.
• Empower the members of your community by
supporting "right action" wherever you see it.
• Facilitate transparency: highlight
whether or not elected officials are
demonstrating their support for issues that have currency among
community members. For instance, they may be
mobilized to support the local economy once they realize the community
(their voting constituency) is passionate about doing so itself.
Working with the energy of community means working FOR something.
And “where the people lead…”