June 2017        Smaller footprint. Stronger community.       TransitionASAP.org        District 12, St. Paul, Minnesota
In this issue:
 

Transition Tap
at the Urban Growler 
Wednesday, June 7
7:00-9:00 pm
2325 Endicott. Talk sustainability with new friends. Look for the table with the "T" sign. (Bonus: Polish brews, food & music tonight!) 
 

Transition Now! at Northern Spark  
Saturday, June 10, 9 pm to sunrise 
Lowertown St. Paul, behind Golden's Deli, 275 4th St. East. 
Free all-night arts fest along the Green Line, themed 
Climate Chaos / People Rising. Visit Transition Now! near Union Depot, add a message to our Grove of Life, dance to the music, and find your own climate response. 

See someone in a black T-shirt? Ask what they're doing for sustainability (these symbols are hints). Then enjoy the rest of 
Northern Spark
. 

Interfaith Iftar at Northern Spark
Saturday, June 10, 8:45 pm
Cedar Cultural Ctr, Mpls.
After the sunset call to prayer echoes over the city, all are welcome for the fellowship of Ramadan.
Hosted by Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light. Share the meal or volunteer.  

Safe and Prepared: Get Ready for Severe Storms and Power Outages
Thursday, June 15, 6:30-9:00 pm 
3435 36th Ave South, Mpls. 
Let's plan ahead.  Hosted by Transition Longfellow. 

Sustainable Food & Land group
Thursday, June 15, 7:00 pm 
2362 Carter Ave. 
Plan 
workshops and a land-and-food neighborhood vision for 2040 ( webpage ). 
Questions?  Email Kit.
_______________

All are welcome here  
All are welcome here: A yard sign is a start, but read Meredith Sommers' Park Bugle column  for ideas that reach further. And look for Ahmed Ismail Yusuf's book Somalis in Minnesota, in stock at Micawber's. Many of Minnesota's more recent arrivals have much to teach about adaptability-- and climate change globally. 

March with our Drill Team July 4! 
We're teaming with the St. Paul Tool Library to form a tool-wielding contingent in St. Anthony Park's  July 4 parade. With the rhythms of drills, saws, and percussion hand tools, we'll wow the crowd along Como Avenue. All ages; tools provided. Meet 10:30 am at Luther Place (march at 11, picnic at 12).  A core group will practice beforehand; more can join that morning. Either way, email Mindy if you're interested. 

Call for workshops and exhibitors: MREA  Energy Fair 
This year the Midwest Renewable Energy Association's annual event in Wisconsin has a spinoff fair in St. Paul, and we're a partner. Join us Sept. 9-10 to learn about solar, wind, clean transport, green building, sustainable living, and more. Lead a workshop or plan an exhibit. 

Find your place in Transition
Visit " Action Groups" or email us:
   Community solar: Barry Riesch
   Home energy curtailment:   Tim Wulling
   Housing options:   Phil Broussard
   Reflective Circle:   Marilyn Benson  
   School liaison:   Mimi Jennings
   Sustainable food:   Kit Canright
   Transportation:   Pat Thompson
   Zero waste:   Brandon Sigrist  
Join our email list: send your address to Communications@TransitionASAP.org. 
Visit our Facebook page .  "Request to join" our  Facebook group.  Follow us on
Twitter:   @transitionasap1 .  Submit news and views:  email  the editor  (and  see back   issues) .  Logo  by Pat Thompson. Transition "t" and  Bee  by Regula Russelle. 
National Gathering "intensives" available  a la carte ! 
Go deeper with a one- or two-day workshop
Learn from national Transition leaders as the Gathering  kicks off. Before the fast-moving weekend workshops start, join us for a deeper intensive.  Info & tickets .

Thursday, July 27 and Friday, July 28 (two days):


Skilling Up for Local Economic Resilience  with Jay Tompt. "REconomy" cofounder Jay shows how to launch change-making projects with knowledge and confidence. For civic leaders, entrepreneurs, activists, and organizers.

Effective Collaboration Training with Don Hall. Group work can be fun, but it's not always easy. Don shows how to collaborate with minimum bog-down and maximum equitability. For all working toward social change.


Thursday, July 27 (one day):

Community Rights and the Transition Movement  with Paul Cienfuegos. Let's learn from the successes of the Community Rights movement: in 8 states, they've helped claim local rights to a healthy climate and sustainable energy, water, and food.   

From Meetings to Movements: Social Permaculture Strategies for Transition  with Adam Brock.  How can relocalization advocates shape local public policy, find unlikely allies, and reach beyond the choir for sustainable results? 
 

Friday, July 28  (one day):


Deep Resilience: From Me to We with Rebecca Blanco.
We'll tap into the inner resources that help us grow as trailblazers and game-changers, then explore how our own deep resilience can foster community well-being.

Take Your Transition Initiative to the Next Level  with Tina Clarke. How do we choose among Transition's "ingredients" to support the genius of our own community? Explore pros, cons, and new solutions in this interactive workshop.

Then register for the main portion of the  National Gathering . Buy a full conference pass (Friday night through Sunday, discounted for youth and seniors) or a day or evening pass.  Work-trades and some scholarships available: apply here. Evening passes include events like the  film  Tomorrow ;   keynotes by Richard Heinberg of Post Carbon Institute and Phyllis Young , Standing Rock Elder and Water Protector; and performances of music and spoken word.  
Host a Gathering homestay: It's a win-win
Twin Cities hosts are needed for 3- to 7-day stays, July 25-August 2. Offer a b ed or a sofa: we'll match hosts with guests. No need to provide food or transport . What's the benefit? "By providing a homestay room, I can connect with new Transition folks and make the Gathering more accessible, too," says Pat in St. Paul. Ruah in Vermont: "I like to stay with local people. It's a chance to get to know them."  For info,  email Rebecca Cramer  or Janet Dieterich .
Avalon grad is poised for climate leadership 
by Ethan Engberg

Claire Mathews-Lingen is a high school senior graduating from Avalon School in South Saint Anthony Park. As a student organizer and policy intern for Climate Generation, a nonprofit dedicated to climate literacy and education, Claire has become an outspoken advocate for climate-related issues.

"Even with the current political landscape,
we cannot let this conversation fade.
Clean water, a healthy environment, and a secure, climate-resilient future are not partisan issues."

--Claire Mathews-Lingen
As a project-based charter school, Avalon requires seniors to complete a 300-hour project that substantively challenges and prepares students to address real-world issues. Claire began her project researching the community benefits of plastic recycling and the possible use of shredded plastic as 3-D printing material. But with her interests in broader socio-environmental issues, it soon morphed into an internship with Climate Generation
(ClimateGen.org). During her time with the organization, Claire has played an instrumental role as a student policy intern, writing unity blogposts and speeches and working with student networks to organize community events.


On Youth Climate Lobby Day, Claire outlined Minnesota's climate policy needs for
Gov. Mark Dayton and Lt. Gov. Tina Smith.
On March 1 Claire facilitated a youth lobbying event at the Minnesota State Capitol. Young climate-change activists, armed with 1,000 petition postcards, implored officials to set a new renewable energy mandate that would move Minnesota to a 50% renewable energy standard by 2030, increase access to cost-effective energy upgrades, and oversee the expansion of the clean- energy job sector.

Claire is thankful for the experiences and connections she has made: "Just understanding the political process from an organization's point of view and working to address climate change issues on behalf of my community has been my biggest takeaway." (She had earlier honed some of those skills as an SAP Community Council intern.) Claire will continue developing her interests in environmental policy, climate justice, and the political arena as she attends Willamette University in Salem, Oregon this fall.


Ethan Engberg is interning with Transition Town ASAP. A junior at Macalester, he's majoring in environmental studies and education. 
The money you're saving -- what is it doing?
by Tim Wulling

When you put money aside in a bank account or mutual fund, it's not just sitting there. It's doing something. But is it doing something aligned with your values?
If your mutual fund invests in weapons manufacturers while you value diplomacy and peaceful solutions, your money and your values conflict. RJ Devick and Rob Cavalry explained values-based investing in a public program offered by SAP United Church of Christ May 14.  Options range from signing up for your bank's Socially Responsible Deposit Fund all the way up to purchasing company stocks directly. The speakers' company, Bond & Device Wealth Partners, uses filters to help clients find stocks that match their values. B enefits of values-based or socially responsible investing include comparable returns, possibly reduced risk, and living out personal values.

Electrical engineer Tim Wulling is a leader in our Home Energy Curtailment and Community Solar action groups. 

Editor's note: We can't offer financial advice, but you might also research fossil-fuel-free investment resources such as GoFossilFree  and DivestInvest . 
The Transition Town - All Saint Anthony Park initiative grew from the Energy Resilience Group, a subcommittee of the Saint Anthony Park Community Council's Environment Committee. Visit the SAPCC website to learn more about Saint Paul's District 12 neighborhood projects, including the Creative Enterprise Zone. Lend a hand!   Our purpose:  To raise our understanding in Saint Anthony Park of climate change, the limits of fossil fuels, and the adaptation of our community that is possible and positive.   What's a Transition Town?   It's a community starting the transition from a fossil-fueled, energy-intensive way of life to a more satisfying, locally oriented community with increased stability in disruptive times.