News and Calendar

Typhoon Haiyan was certainly a tiresome embarrassment for the beginning of the latest UN convention on Climate Change in Warsaw. Here we are trying to have a learned discussion on the possibility of climate change sometime in the future, and the Philippine representative is giving a tearful opening statement suggesting that the utter devastation in his country might indicate that it is already here. And, maybe we need to do something right away? That is not the discussion we developed countries had planned for this conference. As we said in South Africa last year, we were going to start scheduling pledged reductions in 2015, not now.
 
There is now a heated debate as to when exactly climate change officially begins. Was Haiyan just a bad storm of the usual variety or is it part of the new climate paradigm? So hard to tell! We keep remaking these darn computer climate models; they tell us that bad things are coming but they won’t say exactly when. The important thing in this giant game of global chicken is that the corporation that pollutes the longest will come out way ahead of their less bold competitors when the time comes to really cut back. If a corporation is going to enter a climate dark age, better to do it with a healthy and dominant portfolio!
 
Another real sticking point at these climate conventions is that the lesser developed countries have the temerity to suggest that we developed countries, who send 80% of the carbon into the atmosphere, should pay for 80% of the Mitigation and Adaptation. In addition to those two areas of investment, the lesser developed countries would like to add Loss and Damage, which is about compensation for damage already incurred. The US delegation is against a separate category for this because they feel that it could set a legal precedent for our liability for such damage, and who knows how far that could go? What’s really frustrating is that in the finger pointing game, we just can’t come up with anybody to point at. Needless to say, this game is likely to go on until our last futile gesture can still be seen above the rising waters.
 
Let’s look at some more promising developments close to home. Washington State has blocked two permits for oil terminals in Grey’s Harbor because they failed to adequately assess the environmental impacts. What is especially heartening is that they actually mentioned greenhouse gas emissions as a probable hazard. Many of us would say "DUH!" to that, but this is a real breakthrough!
 
Our Vashon Timebank is holding its second orientation meeting on Sunday afternoon, Dec 1, at 4-6 pm at the Senior Center. I think this is one of the most promising projects we have here on Vashon. The idea is that everybody’s hour is worth the same, regardless of age, education, or income; that is, everybody’s hour is a precious irreplaceable hour of their lifetime. It is not the value of the deed that is important so much as the connection that is made between two people. You know how valuable friends and neighbors are when you need a favor. Such favors are often given and without thought of compensation. The timebank makes all of the members of the bank your neighbors. You have license to ask these favors because you know that person is gaining an hour of credit that they can then use to ask a favor of somebody else. Whether it is a leaky faucet, a ride to town, a weedy garden, computer tutoring, or a friendly conversation, feel free to ask for help as needs be or offer what you enjoy doing or is easy for you.
 
If you attended the last orientation and have questions about applying or engaging on the website, you needn’t sit through the orientation again. We will have a separate meeting for you in the next room. Orientation meetings will occur every month and will always be a potluck, so come for the food and company whether or not you need more information. We haven’t determined a regular meeting date yet, but we will publicize it when we do. Go to the official website, tbanks.org, and peruse all the information there. To talk to a real person, get an application, or ask a question, you can call Carrie Sikorski at 206 949 2790 or use the contact information on the website.
 
Many of you have asked what Transition Vashon is doing. We will be holding a public meeting to address just that on Wed. night, Dec. 4, 7-9 pm, at Hub070, which is located in the old Spinnaker Bldg just north of Chase Bank. Come at 6:30 for informal socializing. We will be updating you on various projects: the tool library, food coops, a report on the Whatcom County Skillshare Fair, and a bit about the timebank as well. We are especially interested in gauging the interest here for our own skillshare fair. I know that there is already interest in a barter fair and I think that could be an aspect of a fair we could host. If you are interested in putting on a fair, please come so we can talk about it. It won’t happen if you are not there!
 
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terry@vashonloop.com