Energy & Community Resilience Fair, Oct. 10, 2010

A Transition Carrboro-Chapel Hill 10/10/10 Event

350.org is spreading the word about the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) that scientists say we must maintain in order to prevent the worst effects of climate change: 350 parts per million. The bad news is we’re already over that, at 387 ppm of CO₂ in our atmosphere, and counting.

The good news is there’s something we can do. 350.org invited communities around the world to join in a “Global Work Party” on October 10, 2010 (10/10/10). This worldwide action included over 7,347 events in 188 countries. One of those happened right here in Carrboro.

Transition’s Energy & Community Resilience Fair took place at Carrboro Town Commons (next to Town Hall, where the Farmer’s Market is held) from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on October 10. The event was co-sponsored by the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill.

Read Dave Otto’s article about the event in the Chapel Hill News.

The fair included:

local companies and nonprofits demonstrating high- and low-tech ways to conserve energy or start using alternative energy (click here for a list of exhibitors)
laptops where visitors calculated their carbon footprint
information on Chapel Hill and Carrboro town government energy programs
smoothies made in a bicycle-powered blender
brownies baked in solar ovens
a continuous showing of the documentary Kilowatt Ours
a map of community gardens and farmers markets to help you eat more healthily and cut the fuel consumption of your food at the same time
an exercise in community-building in which visitors received free chocolate in exchange for answering questions on race and other social justice issues.

Several local contractors had exhibits stressing the major energy savings that can be accomplished by relatively low-cost home weatherization techniques. Click here for the full list of exhibitors.

Here are some photos from the event.

photo by David Rapson

photo by David Rapson

photo by Dave Otto

Kathy Shea greets visitors at the Transition table.
photo by Dave Otto

Jon Haebig helps a visitor calculate her carbon footprint.
photo by Dave Otto

There’s nothing like a no-carbon smoothie produced with your own muscle power!
photo by Dave Otto

Sundogs Solutions, Home Performance NC, and HomeSmith were three of the weatherization companies that exhibited at the fair. Tom Smith of HomeSmith (bottom) demonstrated that energy leaks from a typical home can add up to the equivalent of having a 3-foot square hole in your wall.

photos by Dave Otto and David Rapson

The documentary Kilowatt Ours was shown continuously throughout the fair.
photo by David Rapson

Margaret Krome-Lukens in conversation at the Two-Way Street listening circle.
photo by Dave Otto

The Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association (RENA) talked to visitors about the landfill and other environmental justice issues.
photo by Dave Otto

Bike activists were out in force for the Fair, including Tom Ed White (above), Elise Giddings of the Cycle 9 bike shop on Main Street, and Greenway Transit, operators of the Pedicabs (below).
photos by Dave Otto

Ken Moore and Dave Otto look at a map of existing and proposed trails around Bolin Creek.
photo by Emily Eve Weinstein

Members of the UNC Sierra Student Coalition talk about their work, including their Beyond Coal campaign that succeeded in getting UNC to pledge to convert from coal to other fuels by 2020.
photo by Dave Otto