Transition Carrboro-Chapel Hill Newsletter

Welcome to issue #3, October 2011!

Quick-Glance Happenings!

Oct. 27: Video and discussion of visionary urban planner Enrique Peñalosa
Oct. 29: Urban Farm Tour
Nov. 5: Bank Transfer Day
Nov. 6: Tar Sands Action in Washington, DC

Encircle the White House on November 6 to Stop the Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline

At 2:30 pm on November 6 in Washington, DC, climate change activists will gather for a rally in Lafayette Park and then cross the street and encircle the White House. This will be a legal, peaceful assembly to demonstrate opposition to the building of the Keystone XL pipeline from the Alberta tar sands to the Gulf of Mexico.

Climate scientist James Hansen says the pipeline represents "game over" for the climate. He's not talking about oil spills or the dirty process of extracting oil from the tar sands. He means that burning the oil now stored in the tar sands will increase atmospheric CO2 to a level from which we can't recover.

In December, President Obama will decide whether to approve the building of the pipeline. There is evidence that the State Department review of the project was biased: a lobbyist for the company seeking approval for the pipeline is a former Hillary Clinton presidential campaign aide (more info here). President Obama will be under intense pressure to approve the pipeline, and this may be our last chance to talk him out of it.

A biodiesel bus provided by Greenway Transit will be traveling from Raleigh to Washington for this protest. To reserve a spot on the bus, email ncsugreenpeace@gmail.com. The bus will leave before dawn on Nov. 6 and return by midnight with a dinner stop in Richmond. The cost is $30/person.

In addition, there will be a Tar Sands interest meeting on Nov. 1 on the campus of NC State (Williams Auditorium 2215) at 9pm. Prior to the meeting, at 7pm at the same location, there will be a Mountain Justice Roadshow calling for the abolition of mountaintop removal coal mining.

If you'd like to go to DC on Nov. 6 but the bus doesn't meet your needs, Transition will try to organize carpools. Email us if you want to drive or ride in a carpool. If you're planning to go, organizers are asking that you sign up at www.tarsandsaction.org so they have an idea how many people to expect.

Occupy Chapel Hill! Be Part of Something Too Big to Fail

On September 17, activists occupied Wall Street, gradually attracting more and more participants, capturing the imagination of the nation, and even making it into the mainstream news (more info at occupywallst.org). On October 6, the October 2011 occupation began at Freedom Plaza in Washington, with the tagline "Human needs, not corporate greed" (more info at october2011.org).

Now, OccupyTogether.org, the unofficial hub of all the "Occupy" actions, lists occupations in 1,613 cities around the world. It is using the meetup.com website to organize the occupations. Interestingly, as of Oct. 21, "Occupy" is among the "featured meetups" highlighted at the top of MeetUp's home page -- right in front of "Tea Party." Does this mean that critical mass has finally been reached to actually steer the country in a more positive direction?

If you think so, you may want to join Occupy Chapel Hill at Peace and Justice Plaza (the old Post Office at 179 E. Franklin Street). It's an ongoing occupation, 24-7, with tents set up on the plaza for overnight stays. Stop by any time, for 5 minutes or 5 weeks, but the next planned action is tomorrow, Saturday, October 22, at 1pm. Keep in touch at this website: www.meetup.com/occupytogether/Chapel-Hill-NC.

Bank Transfer Day November 5 -- Moving Our Money into Community Banks

If you want an immediate way to reduce the influence of the corporate mega-banks, consider taking part in Bank Transfer Day, November 5. The brainchild of L.A. business owner Kristen Christian, the idea is to move your money from the large corporate banks to credit unions (which are cooperatives). For more information, visit the Bank Transfer Day website. The site offers help in locating credit unions.

The Green America Community Investing Guide, now available online, offers even more help figuring out how to keep your money working in support of your principles. The resource list starting on page 20 lists credit unions, community development banks, socially responsible mutual funds and financial planners, and issue-oriented credit cards.

Of course, our own local Self-Help Credit Union of Durham is included there. Another item of interest is the Redirect Visa issued by One Pacific Coast Bank. Half the proceeds of the Redirect Visa go to support carbon offsets.

Enrique Peñalosa Film

On Thursday, October 27, at 6:30pm at the Carrboro Century Center (100 N. Greensboro St.), Bike Carrboro will present a special viewing and discussion of a video of visionary urban planner Enrique Peñalosa's speech at the 2011 International Transport Forum. Peñalosa -- a former mayor of Bogota, Colombia -- speaks about power, politics, and cities. Free with refreshments. More info. here.

Free Bus Schedules, Bike Maps, and Bus/Bike Mentoring

It really is possible to get to a lot of places in the Triangle by bus and bike. If you would like a free package of bus schedules and bike maps, or if you would like a free session with a bike-riding or bus-riding mentor, just email us and we'll help you get out of your car. Give us as much information as you wish (home and work locations, etc.) so we can tailor your package to your transportation needs.

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