Transition PDX

"Inherent within the challenges of peak oil and climate change is an extraordinary opportunity to reinvent, rethink, and rebuild the world around us." - Rob Hopkins, The Transition Handbook. 

The mission of TransitionPDX is to inspire, to encourage, to network, to support and train the communities and neighborhoods of the Portland metro area as they consider, adopt, adapt and implement the transition model in order to establish Transition Initiatives.

Starting in July 2008, Transition PDX is made up of a growing network of volunteers working to bring the the Transition model to Portland, Oregon.

In this section of The Dirt! you will find information on how you can join us in helping to create a more resilient city, ready to respond to the challenges and opportunities of Peak Oil and Climate Change.

- How would such city look? Fostering a resilient community is about developing a community that can thrive despite the challenges brought to it by changing climate conditions and the consequences of depleting energy resources.

One of the notable things about the Transition Initiative is the hope that it brings to people. Despite the very real challenges that the future is likely to bring, the enthusiasm in the room at gatherings and meetings can be quite palpable.

Transition PDX is sponsored in part by St. Francis of Assisi Parish.

NW Major Earthquake Potential with discussion of both Haiti and Chile

Event
When: 
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 - 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Presented by: Dr. Scott Burns, Professor of Geology, Portland State University - http://soils.geology.pdx.edu

Portland is earthquake country.  Three different types of earthquakes are possible in Oregon with two creating big threats for Portland.  One is movement on local faults in the Portland area like the Portland Hills Fault.  The other is the “Big One’ that could generate a magnitude of 9 along the coast and could last three minutes.  Portland would be greatly affected by both. 

Dr. Burns will talk about the sources of these quakes and their past history and future chances and specifically will talk about both Haiti and Chile and their relevance to Oregon. Chile is a perfect example of what could happen in Oregon with the Big One.

Location

St. Francis Dining Hall
1182 SE Pine St.
Portland, OR

Illahee Series - Richard Heinberg: Power, Change and Energy

Event
When: 
Monday, February 22, 2010 - 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Link: 
http://illahee.org/lectures
Link: 
Purchase Tickets to 2010 Events

Senior Fellow-in-Residence at Post Carbon Institute, Mr. Heinberg is best known as a leading educator on Peak Oil—the point at which we reach maximum global oil production—and the resulting, devastating impact it will have on our economic, food, and transportation systems. But his expertise is far ranging, covering critical issues including the current economic crisis, food and agriculture, community resilience, and global climate change. Heinberg is author of nine books, including The Party’s Over, Peak Everything, and the newly released Blackout.

Location

First Congregational Church
1126 SW Park
Portland, OR

Transiton PDX General Meeting - Feb 2010

Event
When: 
Wednesday, February 17, 2010 - 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Everyone in Transition PDX are invited to gather and and hear progress reports from new conveners of interest groups, existing groups, and the Hub, as well as feedback and discussion from the larger Transition community.  

This is an opportunity to get to know others in Transition PDX, share wisdom and progress toward a more resilient community.

Plan to attend so that together we can maintain the momentum needed to build community, create resilience, and craft an effective Energy Descent Action Plan.

Location

St. Francis Che Room
1131 SE Oak
Portland, OR

Saturday Night at St. Francis Cafe - Music & Slow Food Event

Event
When: 
Saturday, March 6, 2010 - 6:00pm - 10:00pm

Training for Transition in Portland April 9-10

Event
When: 
Friday, April 9, 2010 - 9:00am - Saturday, April 10, 2010 - 5:00pm

Transition PDX will be sponsoring a two-day Training for Transition (T4T) on Friday and Saturday, April 9 and 10.  The training will be held in the main hall of Sunnyside Methodist Church, 3520 SE Yamhill Street, Portland.
 
The T4T course is designed to introduce you to a community engagement model for responding and adapting to the threats of climate change, fossil fuel dependence and economic instability.  It will give an introduction to the ideas underpinning the Transition Initiative, and the most important skills needed to get a Transition Initiative off the ground in your locality.  The course is designed both for people who are already in a group working to achieve this, and those who are thinking of creating such a group.
 
This training will follow the Transition model in paying attention to both the outer work and the inner work necessary for a successful transition process.  The course is participatory, action-learning-based and fun, with participants invited to share their own experience and learn from the different Transition projects represented in the group.
 
The cost of the training is $200, of which a $40 deposit will be due with your registration to hold your place.  Registration information will be available in about a week.  We hope to offer some partial scholarships, and will do our best to find rooms in members’ homes for visiting participants. 
 
One of the two certified Transition US trainers will be David Johnson.  After building an award-winning ecological house in Wales, David explored the overlap of ecology and spirituality through a Masters Degree program in Transpersonal Psychology with a concentration in Ecopsychology at Naropa University.  During this time he also trained with Joanna Macy.  This training informed his thinking around the inner aspects of Transition work.  David was involved in a think tank set up by Rob Hopkins in the early days of Transition Town Totnes in England, and recently moved to Portland where he has been in the central group helping to bring the Transition approach here.
 
The other trainer, Lena Soots from Vancouver, BC, is a community educator and facilitator with a focus on community sustainability and resilience.  With an academic background in Environmental Studies, Lena’s work has involved environmental consulting, community planning, local food system development and facilitation across a wide range of community settings.  She is currently an Instructor and Research Associate with the Centre for Sustainable Community Development at Simon Fraser University and a PhD Candidate in the Faculty of Education.  Lena’s current research is in transformative community learning and exploring the inner and outer dimensions of change.  She is also a yoga instructor and tries to spend as much time as possible hiking in the mountains or paddling a canoe.
 
Stay tuned for registration info and further details!

Link: 
http://www.thedirt.org/tpdx