Moving to Conservers

On Sunday, December 10th, a group of friends reserved the gazebo on Main street in Brevard and set up a living room complete with hot cider, coffee, tea and cookies, lots of cookies.  We set up a sign on the sidewalk that explained we were a pop-up coffeehouse and asked folks to share a kind thought and join us, and they did.  It was wonderful! Folks in downtown Brevard share kind thoughts We played checkers, relaxed and enjoyed each others company.  We met some wonderful people.  The veteran's history museum opened up and we met Ken Corn who shared a cup or two of coffee with us and invited us in to see the museum and use the facilities.  We met Harold who has a display in the museum. When planning to set up the space we agreed to make this a zero-waste event and we did!  We each brought something from our homes and it came together as a beautiful, peaceful and loving space to [...]

[et_pb_section bb_built="1" _builder_version="3.0.47"][et_pb_row _builder_version="3.0.47" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat"][et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.0.90" background_size="initial" background_position="top_left" background_repeat="repeat" background_layout="light"] A group of us are meeting on a regular basis and discussing the material we are studying in a course called Think Resilience.  We are using this think tanks material as a springboard for discussion and it has been fascinating.  Each member is doing what they are personally comfortable with in regards to changing their behaviors from a consumer to a conserver. One item we have heard repeatedly is folks would like a list of what others are doing to get some ideas so I asked members to submit what they were interested in sharing.  I will add their good works to this list as I receive them.  Thanks to all who are participating and sharing! Just a note on the tab titles.  So many of these actions span titles, making it is hard to pick which one to put it under.  For example, buying local food helps reduce packaging but also greatly reduces transportation [...]

Among a growing number of scientists, social innovators, community leaders, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropies, governments and corporations, a new dialogue is emerging around a new idea, resilience: how to help vulnerable people, organizations and systems persist, perhaps even thrive, amid unforeseeable disruptions. Where sustainability aims to put the world back into balance, resilience looks for ways to manage in an imbalanced world.  Learning to Bounce Back: Forget Sustainability. It’s About Resilience. By ANDREW ZOLLI, NY Times, November 2, 2012 When the world population is consuming 1.5 earths, and the population is growing and our finite natural resources like coal and oil are being depleted, what is going to happen?  How can we do our part to reduce and not use more earth than we have? That is the focus of a "Think Resilience" house party think tank group gathering in our local community.  We are using the online course from the Post Carbon Institute as our guide.  We gather for a potluck meal at a host's home and listen [...]

Last night, 10 of us gathered for a meal and listened to the first 3 videos of the Think Resilience Self-Directed Course. This is the second time we have attended one of these and the reaction is beautiful.  Individual's reactions have ranged from one who has made a contract with herself to not use disposable coffee cups anymore to others working to become a zero-waste household. Our household has been working on that since January and we have learned so much already from sitting down to a meal with others, listening to the Think Resilience Course, and discussing the message. Here is something we recently learned.  Did you know you can take your own plate, cup, and napkin to Bracken Bakery?  We buy our bread there and get it sliced and put in a paper bag.  They let you bring the bag back for your next loaf. Last night at the house party, we asked everyone to bring their own non-disposable place settings.  It was so fun to [...]