Open Living and Learning Network News: Upcoming Sustainability Education Events



NEW! Gaia Education Design for Sustainability
Online Learning for Sustainability offered through Gaia Education.Click here to learn more

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October 2009 Louisville Sustainability Forum Announcements
(Click the image below to see the full size announcements poster)





September 2009 Louisville Sustainability Forum Announcements
(Click the image below to see the full size announcements poster)




Living Legacy: In Honor of Van Jones



With the forced resignation of Van Jones, community action for Green Jobs
becomes even more important.
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* International Conference on Value Chain Sustainability (ICOVACS 2009)

Kentucky International Convention Center, Louisville, KY October 19-21, 2009 Click here to learn more...


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June 24-28, 2009 Cohousing Conference - Seattle, WA
Come to the 2009 National Cohousing Conference and see the power of community for yourself. With more than 50 program offerings - featured speakers, workshops, seminars, and tours-there's something for everyone! More Info


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June 20-24, 2009
ASHRAE Conference in Louisville: Engineering Sustainability

Click here to learn more


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Transition Town / Ecovillage Training

June 13-14 , 2009 Albuquerque, New Mexico

Led by Maggie Seeley and Zaida Amaral, Ecovillage Design leaders partnered with Louisville and other ecovillage initiatives, the training promises to be one of the more exciting initiatives in the US as we continue the process of integrating transition work with diverse design and cultural perspectives... Click here to learn more...

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May 16-17, 2009

Join us for the main midwest sustainability learning event of the season!

To learn more: www.greenfestivals.org

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* Winter - Spring 2009:

Sustainable Neighborhoods Organizing Meetings


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* Sustainable Neighborhoods Organizing Workshop Nov 16, 2008, 2 PM
    WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY AND HOW DO WE GET THERE?
    NEIGHBORHOOD SUSTAINABILITY WITH PROCESS IN MIND.
    The Brick House community center, in conjunction with the Adena Center and a number of community partners and organizations, is hosting a workshop on neighborhood sustainability and urban ecovillage organizing, Click here to Learn More
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  • Green for All: Green Jobs and Business for a New Economy

    Join us for five events on September 26-27in Louisville and Frankfort celebrating progress towards a Green Kentucky and a Sustainable Louisville! Go to     Green Jobs Now Kentucky to learn more...
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  • Worldview Creation Spirituality Class Beginning Wednesday September 17, 2008, Sustainable Clifton and partner community organizations will offer a free five week course exploring the Creation Spirituality tradition and its fourfold path.
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International Conference on Value Chain Sustainability (ICOVACS 2009), Louisville, KY October 19-21, 2009

International Conference on Value Chain Sustainability (ICOVACS 2009)

Kentucky International Convention Center, Louisville, KY October 19-21, 2009

International Conference on Value Chain Sustainability (ICOVACS 2009)

Logo for the International Conference on Value Chain Sustainability (ICOVACS 2009)

ICOVACS 2009 (International Conference on Value Chain Sustainability) is the second of conference series that aims to bring academic, industry and government personnel from various countries together from October 19-21st, 2009 to present and discuss the next frontier for product design, branding and logistics as a leadership strategy in a global market. The conference will be held at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, KY.

 

This year’s theme is "Product Design, Branding and Logistics as a Leadership Strategy in a Global Market"

 

For more information, please visit www.icovacs.org.

Transition Town / Ecovillage Training June 13-14 , 2009 Albuquerque, New Mexico

Transition Training Information:

The Transition Training will be at the historic Hubble House in the South Valley of Albuquerque on June 13-14, 2009.

We are so lucky that Alaistair Lough, from Portland, Maine, one of the first Transition Trainers in the US is going to be with us. He was trained by Rob Hopkins and has conducted numerous workshops. He and his wife Pat, are a part of the Transtion Initiating Group in Portland. Alaistair is a Ph.D. hydrologist, a permaculturalist and also one of the Pachamama Alliance facilitators.

Venue & logistics: Sat - Sun, June 13-14, 2009 at the Hubble House (Rio Bravo Exit off I-25). The Hubble House is an old adobe Trading Post, beautifully rennovated, adjacent to luxerious open land, an acequia, garden, farm etc. We will provide some tasty food and snacks from our foodshed and have potluck lunches outside.
The program is 9am - 5pm with an hour for lunch. We could have an evening activity.

Who should come: Individuals and community leaders who are already involved in Transition, and those who want to take the movement (personally and organizationally) to a deeper level.

What is the program like: It is rich, compelling and inspiring.
The Scenarios - Mad Max; Technology Fix, Green Revolution, Disaster
Peak Oil, Climate Change, Fair Share (demystifying them) exercises
The A to C of Transition (still evolving)
Permaculture and transition
Vision - the Post-Carbon World
The 12 Ingredients, (or Steps) of Transition
The Process : Awareness, Initiating Groups, Projects, Energy Descent Plan
Oil Addiction - the mirror of societal, personal addiction
Heart & Soul
Healing and Local Initiatives
The Energy Descent - (better said, Sustainability) Plan

What is the outcome/result:
Grounding about the Transition movement
Startling awareness about Peak Oil & Climate Change
Knowing what other communities are doing.
Seeing the continuim, and realizing your next steps
Getting the program, agenda and all exercises on ppt.s, CD and hardcopy
Huge connections with people across New Mexico - begin to network, statewide
Communicating what needs to be done
Becoming a part of an Initiative
Developing resilience and re-localizing
Starting to create the Energy Descent Plan (Sustainability Plan)
Getting filled with enthusiam and do-ability

What is the cost?
$225. If we have 30 people, we can break even. More than that, we can offer partial scholarships. By Tuesday, 26 May, please send $100 deposit (or the whole $225) to the Village Design Institute, 805 Walter Street, Albuquerque, NM 87102.

Organizer:
Melanie Rubin, 505-261-3214, melanie@melanierubincoaching.com

NM Presenters:
Maggie Seeley and Zaida Amaral
(505) 268-3339 (505) 410-4611

Zaida Amaral is an Environmental Architect, Feng Shui Master and Community Builder. She is a Co-Founder of Cunha Eco Village in Brazil and the Director of EcoVillage Design Southwest in Albuquerque. She is a drummer, dancer, Mother of a 4-year old daughter and a passionate, international activist. Zaida took her graduate work at Findhorn Foundation in Scotland and is one of 21 US Transition Trainers.

Maggie Seeley is an organizational consultant who specializes in using the Triple Bottom Line (people, profit and the planet) with individual, organizational, business and community decision making. She is fortunate to have worked in China, Nigeria, India, Uganda, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Maggie teaches Sustainability Studies at the University of New Mexico, is a water activist, Transition Trainer and a Buddhist.
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2009 National Cohousing Conference; Growing Community

2009 National Cohousing Conference; Growing Community

Seattle Conference

June 24-28, 2009
University of Washington - Seattle, Washington

http://www.cohousing.org/2009/overview

Growing Community! This is the theme for the 1st Annual Conference of the Cohousing Association of the United States. While we've hosted conferences in the past, we have graduated to an annual conference to accommodate the increased interest in the growing cohousing movement.

This conference is THE venue for those who already live in cohousing, who are currently seeking a community, and professionals serving cohousing communities to learn new ways to "grow community." National Cohousing Conferences are also the ideal place for newcomers to learn about cohousing - whether you are exploring the idea of living in community or a public official trying to understand how to encourage community oriented development. Besides, the people who attend Coho/US Conferences love them!

Come to the 2009 National Conference and see the power of community for yourself. With more than 50 program offerings - featured speakers, workshops, seminars, and tours-there's something for everyone!

In 2009, our Conference starts with the International Cohousing Summit, an invitation-only event of Cohousing Thought Leaders from around the world, followed by an expanded offering of Pre-conference Workshops and Tours, and then the Main Event, the 2009 National Cohousing Conference. All three are based at the beautiful University of Washington campus, where attendees can choose and register for a greater variety of options than ever before.
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Engineering Sustainability: ASHRAE Annual Conference, June 20-24, 2009













Engineering Sustainability: ASHRAE  Annual Conference

June 20-24, 2009

American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Annual Conference

With over 100 workshops, speeches, certification trainings and research presentations, the ASHRAE Annual Conference is perhaps the finest opportunity this year to quickly get up to speed on the state of the art in sustainable  engineering practice. 


More: http://www.ashrae.org/events/page/1630


 

 ASHRAE KEYNOTE ADDRESS:

 

SUE ROAF

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Plenary Session Technical Plenary Session

Saturday, June 20 Sunday, June 21

3:15 am–5:00 pm 9:45 am–10:45 am

Galt House, Suite Tower Galt House, Suite Tower

Grand Ballroom A (2nd Floor) Segell Room (3rd Floor)


“Adapting Buildings and Cities for 3°C of Climate Change”

We all know that the world is changing fast, and four events in particular really have really made us sit up and think about the future:

• The first was the effect of the European heat wave of July 2003 that killed more than 35,000 people; 15,000 alone lived in ordinary buildings in France, mainly the vulnerable and elderly, many living on the top floors of blocks with uninsulated metal roofs.

• The second event happened a month later: the August 2003 power failure that affected over 50 million people in the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. Again these buildings failed to provide adequate shelter against “events.”

• The third event that shocked the world was the day the levees breached in New Orleans, the city that failed to protect its people.

• The fourth has been the rise and rise of oil and gas prices around the world, heralding that the fact that we are already over “peak oil,” we are simply, as a planet, beginning to run out of oil and gas.

• The fifth event has been the collapse of the domestic and commercial property markets.

In this talk, Sue Roaf outlines a range of building- and climate-related risks that individuals may be facing in the future and then presents a range of actions that homeowners and legislators can begin to take to future-proof lifestyles in the building and cities around the world against the predictable and growing challenges of the twentyfirst century. At the heart of the solutions available is the concept of low-carbon buildings. Roaf’s talk defines what these are and how we can help them to happen. She also discusses the challenge of re-designing the built  environment, society, and the economy for the predicted 3°C of climate change by 2065.

Roaf is professor of architectural engineering at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, visiting professor at the Open University, and a visiting Fellow at Arizona State University. She spent 10 years in the Middle East studying the Windcatchers of Yazd, living with nomads and excavating in Iraq. She has also practiced as a landscape consultant in Iraq and the Gulf.

Roaf’s research interests over the last two decades have centered on thermal comfort, ecological building design, building integrated renewable energy systems, adaptation of the built environment for climate change, carbon accounting, and the traditional technologies of the Middle East. She recently chaired international conferences on solar cities, carbon counting, architectural education, thermal comfort, and post-occupancy evaluation. She has also written, co-written, and edited numerous publications, including 10 books.

Immediately following the Plenary Session in the Ballroom Foyer, Roaf will be available to sign purchased copies of her book, Ecohouse, A Design Guide, Second Edition ($50).


To learn more:  http://www.ashrae.org/events/page/1630

Winter - Spring 2009: Sustainable Neighborhoods Organizing Meetings


Over the winter, a number of community leaders are organizing neighborhood conversations by residents to establish sustainable neighborhoods working groups, as part of local and global movements towards "the new localism."  

While these projects build on the experience of community organizing efforts of the past generation, there are also significant differences of values, strategy and democratic process for this new generation of organizers. 

To learn more about some of these efforts and to start or attend conversations please visit the Sustainable Neighborhoods website.

Sustainable Neighborhoods Organizing Workshop November 16, 2 PM 2008 @ Brickhouse

WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY AND HOW DO WE GET THERE?

NEIGHBORHOOD SUSTAINABILITY WITH PROCESS IN MIND.

The Brick House community center, in conjunction with a number of community partners and organizations, is hosting a workshop on neighborhood sustainability and urban ecovillage organizing

Sunday, November 16th
2pm
@ The Brick House
1101 S. 2nd Street, Louisville, Ky, 40208


John Baker, Clifton Community Council
Kelly Fowler, Metro United Way (invited)
Mark Isaacs, AIA, Legacy Homes (invited)
John Gilderbloom, Ph.D., Sustainable Urban Neighborhoods, University of Louisville
Shameka Parry - Community Activist, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
David W. Silverman - Executive Director, Adena Institute
Jack Trawick, APA, Executive Director, Center for Neighborhoods


(Organizational Info for Identification)

About the workshop:

We are moving towards ecological societies, with great opportunities to build a positive future:

Neighborhood democracy, renewable energy, real economic development, sustainable businesses, healthy local food, stronger families and social connections, and ways to act locally and globally everyday for a world that works for everyone.

  • What are your challenges in greening your neighborhood?
  • How are you and your neighbors crafting neighborhood sustainability?
  • How do we create urban ecovillages now?

This is an action-learning workshop, so we will have an opportunity to collaborate on real issues in Louisville neighborhoods. Participants will have the opportunity to work in groups on sustainability organizing and urban ecovillage planning for your block or neighborhood. Click Here to read more and RSVP

The workshop will highlight sustainability theory and organizing strategies, with brief case studies from Louisville and around the world, exploring the following questions and opportunities for action:

  • How have successful sustainable community organizers changed their neighborhoods for the better?
  • What are the challenges raised by the transition to sustainable societies?
  • How does sustainability organizing differ from and connect with traditional neighborhood organizing?
  • How do neighborhood ecovillages grow?
  • How do we measure our sustainability successes and failures?
  • How do we collaborate effectively and keep learning and action moving forward?
  • What resources are available to support neighborhoods moving towards sustainability?

Not only is this a discussion, it is a forum for all those who are interested, as well as a springboard for project-oriented groups to come together and actually achieve realistic goals.

Please attend, bring a friend or colleague, forward this announcement, and join us in exploring how to support community efforts to green our neighborhoods.

Free and open to the public.

Donations Welcome! Donations to the Sustainable Neighborhoods Workshop will go to support the sustainability efforts of Brickhouse and the Adena Institute.
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Worldview Creation Spirituality Class


Meister Eckhart said, "Every creature is a word of God
 and a book about God," capturing the essence of what contemporary theologian Matthew Fox has termed, "Creation Spirituality”.

Beginning Wednesday September 17, 2008, Sustainable Clift*n and partner community organizations will offer a free five week course exploring the Creation Spirituality tradition and its fourfold path. The class will be facilitated each Wednesday evening, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM, by Rev. Todd F. Eklof, the minister at Clifton Universalist Unitarian Church. Rev. Eklof studied three years under Matthew Fox at the University of Creation Spirituality in Oakland, CA, is the Worldview chair on the Sustainable Clift*n Committee, and a local environmental activist.

The class is free and open to anyone in the Louisville area, but its size may become limited, so if you're interested in attending, please contact Rev. Eklof at 895-3189 or office@cliftonuu.org to register. The class will take place at Clifton UU Church, located at 2231 Payne Street. It's recommended, though not necessary, that you read "Original Blessing" and/or "Creation Spirituality" by Matthew Fox before the course begins. 

Community Sustainability & Ecovillage Design Education credits are available. If you would like to get Community Sustainability credit towards the UN Sustainable Settlements Design Certificate, please take a look at theProgram in Community Sustainability page of the Adena Center. 
Please contact adena.center AT gmail.com or ask Rev Eklof for more information.  
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Learning and Sharing Scholarship Opportunity: Powers of the Universe Study Group

This class is being offered right here in Clifton (Clifton Neighborhood, Louisville, Ky, USA). It's a great opportunity to expand our awareness and knowledge of the Gaia Education, Worldview Domain.

Scholarships and a stipend are available through Sustainable Clifton.
Contact: johnbaker@bellsouth.net to sign-up. Participants in this study group will be awarded 24 Continuing Education Units toward certification in Ecovillage Design Education/Sustainable Settlements Certification.


Powers of the Universe Study Group

The Powers of the Universe with Brian Swimme
An exploration of the powers coursing through the Universe
and each of us


This 11 week study/process group based on Brian Swimme’s expansive teachings exploring the magnificent creativity of the universe and our opportunity to carry that creativity forward as we work to build a sustainable society.

Seamlessness, Centration,
Allurement, Emergence,
Homeostasis, Cataclysm,
Synergy, Transmutation,
Transformation, Interrelatedness,
Radiance

We will spend one evening exploring each of these amazing powers first through viewing Brian’s video presentation and then in a variety of processes ranging from reflection to ritual, from discussion to music, from art to journaling.

Facilitated by Marilyn Stoner and Mark Steiner

these sessions will be held at
James Lees Presbyterian Church
(1741 Frankfort Avenue at the corner of William Street)

Tuesday evenings from 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
beginning August 19 (Sessions will meet on the following Tuesdays: 8/19, 8/26, 9/2, 9/9, 9/16, 9/23, 9/30, 10/7, 10/14, 10/21, and 10/28.


Suggested Donation $10 per session (Sustainable Clifton scholarships and stipend available)

To register or for more information contact marilynstoner@fastmail.fm (502) 456-1502 or mark@interfaithrelations.org (502) 583-3100

Sponsored by The Center for Interfaith Relations, Cultivating Connections and James Lees Presbyterian Church

Brian Swimme is a mathematical cosmologist on the graduate faculty of the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. His published work includes The Universe is a Green Dragon, The Universe Story (with Fr. Thomas Berry), and the Hidden Heart of the Cosmos. His other video series are Canticle to the Cosmos and Earth’s Imagination. His views on the human’s role in shaping the future of life on planet earth are featured on the website global-mindshift.org.
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Planting for Hotter Times: Planting in Anticipation

Planting for Hotter Times: Planting in Anticipation 

"There's no doubt about it, the eart is getting hotter.  Learn how landscaping with pre-colonial native plants can help avoid some of the potentially catastrophic consequences of peak oil and climate change.  Some of the topics will include site analysis, designing your space, seed and  plant choices, working around problem spots, water conservation strategies, 
biodiversity enhancement techniques, rain gardens, permaculture, the importance of community organization and resources for further study. 
Regardless of your age or experience level, this is a class you won't want to miss!" 

Thursday, May 15 
6:30 pm 

Rainbow Blossom St. Matthews, 

3738 Lexington Rd. Louisville, KY 40207, KY, USA, 

502 896 0189 

www.rainbowblossom.com

is located in one of the sister neighborhoods of the Sustainable Clifton project. Participants are encouraged to visit the event.

Please take a look at the event and program details at the links below if you are interested in participating in the Sustainability Studies Certification or participating in related community learning initiatives through affiliate projects such as Sustainable Clifton, Sustainable Louisville, Sustainable Business Network, Gaia Ecovillage Design Education and the Adena Center for Sustainability, Communications and Transformational Change.

www.sustainabilityeducation.blogspot.com
www.adenacenter.blogspot.com
www.sustainablebusinessnetworks.blogspot.com
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