Click on the 'comments' link below and post your thoughts on what our group should focus on. I framed the issue into two possibilities in the email I sent.... - here, I'll just cut and paste.
"a) Education re: Climate Change and what we can do about it, or
b) Doing something about Climate Change (lobbying City gov., drafting legislation, raising $ for projects, setting up a non-profit, etc.).
I expressed my opinion that we focus on one or the other. If the group feels we should do both, that's okay too - but that means a lot more work and less efficiency. I also think we should focus on L.A. - lobbying Sacramento or D.C. might become a bit much."
By all means, do not feel limited by these two suggestions - they were only meant to assist our discussion. Once you've written your comments, post or publish it and it will appear on this blog for all to read.
6 comments:
Initially, I believe helping each other organizing presentations, sharing information, and educating as much of L.A. as possible will be an enormous task alone. We may get toa point where we will want to act politically, but there are so many people who still don't understand what's at stake.
One idea I had was to organize presentations at all the Neighborhood Councils (N.C.'s) in L.A. (I'm meeting with a Deputy Mayor on this issue later in the week). If we educated them on this issue, and we provided information on what they can do about it, I believe we'll have a much larger impact on the City. The Council-members are sensitive to the N.C.'s and do what they can to placate them. Once the N.C.'s are on-board, I believe our City gov. will feel the pressure to make Climate Change a much higher priority than it has been.
- Nick Karno
(from a friend who posted under 'My Bio Buddy') "I'd like to propose an idea. Suppose small businesses posted a Carbon Emission Rating in their window much the way restaurants currently post their Health Department grade. Whether it be a restaurant, car wash or dry cleaners, customers would know how the businesses they patronize contribute to the depletion of the ozone. Customers could in theory choose to patronize businesses that make an effort to reduce their emission footprint.... It's a long shot, but for consumers who had especially guilty consciences they could reduce a businesses footprint by buying a credit on the business' behalf. Eventually, if the program were succesful enough, it could become legislated.... Some points which might be worth hashing out are: (1) Considering factors such as their likelihood of participation, the potential for positive environmental benefits and the best platform for increasing awareness, which business category would be a fruitful one to start with? (2) What would the rating look like? Would it be a number, percentage, a letter? Should it have a relative value since some businesses will no matter how aggressive always be significantly worse polluters than others? I.e., can't put a coffee shop and a gas station on the same scale. (3) What information would the signage include? Ways businesses can increase their ratings? (4) What should the website be called?"
Hi, I'm not one of the presenters but I had an idea about how you might present solutions..the list dilemma.
How about breaking the presentation down into chapters, at the begining of each chapter you present on thing people can do. Kind of like the way authors put a quote or fact in begging of chapters in a book. Then you can review them all at the end.
You don't need to actually create chapters but just every 10 minutes or whatever cover 1 solution.
Given taht we face possible catastrophe, I have to think that action is key. We must do something to prevent prevent horrific events from taking place.
While I understand that the group came together based on many of us learning to make educational presentations, I believe that we should look at an action that will give us the most "bang for the bukc -- i.e. have the strongest effect. If we chose a piece of legislation here in California to back, for example, we could have a strong effect if everyone presenting the slide show presented action on this legislation to the audiuence and asked them to write letters right there at the presentation itself, sign a petition, or both. That sort of unified approach would have a broader effect than a scattershot approach. We could also ask the other organizations we belong to to join in aiming at the same target. That way we could win something --reach a worthile goal.
"Strength in unity" applies here.
Kathy
Greetings all from your friendly card carying capitalist.
I think that all of us are already committed to educationg as many people as possible. My desire is to see real change accelerated. To that end I would like to see the group pick a task or two that would have a huge impact if successfully completed. Think of it as a "whole that is bigger than the sum of its parts" strategy. Two such ideas come readily to my mind. One, Convince LADWP to do more to publicize their Green LA program with the goal of signing up X% of the public by X time. A second goal would be to try and have the City councel pass a green ordinance the dealt with things like decorative ligghting, Planting trees to ofset carbon production on cars sold in LA, CFL sales..etc. These are my ideas. I am open to bigger ideas that have a greater impact.
I would lean toward more taking action over education, but I think that both are going to be necessary. I'd love to be a part whichever direction it takes.
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