March 5, 2008

Post Oil Solutions

Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
 
Present (16!):    
Chris Abe Liz
Michael George Sherry
Janet Julie Dora
Jane Doug Chandra
Tim Walter Melissa
Steve
 
 
 
Announcements (see agenda):
  • Ÿ Sat. March 29: POS Organization and Communication Workshop will be held at SIT in the Rotch Building in room 108/109 from 9am – 4 pm
  • Ÿ Farm to School Conference moved to Montpelier for tomorrow, March 6
  • Ÿ Workshop: “Using Strategic Questioning by Community-Building Teams” workshop open to Post Oil Solutions members. It will be interactive!
  • Ÿ Doug, a green building consultant, would like to set up a green-building forum/event through POS.
  • Ÿ Julie is coordinator for Green-up day in Brattleboro which will happen on May 3rd. Asking for input from group for strategies to mobilize community. Also asking for POS table to be set-up. Will be revisited at April meeting for more thorough discussion.
  • Ÿ Richard Heinberg will be speaking Wednesday, April 23, sponsored by the Peak Oil Task Force (and hopefully the Selectboard!). Heinberg is one of the foremost writers and speakers around Peak Oil. 7:30 (Location TBA).
 

Presentation by Abe Noe-Hayes: Humanure and “the Poopstitute”

  • Ÿ Broken cycle: chemical fertilizers grow food, we eat the food, our waste goes through toilet system, into body of water where it becomes pollution. A result is also that soil becomes depleted.
  • Ÿ Intact cycle: An alternative would be where human manure is used to fertilize plants and crops, we eat the food, the waste is then used in growing foods again and the cycle continues. Nutrients are then returned to soil and continue to exist within the cycle, which make it a sustainable system. 
  • Ÿ Sewer sludge is not a complete solution because of the metals and trash that are included with the good nutrient waste. Serves as a model, however, for creating a system safe from pathogens, etc.
  • Ÿ Would like to create institute (“Poopstitute”) that could be a learning center and model that could be linked, for example, to academic institutions.
  • Ÿ Looking for people who are interested in collaborating in making it happen. Also looking for forums to continue spreading the information and for suggestions of people and/or pieces of land that will possibly be available. Work (at this juncture) could include preparation items such as applying for grants, preparing written materials for print media, creating website, etc.
  • Ÿ Interested folks will be brought together in April for a meeting to further flush out details and ideas.

Ÿ         Contact info: Abe Noe-Hayes, (802)387-5357, compostingtoilet@hotmail.com

 
Post Oil has been incorporated! POS received its certificate of incorporation from the State of Vermont. Next, the IRS and our 501(c)3 status…
 

Purpose Prize Application was sent in with the hope of Tim’s dedication to community and sustainability winning POS a good sum of prize money!

 
Proposals
 

Carbon Diet (Walter). VT Interfaith Power and Light is a group of interfaith groups working to decrease usage of fossil fuels. Through this he found the Low Carbon Diet which includes working in a group with a set of books once a week for an hour to work with the material and inspire change and awareness in one another. 

  • ŸSpace – library? Would attract a different/larger population.
  • Ÿ Use website for publicity and tracking for accomplishments
  • Melissa, Walter, Janet and possibly Sherry will work on plan and return in April with more details.
 ChamberRoofTopGarden (Dora). Collaborate with business community, get media coverage and positive support. The structural capacity of roof still needs to be assessed. 
Is this a POS project?
  • Ÿ Will it have vegetables? What kind of green roof will it be?
  • Ÿ It reduces cooling loads in the summer time (energy saving).
  • Ÿ Limited applicability to other buildings because of weight, slanted roofs. 
  • Ÿ Possible partners with Building a Better Brattleboro, Rotary Club, etc.
  • Ÿ Next steps: is Chamber seriously interested? What can the roof hold? POS can decide interest more clearly once viability determined.
 Food Security Project (Tim). Part of Regional Food Sustainability Project. Growing concern around food security in Brattleboro has spurred this project into action. Liz, Chris Adams (SIT Community Gardner), Tim and Robert King will meet to discuss project and apply for 2 VISTA volunteers. 
 
Local Food Directory (Tim). Project funded by VT Ag. Dept. If someone would like to put this project together , the Ag. Dept. will provide $1,000. Sherry will look into the idea of partnering with Vital Communities. Bonita will look into whether the co-op is already started on this project. 

 Post Carbon Institute (Bonita)Relocalize.net – the Relocalization Network that came out of the Post Carbon Institute. They support local groups; membership is free. Membership would include being put in their database, on their “map”, etc. Also, they have valuable “tool – kits” that fit in with POS projects, mission, needs etc. Bonita and Sherry will work together on membership.
 
Strolling of the Heifers Event
  • Our participation would be in conjunction with the Windham Localvores. 
  • Ÿ If we’re going to participate, a sub-committee needs to be formed.
  • ŸIf we have a booth, the cost is $170. 5 LC members voted “no”, 2 LC “yes”, 1 abstaining vote.
  • Ÿ Tim could wheel and deal and try and get us a booth for free as a non-profit that is not selling anything.  
  • Ÿ Dora could head up parade effort and George would join in. 
  • Ÿ Question raised about whether it is right to use animals for our entertainment, to march animals on pavement, as well as corporate angle. 
  • Ÿ Issue tabled until next meeting.
 
Meeting adjourned.
 
NEXT MEETING:

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

7:00 PM
Rm 211, Paramount Bldg., Brattleboro