Weekly Reflection #1

Weekly Reflection #1

     The first week of my senior project offered a lot of time to reflect on what goes into running a non-profit company. Throughout reading The Transition Handbook by Rob Hopkins I was able to take notes on the challenges and techniques of starting a transition town. The first week consisted of a meeting with Todd where we dove into the history of Franklin and the problems with our current economic system. I enjoyed reading books that were applicable to the work I was doing, which made the reading go by much faster and I learned a lot from that. On Friday I was able to finish my 11 page outline of The Transition Handbook and send the final product to Todd. The internship has definitely gone in a different direction than expected, I was planning on spending more time in the office but with the project I was given I was expected to do a lot of the work at my house. This consisted of me transforming my bedroom into more of an office-like area to spend my days reading and browsing the internet to learn more about the history of money and the different economies around the world that have failed.

     Todd suspected that I would spend about half of my time doing research and the other half working on the website that I will be making for Franklin. The website will be a Franklin Falls Fitness Meet-up organization where we will develop and locate all fitness and activity groups that occur in Franklin. Prior to starting the creation of the website I must learn what program they used to create PermaCity Life because when I will no longer be able to maintain it, it will serve to be easier if each are on the same program. This website will be a very challenging aspect due to research of local social groups that engage in activities. I spoke with Gregor about the subject and he said that the social part is the most intriguing but also the most challenging. The social aspect of the project will be hard to initially develop but once the ball gets rolling it will only become easier. Throughout the weekend I began reading Small is Beautiful by EF Schumacher and hope to finish it within a few days. I am unsure when my next meeting with Tom is going to be but I will keep the blog nice and updated.

Thanks

Ri

Here are some of my notes from the week.

Chapter 4: Why Small is Inevitable 

• Re-localization is needed in our society today, and it is inevitable. Currently we are depending on alternative energy to solve the problems in the near future. 
• Re-localization is the process of creating/producing as much as possible at a local level, while closing economic connections that are no longer needed within the community. 
• “create local economies capable of supporting us in a post-peak world.”
• Re-localization is inevitable due to the peak oil problem that we will be facing, alternative energy or oil will become so expensive that many will no be able to afford the commodity of transportation. Franklin is set up in a way where downtown can easily walk to get what they need. 
• Aim for zero-carbon
• “The current economy is rapidly dismantling what resilience remains, under the guise of economic globalization and growth.” A reversal of globalization will help re-localization efforts in the developing world.

Part Two: The Heart - Why having a Positive Vision is crucial

• Similar to the introduction, we need to talk about the possibilities rather than the probabilities because if we look towards the negatives, they often appear 
• "a future of increased resilience, more localized economies and greatly reduced energy consumption", "painting a picture so enticing that people instinctively feel drawn towards it.”

Chapter 5: How peak oil and climate change affect us: "Post-petroleum stress disorder”

• In this chapter Rob summarizes the results that may occur when we are in the post-petroleum age.

1.  Clammy palms or nausea and mild palpitations

2.  A sense of bewilderment and unreality

3.  An irrational grasping at unfeasible solutions (especially technological)

4.  Fear

5. Outbreaks of nihilism and/or survivalism

6.  Denial

7. Exuberant optimism

8. The "I always told you so" syndrome

• Nihilism - The rejection of all religious and moral principles, often in the belief that life is meaningless. (Google)

Chapter 6:  Understanding the psychology of change

• Throughout this chapter he is referencing the Stages of Change model

1. Pre-Contemplation: Having the awareness that we have to change, we currently depend on cheap oil to fuel our civilization.

2. Contemplation: The increasing of pros for change and the decreasing of cons.

3. Preparation: Commitment and Planning.

4. Action: Implementing and revising the plan.

5. Maintenance: Integrating chance into lifestyle.

6. Relapse and Recycling: The point where you return to contemplation stage.

• “addictions refer to stuck patterns of behavior that can be difficult to change even when we know they're causing harm." "in dependent use, someone may either block out information that suggests their favored substance is harmful, or they may continue using it”
• There are three main principles

1. Pay attention to stages of change. Address issues of motivation, resistance, and ambivalence in Heart and Soul groups.

2. Create spaces for people to feel heard in making their own arguments for change. 

- Motivational Interviewing “providing a listening space where someone can voice both their concerns and their resistances, ambivalence is brought into view where it can be dealt with.”

3. If a change seems too difficult, have a preparation stage for training ourselves.

- Having a preparation stage allows for a better response when faced with stress/challenges. 

- Psychological training: cultivate positive visions and find ways of dealing with inner ‘dreamblockers’, deal with fear, cynicism, disbelief.

• FRAMES Model (These are not in any chronological order)
• Feedback: An assessment of the problem, raise possible consequences but not to a point where it discourages change.
• Responsibility: Personal responsibility for change rather, opposed to telling people what to do.
• Advice: Tips on how to change your lifestyle as well as involving community-scale strategies for energy descent.
• Menu of Options: Explore the different options of energy descent.
• Empathy: A type of counseling that is supportive, friendly, empathetic etc of the changes that are occurring within your household and the community. 
• Self-efficacy: Optimism in a community that as a whole they can do it.