[Lapg] Long term solutions to BP spill?

[Cory Brennan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DGE9BtSK4Q&feature=related
Get Off the Oil Teat Now - Here's How

You may be feeling horror, sadness, anger, frustration, maybe some helplessness at what is going on in the beautiful Gulf of Mexico right now. This has become a home to me and I am beyond sickened. Truthfully, I have not been able to focus on it because of the well of emotions that arise when I think about it, until today. I realized that the only possible response to this is to push our will to flourish, to create beauty, to create life, and to be strong, to ever new levels, and to work together even more closely to achieve those goals. I started the above group to help, but this is an activity of the Commons, it is not "my" group, it is not "my" idea, it is something all of us will do in our own way and I'm just trying to provide a channel of communication for that. I hope and I know that many others will contribute and already are doing so, from their own energies and viewpoints.    

Various solutions to cleaning up the toxins have been proposed and some of them work. Microbes are a good one, but they can't handle the toxic gases, nor can they handle a continued spill that isn't stopped. 

In some ways, it is so overwhelming it is hard to deal with it at all. We continue to put one foot in front of the other and go about our daily tasks and activities, as well we should. But what could we do that would really make a difference? We've all heard stories about inspiring people who rallied groups and really made change, like Gandhi. 

He said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." 

Many of you are already doing that. For this particular problem, I believe the only way it will be solved ultimately is if we really pull together as communities and organize effectively to get off the oil teat now.  The culture is set up to make it very difficult for us to do this as individuals and still "get anything done" or "function." 

But as groups, we CAN do it and we MUST.  Here is a Facebook group that can be a central meeting place for exchange of ideas and energies to solve this. 

This is only a beginning. Perhaps there is already a web site that coordinates all activity on this subject, if so, please let me know about it! I know there are many worthy organizations out there working on the problem such as Transition Towns, Post Carbon Institute, etc. I'm trying to focus on one thing which is, "how do we get off of oil?"  Let's share the best ideas, successes, etc, here. This is a place that focuses on solutions and the coordination thereof. Facebook is not the best medium in some ways, because the wall is so ephemeral. So please, use the discussion groups, links, etc, and even better, create a better platform with your web skills. Facebook has the advantage of things going viral. I want to include in the discussions and links sections enough info to get people turned on to local groups and efforts. Meetup groups, wikis, etc. I hope people make YouTube videos with this solution in mind. I personally can't think of a better, more
 thorough solution to avoiding anything like this ever happening in the future. Some may think it's simplistic, but that is the point. We can get way too complicated about it to the point of not being able to act.  

My thought is (which I know that many share and are working on) that we must address this at bioregional/city/community levels and work with ALL the energies in the system, including government, business, etc, in order to really change things any time in the near future. I know that some believe these organizations are going to collapse under their own weight and this very well may be true. But the existing structures could be used to help implement more consciously designed structures meanwhile, and who knows what positive energies will come out of using that existing energy? 

We're working on bioregional levels in the Tampa area, Mississippi watershed, Pine Ridge, Haiti. We are interested in interfacing with others who are working on broadscale solutions that align with offering maximum independence and responsibility of local systems for their own destinies. Please forward this group to any you may feel would be interested. We would like to focus on the most effective handlings (by result) out there to change conditions. 

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=105092762875159&v=wall

Cory
permacultureguild.us