Have you heard of the Transition Movement? or the Transition Handbook?
There are Transition Towns all over the world, but very few in the U.S. Folks in Milwaukee are working to change that.
Essentially, TTs are a way to create a thoughtful, deliberate transition to the world we are now facing, the one that’s post-peak oil, that is experiencing greater climate change. It is creating change on a very local level, so our community can become resilient in facing upcoming food, water, transportation, economic and other problems.
TTs build and thrive on community.
From Wikipedia:
Central to the Transition Town movement is the idea that a life without oil could in fact be far more enjoyable and fulfulling than the present “by shifting our mind-set we can actually recognise the coming post-cheap oil era as an opportunity rather than a threat, and design the future low carbon age to be thriving, resilient and abundant – somewhere much better to live than our current alienated consumer culture based on greed, war and the myth of perpetual growth.”
Who’s funding real change in the city of Milwaukee?
Is it non-profits?
Some would argue that it’s no longer these 501(c)(3) organizations, which have become increasingly addicted to funding through corporate ties.
Have you read “The Revolution will not be funded?” Its subtitle,”Beyond the Non-profit Industrial Complex,” gives you an idea what it’s about.
Just like political campaigns, organizations which previously relied on grassroots, door-to-door and other people-powered campaigns now rely on special interest money. Many would close their doors without it.
Talk to the creative frontline of non-profits, the organizers and managers, the activists and advocates. Many are full of new ideas, geared to make change, ready to do it. But they are often hobbled by their Executive Directors, who are beholden to their boards (some of whom are corporate reps), who serve the interests of the foundations and corporations that fund them.
This isn’t true of all non-profits, of course. But those of us who have worked for, with or in the non-profit world know what I mean.
Progress will always be hindered if Mutual Aid bows to Special Interest.
It’s time to lift our own heads, DIO (Do It Ourselves), start our own businesses, grow our own food, fund our own causes.
I am objecting to the proposal to build a new UWM dorm on the Milwaukee River. I’m asking you to consider the consequences of this project, and take the long view.
I’m not sure why each of you are on the CPC—perhaps it’s because you truly want to see better development in this city, and give a voice to citizen perspective, or maybe it’s just to put another notch in your resume belt.
Right now, you have an extraordinary opportunity. You can rubber stamp this project and let it go the way of another “done deal,†or you can be heroes, and change the tide of what is surely coming upon us—the development of all of the Milwaukee River, north of North Ave.
Please be clear. Neighborhood leaders who have been meeting over the last several months on UWM and river issues do not want this development. The UWM dorms as proposed:
- Are too big, doubling the population of Riverside Park neighborhood without addressing infrastructure needs.
- Are environmentally shameful. High-density developments should never abut a primary environmental corridor.
- Open up development of all of the Milwaukee River at a time we are working to protect it.
- Don’t meaningfully address resident concerns.
- Add more dorm density to North Ave. Three dorms is too many.
- Add more dorm density to the Milwaukee River for a total of almost 1200 students.
- Use public funds in the form of bonds to help finance it.
Yesterday, I attended a small group meeting with Betsy Damon, internationally known artist and water visionary.
Betsy’s interest is to reveal the interdependence and synergy of species surrounding water issues.
Betsy is a powerful figure, a rare truth-teller among environmentalists who doesn’t water down (no pun intended) her message. Water is a human right, a life-giver, and the most important thing, she said, is to “save as much greenspace around the river as you can.” She even went as far as saying, “Take back greenspace. It should never belong to developers.”*
Betsy said if you can’t sell people on the value of water (oh my) you can sell them on keeping the trees because it counters global warming. Pathetic, isn’t it, that we have to strategize about our planet’s lifeblood?
She pointed to the benefits of a revitalized river, that it creates a better economy, healthier people and ecosystem and cleaner water, of course. Start with waste water management, she suggested. Betsy said water and energy should be thought of together, since it takes energy to clean and move water and energy pollutes water. Her suggestion? Continue reading ‘Water is a Human Right’