Thinking globally, acting locally
Ecoteam Meeting Summary: Dec 9, 2007
Ecoteam Meeting Summary
Date: December 9, 2007
Meeting Leader: Gil Benmeir
Location: Gil & Michal Benmeir’s house Valley Cottage, NY
Duration: 2 hours
Attendees: Avner, Maskit, Mark, Anne, Ronen, Daphna, Tom, Dana, Gil, Michal (and lots of kids!)
Topic: Ecoteam program wrapup & January Event Planning Session
Minutes from the meeting:
Gil prepared an excel worksheet to calculate the entire groups success. He uploaded it to the website and will email it to anyone who can’t access the site for any reason. Everyone should enter their info into their worksheet and email them back to Gil, and he will process everyone’s data to come up with a total success number for our ecoteam.
Daphy and Ronen reported that they installed their compost bin over the weekend, for which everyone congratulated them.
Ronen brought up a possible action for the group to focus on: To work on getting the town(s) in our area to implement a public composting program in which the town will make it easier for people to get the free bins, and will even send people to install it. He emphasized using the potential savings as leverage to get the town and citizens to comply.
Mark suggested to look into Berkeley, CA’s Community Composting Program to see how they set it up.
Gil introduced the topic of planning an event in late January around David Gershon’s new workbook “Low Carbon Diet: Lose 5000 Pounds in 30 Days.”
The goal of the event is introduce to Nyack area residents to a simple effective way to make changes in their personal lives, most likely changes that they already want to make but either didn’t quite know how, or were not motivated as individuals.
The basic format of the event, as Tom and Gil learned in the two hour tele-course they did with David Gershon and about 15 other people from around the country, is centered around a live talk/presentation slideshow that illustrates the main data points about the unsustainable lifestyle of the average U.S. citizen and how that lifestyle contributes to Global Warming, oil depletion, air/water/soil pollution, and the creation of an unstable and even disastrous planet earth for our future generations.
Ronen had a strong reaction to using the name “Global Warming” and suggested that we use something with “Pollution” instead in order to get a broader audience. His point was well understood by all and spawned a discussion. Tom brought up the point that he and Gil learned from the tele-course—and that ample data on the way ideas and movements spread through populations—the point being that for this first event, in order to feel a sense of success and to build momentum, it is wiser to cast a smaller more focused net, rather than trying to catch every fish in the sea (which will most certainly lead to frustration and lack of momentum).
After a bit of arguing, it seemed that the group was in consensus about using a name like “Global Warming Cafe” for the event.
** Please respond to this posting with any other suggested names and we will vote on them as a group (as Daphy suggested so diplomatically during the meeting)
As far as planning the event, here are some proposed details that were introduced during the meeting:
Locations:
• Petrina’s Yoga Cooperative
• Riverspace’s Café (front lobby area)
• Nyack Library
• Nyack Community Center
• Fellowship of Reconcilation
Speakers:
• A scientist from Columbia University’s Lamont Doherty Campus (Mark to research this)
• Local business owner who has implemented some or all of these changes (maybe health food store owner/manager?
• Ben Jervey (author, activist, organizer and member of our site)
Presentation Content:
Slideshow (provided by David Gershon, we can edit as we like or remake one)
Video Segment (TED (Avner) conference clips, youtube clips)
• Materials to hand out:
• Low Carbon Diet Workbooks (paid for by event sponsors)
• Canvas grocery bags (paid for by event sponsors)
• Photocopied articles that support the presentation
• Petition to sign to get recycling program in Nyack
• A book/poster that attendees can sign and write the changes they’d like to see happen in Nyack area
Potential Sponsors (to provide donation, materials, food & drink):
• Art Café
• Back to Earth
• The Training Studio
• Eyevolution
• Birchwood Center
• WFUF (90.7)
• (please suggest others!)
Ways to promote the event:
• Each of us posts flyers in our areas of influence
• Talk to Janet from The Hook to do a story on the event
• Run ads in the local papers/magazines
• Meetup.org (thanks Avner)
• Maskit suggested the Holistic Moms Network
Techical Considerations:
• Projector
• Microphones for speakers
• PA system
• Laptop
• Chairs
Next, Anne spoke about the project she wants to do with her kids at school. Each year her class picks one project to focus on for the school year. She will use the kids workbook version of the program “Journey for the Planet” as the basis for this project.
Here is a list of tasks that need owners in order to make this event successful:
Event Planner/Coordinator
Calls places, makes arrangements, finds sponsors
Technical Director
Makes sure we have the proper equipment, that it’s setup and working well
Meeting Content Organizer
Responsible for preparing the slideshow, and finalizing the format of the event
Graphic Designer
Create flyers and any other materials we want to hand out
Videographer/Photographer
Someone to document the event
Treasurer
Responsible for handling sponsor donations, purchasing workbooks, etc.
Please add to this list anything I’ve missed, and respond if you think you’re the person for a certain job (or if you think someone else is good for it!)
If there is anything I missed from the meeting, please add that here as well. I’m sorry if I didn’t include something you suggested or said.. I tried my best to keep good notes and memories!
Date: December 9, 2007
Meeting Leader: Gil Benmeir
Location: Gil & Michal Benmeir’s house Valley Cottage, NY
Duration: 2 hours
Attendees: Avner, Maskit, Mark, Anne, Ronen, Daphna, Tom, Dana, Gil, Michal (and lots of kids!)
Topic: Ecoteam program wrapup & January Event Planning Session
Minutes from the meeting:
Gil prepared an excel worksheet to calculate the entire groups success. He uploaded it to the website and will email it to anyone who can’t access the site for any reason. Everyone should enter their info into their worksheet and email them back to Gil, and he will process everyone’s data to come up with a total success number for our ecoteam.
Daphy and Ronen reported that they installed their compost bin over the weekend, for which everyone congratulated them.
Ronen brought up a possible action for the group to focus on: To work on getting the town(s) in our area to implement a public composting program in which the town will make it easier for people to get the free bins, and will even send people to install it. He emphasized using the potential savings as leverage to get the town and citizens to comply.
Mark suggested to look into Berkeley, CA’s Community Composting Program to see how they set it up.
Gil introduced the topic of planning an event in late January around David Gershon’s new workbook “Low Carbon Diet: Lose 5000 Pounds in 30 Days.”
The goal of the event is introduce to Nyack area residents to a simple effective way to make changes in their personal lives, most likely changes that they already want to make but either didn’t quite know how, or were not motivated as individuals.
The basic format of the event, as Tom and Gil learned in the two hour tele-course they did with David Gershon and about 15 other people from around the country, is centered around a live talk/presentation slideshow that illustrates the main data points about the unsustainable lifestyle of the average U.S. citizen and how that lifestyle contributes to Global Warming, oil depletion, air/water/soil pollution, and the creation of an unstable and even disastrous planet earth for our future generations.
Ronen had a strong reaction to using the name “Global Warming” and suggested that we use something with “Pollution” instead in order to get a broader audience. His point was well understood by all and spawned a discussion. Tom brought up the point that he and Gil learned from the tele-course—and that ample data on the way ideas and movements spread through populations—the point being that for this first event, in order to feel a sense of success and to build momentum, it is wiser to cast a smaller more focused net, rather than trying to catch every fish in the sea (which will most certainly lead to frustration and lack of momentum).
After a bit of arguing, it seemed that the group was in consensus about using a name like “Global Warming Cafe” for the event.
** Please respond to this posting with any other suggested names and we will vote on them as a group (as Daphy suggested so diplomatically during the meeting)
As far as planning the event, here are some proposed details that were introduced during the meeting:
Locations:
• Petrina’s Yoga Cooperative
• Riverspace’s Café (front lobby area)
• Nyack Library
• Nyack Community Center
• Fellowship of Reconcilation
Speakers:
• A scientist from Columbia University’s Lamont Doherty Campus (Mark to research this)
• Local business owner who has implemented some or all of these changes (maybe health food store owner/manager?
• Ben Jervey (author, activist, organizer and member of our site)
Presentation Content:
Slideshow (provided by David Gershon, we can edit as we like or remake one)
Video Segment (TED (Avner) conference clips, youtube clips)
• Materials to hand out:
• Low Carbon Diet Workbooks (paid for by event sponsors)
• Canvas grocery bags (paid for by event sponsors)
• Photocopied articles that support the presentation
• Petition to sign to get recycling program in Nyack
• A book/poster that attendees can sign and write the changes they’d like to see happen in Nyack area
Potential Sponsors (to provide donation, materials, food & drink):
• Art Café
• Back to Earth
• The Training Studio
• Eyevolution
• Birchwood Center
• WFUF (90.7)
• (please suggest others!)
Ways to promote the event:
• Each of us posts flyers in our areas of influence
• Talk to Janet from The Hook to do a story on the event
• Run ads in the local papers/magazines
• Meetup.org (thanks Avner)
• Maskit suggested the Holistic Moms Network
Techical Considerations:
• Projector
• Microphones for speakers
• PA system
• Laptop
• Chairs
Next, Anne spoke about the project she wants to do with her kids at school. Each year her class picks one project to focus on for the school year. She will use the kids workbook version of the program “Journey for the Planet” as the basis for this project.
Here is a list of tasks that need owners in order to make this event successful:
Event Planner/Coordinator
Calls places, makes arrangements, finds sponsors
Technical Director
Makes sure we have the proper equipment, that it’s setup and working well
Meeting Content Organizer
Responsible for preparing the slideshow, and finalizing the format of the event
Graphic Designer
Create flyers and any other materials we want to hand out
Videographer/Photographer
Someone to document the event
Treasurer
Responsible for handling sponsor donations, purchasing workbooks, etc.
Please add to this list anything I’ve missed, and respond if you think you’re the person for a certain job (or if you think someone else is good for it!)
If there is anything I missed from the meeting, please add that here as well. I’m sorry if I didn’t include something you suggested or said.. I tried my best to keep good notes and memories!
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Gil Ben-Meir on
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Thanks a lot Tom for this thoughtfull summary. I would just add one statement taken from the StepItUp campaign that I think can serve as a common philosophy for the event:
No one guaranty that conservation will stop GW but it will build a more resilient sustainable and just society.
About the event, I think it need to be fun and exciting. We should create an event that is different from any other support group meetings. It should have a spiritual, global vibe.
I think that we need an Art director who will create this atmosphere using world music, drums, fluetes, guitars, in the background. If we talk to Petrina to host the event at her place (or maybe at other place if she is on board to help us) maybe she will be interested to share het talent with us.
As for the directors Tom suggested, I would like to valuntear to be the Content Director and the treasurer. I would like to recommend Ronen as the Technical director, Daphy as the Art Director, and off course Tom as the event Coordinator.
We also need a media contact to write an inspiring story about our experience so far and about the event and be in touch we the local media to publicize the event. Any valunteres?
Thanks again for everyone for coming to the meeting and let's make this an event to remember!
Gil
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