Welcome to the Brainstorming Zero Carbon Discussion Forum. This is a Discussion Forum associated with The Community Peacebuilding and Cultural Sustainability (CPCS) Initiative at cpcsi.org The moderator for discussions is Stefan Pasti (Founder and Resource Coordinator, The CPCS Initiative).

This Welcome Section of the Discussion Forum can be used for people to introduce themselves, and say something about what kind of work/activity brought them here, and what they hope to find here. People who are already participants here are invited to welcome new participants.

As this Discusson Forum progresses, there will be new sections, and other modifications to the present sections, as a response to what will best serve the needs of the participants.

Moderator: Stefan Pasti

People who have received an initial contact letter seeking collaboration may wish to comment here on the overview of the Brainstorming Zero Carbon ASAP Project--as described in the initial contact letter.


THIS IS ALSO THE SECTION OF THIS DISCUSSION FORUM WHERE THE MOST RECENT UPDATES TO THE BRAINSTORMING ZERO CARBON ASAP WILL BE POSTED.

Moderator: Stefan Pasti

The “Brainstorming Zero Carbon ASAP” Project begins--

by asking positive tipping point organizations and institutions for 5-10 page overviews on how to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions ASAP in their specific fields--and also--how work in their field can best contribute to managing the unprecedented cultural transformation ahead (to limit Global Warming to 1.5oC, preserve Sustainable Biodiversity, and resolve many other critical challenges at the same time). (from initial contact letter)

This section of the Discussion Forum is for updates (and examples) associated with the 5-10 page overviews.

Moderator: Stefan Pasti

At this initial phase of this Brainstorming Zero Carbon ASAP, the Clearinghouse Website does not have a location, a host, or a structure. Discussion here will help with decisions relating to the Clearinghouse Website.

Moderator: Stefan Pasti

A well-organized Clearinghouse Website of such 5-10 page overviews can--

1) provide clear visualizations of transformations needed in every aspect of our lives (climate action; food; water; sanitation; housing; land rights; infrastructure; civic engagement; peacebuilding, etc.)
2) provide the equivalent of a needs assessment for local communities, of the kind which precedes Community Visioning [for details about Community Visioning, Stakeholder Engagement, etc., see overviews at Planning Next’s Portfolio webpage (at https://www.planning-next.com/work/ ); the 13 minute documentary “Chattanooga: A Community with a Vision” (at https://vimeo.com/9653090 )--and Appendix 2 to this letter.]
3) provide focus and urgency for surveys of key local leaders (prior to Visioning, on challenges perceived and solutions needed)--the responses to which can help residents understand the need for the many meetings which make up a Community Visioning/collaborative problem solving initiative

This section of the Discussion Forum is for outlining details for initiating these surveys, in local communities.

Moderator: Stefan Pasti

For details about Community Visioning, Stakeholder Engagement, etc., see overviews at Planning Next’s Portfolio webpage (at https://www.planning-next.com/work/ ); and the 13 minute documentary “Chattanooga: A Community with a Vision” (at https://vimeo.com/9653090 )

There are advantages to local in-person meetings for brainstorming challenges and solutions, prioritizing solutions, and creating action plans (re Community Visioning). There are also advantages to doing this whole process online (Ex: during a pandemic).

Fortunately, there are many organizations which now offer online stakeholder engagement platforms (Ex: Engagement Hub). The online features Engagement Hub offers will help participants here visualize the potential of the Community Visioning process (see https://engagementhub.com.au/software-features )

Moderator: Stefan Pasti

Creating the knowledge base and skill sets necessary to resolve the challenges of our times will require encouraging as much formal and informal meetings as possible between people living in the same local community

Neighborhood Learning Centers can be:

1) a multi-purpose support center for implementing Community Visioning Initiatives
2) a neighborhood meeting place and workshop center
3) a critical part of a low cost lifelong learning education system (which would include questionnaires and surveys, Community Visioning Initiatives, Neighborhood Learning Centers and neighborhood learning networks, local newspapers primarily focused on community service)

What we need more of now are collaborative problem solving processes which help citizens understand that the investments of time, energy, and money (the “votes”) each of us make in our everyday circumstances become the larger economy. And that wisely directed, such “votes” can result in countless ways of earning a living which contribute to—rather than impair—the peacebuilding, community revitalization, and ecological sustainability efforts necessary to reach positive tipping points on many critical challenges at the same time. Citizens from every variety of circumstances can learn how to wisely cast such “votes”—through workshops and meetings at Neighborhood Learning Centers during a Community Visioning Initiative, and through other local learning experiences.

Creating many Neighborhood Learning Centers can provide places—in local neighborhoods—for discussion, information sharing, mutual support and encouragement, and fellowship and friendship, so that the exchanging of information and resources can make significant contributions to the process of building “close-knit” communities of people… communities with a healthy appreciation for each others strengths, communities with a well-developed capacity to resolve even the most difficult challenges— and communities which demonstrate a high level of compassion for their fellow human beings.

Moderator: Stefan Pasti

The Neighbor to Neighbor Community Education (NTNCE) Project advocates for a new section in newspapers associated with small and mid-sized towns. The new section (NTNCE section) would be used to highlight and accumulate stories, personal experiences, and other forms of reader contributions which identify helpful people and valuable resources, and reinforce important community goals.

The NTNCE Project is an example of community service work which can be done by local newspapers, which:

a) highlights what is valuable and important in everyday community life
b) encourages positive neighbor to neighbor relations
c) provides records of community life which can be used by future historians
d) helps increase consensus for a local specific, commonly agreed upon definition of “the greater good”.

There is more information about the NTNCE Project--and access to the 3 supporting documents for the project (2 page press release, 6 page project overview, 16 page proposal) at http://www.cpcsi.org/ntnce-project.html

Moderator: Stefan Pasti

We need Climate Emergency Media Coverage and Climate Emergency Action in Higher Education to be providing much more assistance with the cultural transformation to Zero Carbon ASAP. Here is a section to exchange ideas on how journalists and educators can make best use of this Brainstorming Zero Carbon ASAP Project.

Moderator: Stefan Pasti

Here is link to the 78 page document: http://bit.ly/2JOpI7N

This section will be for further discussion of all 13 steps for strengthening local community resilience, and long term culture transformation.

The 13 steps are only one approach from among thousands which may achieve the same levels of resilience, and can be understood here as one possible starting point for the long journey necessary to achieve the unprecedented cultural transformation we need to achieve.

Confidence will be dimmed by a lack of clarity until there is truthful public discourse on the full dimensions of the unprecedented challenges ahead. Confidence will be built up when people believe that the efforts of everyone working together is a greater force than the challenges they are facing.

Moderator: Stefan Pasti

This board will aggregate key articles, etc from many sources.

Moderator: Stefan Pasti

Suggestions for making this CPCS Discussion Forum more useful to visitors are encouraged, and can be made in this section.

This section is also for posts and discussion which represent a "branching off" from the topics here, but which are still very relevant to achieving the unprecedented cultural transformation which--people who have come here agree--we are trying to achieve.

Moderator: Stefan Pasti