Making the crisis personal in Northfield
We've asked Ground Level readers to contribute thoughts about what's happening in their communities in response to the financial squeeze cities are finding themselves in this fall. (We've been steadily adding to our Cities in Crisis topic page and you can give us your thoughts by going here.)
Here's what Northfield resident Karen Olson wrote about an effort to learn and change on a personal level:
Q: What idea is your city considering or trying in response to this fall's budget squeeze?
A: There are a number of members of our community that have decided NOT to wait for our city to ask the hard questions about the long term future and or immediate budget crises our town is and will be facing. Our response, while staying informed of city conversations and plans, has been to educate ourselves more deeply regarding underlying causes to the economic instability, changing weather patterns, and ultimately the foundational question of how we will power our activities.
That has looked like a number of different things including a LOT of personal reading, researching via the internet what others across the globe are seeing and doing, seeking out engaging speakers on relevant topics etc...and then coming together regularly for mealtime conversations, planning sessions on how to bring these issues to our larger community, and hands on training to reskill ourselves for meeting our own needs with less money and energy and strong community networks!
Q: How does this idea save money or make life better?
A: The immediate and most obvious benefit is the instant engagement for each one of us in alleviating the sense of fear and powerlessness the average citizen feels in today's political environment. Whether it's the lack of genuine representation, or just the painfully slow ability for government to respond and change, taking matters into our own hands as community members, is where civic engagement becomes truly responsive and meaningful. The best part though, is having something to show at the end of the day, like my chicken coop, garden, and refurbished bike for commuting more. We have been able to concretely improve our own resiliency in the face of volatile economic times, we have rethought our values, and have deepened our sense of community.
Q: Who are the people in your city that are making change happen?
A: Just average folks who share a concern for the way things are going. We have organized ourselves around various focuses, but we call our collective efforts 'Transition Northfield'. We are working to understand and implement a transition to a life with less cheap, polluting energy, preparedness for a changing climate, and bracing for shifting economic times. Anyone who shares those concerns can be apart of the work!
Olson is among a dozen or so Northfield residents who have launched something called "Transition Northfield," a loose-knit group interested in a variety of sustainability issues, which she notes they refer to as "resiliency" issues. It's tied to a national non-profit called "Transition United States," which encourages communities to respond in new ways to economic, political and climate changes.
Not a bad place to look, if you want ideas.
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