PAST PROJECTS
"In Transition 2.0", a new documentary film, is available from the Belfast Free Library.
Belfast Area Transition Times Click here to read the Jan. 6, 2021 issue !
October 10, 2010 was 10-10-10 Day in Waldo County Click here to read all about it
Latest notes from the BATI Café
BATI Café, January 7, 2013
Sherry, Sonya, Andrew, Amber, Autumn, Trisha , Bill, Jennifer, and Gail stopped by the BATI Café last evening to say hello and hear about the activities of the Belfast Area Transition Initiative. We heard about the Talking Trash meeting that was to be held this morning at the Co-op at 10 am, we discussed tonight’s potluck supper and CC meeting to be held at Amber’s apartment at 5 pm (57 High Street, around back – all are invited), and we discussed the future of the BATI Café.
Since June 2010, the BATI Café has met weekly, “Brainstorming and conversation about how folks in and around Belfast will transition from oil dependence to local resilience.” We have been in every Village Soup calendar since that time and have enjoyed 72,720 hits from their readers.
Co-conveners Andrew Watkins and Marshall Rolerson have showed up every week, poised for friendly chat, sharing the purchase and consumption of nachos and other treats, hatching schemes like a newspaper from the future, a bus trip to St. John, New Brunswick, permablitzes, etc., and enhancing the local scene for area environmentalists. Now, nearly 3 years after they began this weekly event, Marshall is stepping back to focus on projects that put his ideals to the test, as he develops a metalworker’s cooperative for manufacturing local products. Andrew says he’s willing to continue the BATI Cafe if he can find a reliable co-convener who will show up every week (at least until he begins his cross country bicycle trip in May).
The group insisted on one last Café next Monday, no matter what happens in the future. Gail says she’ll purchase a round of nachos and Sherry says she’ll be there. Will you join us? Belfast Co-op, Monday, January 14, 2013 at 5 pm. All are invited. Bring your appetite as food will be involved. It promises to be a lot of fun!
P.S. BATI’s potluck supper scheduled for Marina Delune’s apartment on Wednesday, January 16 has been cancelled until further notice.
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December 10, 2012
Marshall came down to my office and we enjoyed a frosty stroll to the Belfast Co-op for tonight’s BATI Café with other hearty transitioners Andrew, Jim, Trisha, and Gail. We talked about the BATI potluck on Wednesday night at Jim’s (information below), Jennifer passed along news of Russ Libby’s death on Sunday (http://bangordailynews.com/2012/12/10/opinion/enough-for-everyone-always-what-maine-learned-from-russell-libby/, and Gail told us that Belfast is starting to recycle all plastics at the transfer station.
Most of the discussion, though, was about creating an Energy Descent Action Plan (EDAP) for the Belfast area in 2013.
What is an Energy Descent Action Plan? Marshall says it’s a plan on how to deal with the decreasing availability of fossil fuels. Trisha adds that it’s not just about availability – think pollution and global warming. Andrew asked about the philosophy versus the technical aspects, and said that the geographical swath of our plan would depend on the topic area; transportation, for example would want a more regional approach.
We came up with a list of folks we wanted to include in designing the EDAP, including clubs like the Rotary, Shrine, Lions; church groups; food pantries; city planners; Belfast Climate Committee; Belfast Co-op; CAP agency; hospital; fire department; officials in surrounding towns; the writing intern from Unity College. As part of our plan to create the plan, we want to identify what other groups have done and as part of the action plan we hope to set realistic goals.
Jennifer talked about a year-long project, taking our time during 2013 to meet with local groups and individuals. (Actually, I’m Jennifer, so I may as well tell you that I think we need a publicity campaign to go with this to keep people enthusiastic. We could also hold monthly events on various topics, like movies, lectures, walks, etc.)
It’s an ambitious endeavor, but the more people we involve the more buy-in we’ll get once our planning document is completed in December 2013. As Jennifer said, and I quote because I can, “It’s called an action plan so we need it to be strong, vital, and invigorating for all who participate. We need to get moving!”
We agreed to discuss this again next week, so if you’re a mind . . . come on down to the Belfast Co-op next Monday at 5 pm. We’ll see you there!
Ho-ho-ho! Everyone is invited to the December BATI Potluck Supper on Wednesday, December 12 from 5-7 at Jim Rhodes’ house. Please help us spread the word to all with an interest in BATI (Belfast Area Transition Initiative). Directions: Take Route 52 towards Lincolnville from Belfast. At the Irving’s station, bear right at the fork in the road. Travel 2.2 miles down this road, called the Back Belmont Road, until you see “Armstrong Road” on your left. Take the left and - including the house on the corner - Jim lives on the 3rd house on the left. If somehow you lose your way, give him a call at 338-0136.
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Local Resources
- Andrew Watkins' "Suggestions for Post Petroleum Living"
- Belfast Community Garden, contact: Carolyn Pressley, carolynpressley (at) gmail (dot) com
- Belfast Farmers' Market
- Our Town Belfast and BelfastMaine.com and Chamber of Commerce
- Green Store
- Sundog Solar Store
- Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage
- Belfast Co-op
- Maine Coast Welcome Center
- Maine Earth Institute
- Maine Association of Interdependent Neighborhoods
- Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA)
- Maine Farmland Trust
- Belfast Garden Club
Local Permaculture Websites
Transition Websites
- Hancock County Transition Towns
- Transition Network
- TransitionUS.org
- Transition US on Facebook
- Transition Towns wikipedia page
Transition Related Materials
- Towns rush to make low-carbon transition (Yes! magazine, Dec., 2009)