New members-only resources: Personal Preparation Guide and Jim Schenk Q&A

As the impacts of climate change become increasingly tangible, it's crucial to take proactive steps to enhance your resilience and adaptability. At ClimateSafe Villages, we're thrilled to introduce our latest resource for our valued members: the Personal Preparation Guide.

This comprehensive guide is designed to empower you with practical strategies and insights to navigate the challenges posed by a changing environment. From water and food preparation to energy conservation and emergency supplies, our guide covers all the essential aspects of personal preparedness.

By becoming a member of ClimateSafe Villages, you'll gain exclusive access to this and other guides and resources, including the Urban Resilience Guide and the Climate Change Conditions Guide.

Some of the key topics covered in the Personal Preparation Guide include:

1. Water Preparation: Learn techniques for collecting, storing, and purifying water to ensure a consistent supply during droughts or disruptions.

2. Food Preparation: Discover preservation techniques, pantry essentials, and sustainable food production methods to create a secure and resilient food supply.

3. Energy Conservation: Explore renewable energy options and energy-efficient practices to reduce reliance on external power supplies and promote energy independence.

4. Backup Emergency Supplies: Get a comprehensive checklist of essential items for your emergency supply kit, tailored to your specific needs and potential emergency scenarios.

As a member of ClimateSafe Villages, you'll not only have access to this vital resource but also join our community of like-minded individuals committed to building resilience and adapting to the challenges of climate change.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to enhance your preparedness and contribute to a more sustainable future. Sign up for our base membership today and unlock access to the Personal Preparation Guide, along with a wealth of other exclusive resources and support.

Also! Just added to our resources for Full Members Only:

The recording from our live Q&A event with urban ecovillage expert, Jim Schenk, author of “Creating an Urban Ecovillage, a Model for Revitalizing our Cities.” In this engaging panel discussion, Jim shares his insights on the challenges and rewards of establishing urban ecovillages and how they contribute to sustainability. He also discusses the concept of collaborative decision-making and its role in building resilient communities..

Become a full member to access this recording and future Q&A sessions!

Announcement: CSV Board transition, and our 3 new board members!

Transition Announcement: Lawrence Wollersheim

ClimateSafe Villages expresses deep gratitude to Lawrence Wollersheim for his invaluable contributions and dedicated service as he steps down from our board of directors, due to personal and professional commitments. Lawrence has played a pivotal role in the foundational stages of CSV, bringing his extensive experience and passion for climate resilience to the forefront of our initiatives. His efforts have been instrumental in establishing CSV as a beacon for sustainable community development and climate change solutions. While we will miss his direct involvement on the board, we look forward to his continued support and guidance in an advisory capacity. Lawrence's commitment to the climate change cause, through both CSV and his ongoing work with Job One For Humanity, leaves a lasting impact on our organization and the broader community. We are profoundly thankful for his dedication and look forward to his future contributions to our shared mission.

Welcome new CSV Board Members!

CSV is excited to announce three new members to our board!

Jeff Rice
Jeff Rice lives in Seattle and has served with many Seattle organizations focusing on the Asian American community for many years. He served on the Board of Directors for the Filipino Community of Seattle and helped establish the youth program FilSTAR as well as contributed to the early planning of the Filipino Community Village, a mixed development providing affordable housing to seniors. He then was Treasurer on the Board of Directors for API Chaya Seattle which serves survivors of sexual violence, human trafficking, and domestic violence within the Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, Asian, and South Asian communities. He has pivoted his time and efforts towards understanding how climate change may impact global supply chains and connecting with groups to implement resilience within local communities. As part of Climate Safe Villages, he is actively involved with planning towards launching a site in Bellingham, WA. His hobbies include backyard farming, guerrilla-gardening, learning appliance repair, reading, learning DIY skills, and taking his kids to various sports activities.
He currently works at Amazon as a Sr Manager and previously worked at Starbucks.

Benjamin Ofodum
Benjamin is a lifelong learner with background in Chemical Engineering and Electrical Engineering focused on emerging technologies including renewables, decarbonization, energy efficiency and storage. With experience from working for a utility company, solar PV construction and as an independent contractor to a non-profit organization helping oil and gas workers looking to transition into renewables space, he is committed to initiatives that promote sustainability, drive innovation, and advocate for the collective well-being of our planet and humanity. By reimagining the integration of clean energy solutions within our built environment, he envisions a future defined by energy efficiency, sufficiency, and environmental harmony.

Tim Ely
Tim Ely is a volunteer Community Lead with Climate Safe Villages. He is also co-leader of the St. Louis area chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nonpartisan group which champions legislation to fight climate change. Tim received his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Computer Science from Purdue University, and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. When he’s not taking part in climate activism, Tim works as a cybersecurity engineer at a medical device company.

CSV Volunteer Interview with Author Les Kuzyk

ClimateSafe Villages (CSV) has just published a new video featuring an interview with author Les Kuzyk. In this interview, CSV volunteer Tim Ely discusses climate change and the power of storytelling with Kuzyk, who has written several speculative novels exploring how humans might deal with climate change in the near future. Kuzyk shares his thoughts on the role of fiction in raising awareness and inspiring action on this critical issue. To watch the full interview and learn more about Kuzyk's perspective, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhwDCSvlP_U.

Please don’t forget to like and subscribe to our channel!

Beyond 1.5C: Pioneering Climate Resilience with CSV

In 2022, the UN’s Environment Agency said what many had already suspected, that there is no “credible pathway to 1.5C.” The 1.5C limit represents global average surface warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures, and was the goal of the Paris Agreement, in order to avert the severe global impacts of climate change. Breaching this critical limit means that while the fight to reduce carbon emissions continues, humanity also faces the need to adapt to different, and more difficult, climate conditions.

While society goes forward with fossil fuels to continue our “business as usual,” the reality is that the extreme climate conditions we face will be challenging for individuals to cope with. Insurance companies, experts at anticipating the future, are already signaling these challenges by exiting many markets and raising prices. Extreme disasters, including unprecedented wildfires, floods, and storms, are already wreaking havoc on people’s homes across the world. Extreme temperatures are already threatening lives as well. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the last 50 years have seen a dramatic increase in weather-related disasters, with a disaster related to a weather, climate or water hazard occurring every day on average – killing 115 people and causing US$ 202 million in losses daily.

The good news is that through a new movement, ClimateSafe Villages, people are coming together to start to prepare for these worsening conditions. For example, ClimateSafe Villages advisors are researching innovative building methods and materials that can withstand extreme disasters. This movement comprises climate change scientists, bio-sustainability experts, engineers, and everyday people pitching in to contribute what they can to our future survival. By creating models and guides, CSV is building a practical, actionable pathway for climate resilience that can be accessible to all.

For example, CSV is currently exploring earth-sheltered homes, which have roots that trace back to ancient times and have been used by various indigenous and traditional cultures around the world. These structures are known for their natural insulation, energy efficiency, and their use of local materials, which still make them a practical choice for various climates and settings. They are particularly resilient to challenges like wind and fires.

Yet, preparing for certain impacts, like those related to water, presents even greater challenges. Water, for example, requires more than just innovative architecture. Climate change means that while water becomes scarcer, paradoxically, the risk of flooding increases as well. That’s because rising temperatures hold more moisture in the atmosphere, but that also means that when it rains, it pours in destructive ways. The World Resources Institute warns that even under the most optimistic climate scenarios, by 2050, an additional 1 billion people are expected to live with extremely high water stress. How can we prepare for future water challenges of this kind? CSV promotes community systems to capture, store, and preserve water in drought times, and to capture and divert rain when it comes down. These systems require careful approaches to agriculture, graywater uses, and pipes and drains.

Another major challenge is food availability. As climate change worsens, crops are impacted. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, extreme heat, changing rainfall and other climate change impacts will make it harder to grow staple crops in the U.S. as soon as 2030. In recent years, we've already seen how extreme weather events are affecting crop yields. But building food resilience for yourself and your community is no easy feat. That’s why ClimateSafe Villages is building food resilience models that are regenerative and healthy for the environment, but are more adaptable and resilient to changing environmental conditions like heat and drought. ClimateSafe Villages combines low-tech, traditional permaculture approaches with indoor food growing techniques. We are also proponents of seed-saving and food storage technologies, which provide another layer of resilience.

Many people are finding CSV through a simple web search, because they are concerned that not enough is being done to protect their communities from the worst effects of climate change. They are often concerned for their children, or grandchildren, and want to be a part of something more realistic for the future.

Ultimately, we are encouraged and hopeful seeing people come together in honest conversations about the serious challenges of climate change, without the dismissive bury-your-head-in-the-sand “hopium” we might be used to, in order to create solutions for their communities and for the planet.

Discover more about this movement at ClimateSafeVillages.org, and consider joining a local community effort or even our team of volunteers and advisors. Anyone can make a difference.
Facing climate change is daunting, but with supportive communities like this, we can navigate these challenges together.

CSV January Updates - Don't forget to fill out our community application!

We are writing to share some January updates!

This year we are working to move CSV to an independent organization. We officially have our IRS Exemption Letter confirming our 501(c)3 status, which means that all donations to CSV are tax deductible! Donate now to support our cause.

Are you on the Basecamp yet? This is where our volunteers talk and coordinate about building the first CSVs. So far, discussions are happening for Washington State, the Upper Midwest, and Northeast. Email us if you need help joining!

We are also working to create new guides and content. Check out this PDF guide that we are working on which provides accessible information on how to prepare for climate change. We appreciate all feedback on this!

In other news, our Executive Director, Leonora Camner, was featured this week on the Nick Halaris Podcast. Leonora has become a passionate advocate for a whole suite of big ideas including leveraging the power of community to deal with all the potential consequences of climate change and pushing for innovative reforms to democratic processes. Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and Youtube or on your favorite podcast platform.

Finally, please don't forget to indicate your interest in applying for our first communities. This is the list and information we use to reach out to you when spots open up in the first CSVs. If you would like to find out when spots open up and get access, please make sure to submit your information.

ClimateSafe Villages

climatesafevillages.org

Creating a Sustainable Future with Mike Nickerson

We are excited to invite you to our first 2024 event at ClimateSafe Villages, featuring sustainability expert Mike Nickerson. We plan to make this a thought-provoking and engaging session, focusing on learning about Mike's work on creating an eco-village, and the "More Fun, Less Stuff" Movement.

With human activity pressing against planetary limits, perpetual growth is no longer an appropriate goal. We can choose to create a stable relationship with Earth. This different approach to mutual provision (the economy) requires a change of perspective. Time-tested biological processes provide a foundation for securing long-term well-being as society's economic 'metabolism' adapts to our new situation. A glimpse of a future the grandchildren might enjoy can be seen through the precept 'More Fun, Less Stuff'.

Event Details:
Title: "Creating a Sustainable Future with Mike Nickerson"
Date: Friday, January 12
Time: 12:00 – 1:00pm Pacific Time - (1PM Mountain Time, 2 PM Central Time, 3 PM Eastern Time)
Location: Online via Google Meet

About Mike Nickerson:
Mike Nickerson, a renowned figure in the field of sustainability, co-founded the Institute for the Study of Cultural Evolution in 1971. He is an advocate for the Genuine Progress Index (GPI) and has contributed extensively to the dialogue on sustainable living through his writings and talks. His influential books include "Change the World I Want to Stay On", "Planning for Seven Generations", and "Life, Money and Illusion; Living on Earth as if We Want to Stay”.

Join us for an enriching Q&A session with the whole group, where you can interact directly with Mike and discuss these critical topics. Review these images below to prepare for the session (click on the images for higher resolution) :

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn and contribute to the conversation about our sustainable future. We look forward to seeing you there!

Update: Your Impact This Holiday Season

We wanted to share an inspiring update on the impact of your support for ClimateSafe Villages (CSV).

Thanks to the generosity of individuals like you, we've made significant strides toward our goal. So far, we are in the process of supporting the creation of a potential 2 to 3 CSVs, in the Bellingham and Great Lakes areas. These active groups are in talks to move forward with the construction of these first sites. 

Construction companies have been interviewed, and preliminary plans are being made. 

Your contributions are already shaping a more resilient future.

However, there's still more work to be done. We're reaching out again to ask for your continued support in our mission. If you haven't had the chance to donate yet, now is a perfect time. Every contribution brings us closer to creating sustainable communities that can thrive despite climate challenges.

Donate on our website or support our GoFundMe to build grassroots momentum.

Thank you for being a part of this critical movement. Together, we're building a better world.

ClimateSafe Villages

climatesafevillages.org