Transition Towns Marin

A few pictures and thoughts regarding our local rally in Mill Valley on Saturday, October 24, 2009, when we all become members of when Kenny Ausubel is referring to as Eco-SWAT teams! One world, one mission. One story.


The good news is that NOBODY DROPPED THE BALL at the small but highly motivated group of 'Solutionaries' who gathered between 1:30 -2:30 PM in Mill Valley to participate in the International Day of Climate Action.

Rather, of the 30-odd participants, most of whom were affiliated with local organizations, almost everyone expressed interest in participating in Transition Mill Valley  'Eco-SWAT team training.' Multi-purposed and recycled blue and green flyswatters were distributed as the first piece of equipment in each eco-SWATTER's toolkit: Get thee down, multinational polluter!s


To demonstrate the idea promoted at Bioneers that we are all approaching 2-degrees of separation, that this closeness means we are in a powerful position to tackle holding climate change below 2 degrees by 2020, we tossed out a huge clothes line, then randomly moved under, over and around to create a wide variety of linkages within a web.  Each link is powerful, Each link is necessary, the web is constantly morphing.

"What can we do with this 2-degree universe that we could not do before?" Kidary asks. "We each can be leaders, now I have the tools; I have the tools to create a 2- degree universe. We are hurling towards each other. The technology and the tools are there. The Math is there. Do not wait!" Jack Kidary, Bioneers, 2009.

Local Groups in Attendance


Christopher Wand, a member of Sustainable Mill Valley's water group, demonstrates a greywater deflector pipe he made from plastics he found dumpster diving. The piping has a hand-propelled valve which you turn to deflect greywater into your garden. The pipe, he explained, has to be situated at an angle to ensure the proper amount of water is diverted. Plastic will not work due to high temperature water and the only detergent he considers suitable to move through the pipes and actually sustain a garden is called Oasis.

Sustainable Mill Valley
"Marin Open Garden Project
Tree and garden registry map


Marin Water Coalition: A powerful discussion about the proposed Marin desalinization plant and the cutbacks in conservation. 
Marin Peace & Justice announced David Solnit will be performing and speaking Monday night at "The Global Climate Movement: Mobilizing Marin for Climate Action", regarding preparations for Global Action Day, Nov 30, 2009.

Sunset: October 24, 2009. Visit  "350.org,, sign the pledge, see the pictures, read the reviews.

"World, hear our call,know that as we stand here on this most incredible of days, we will stand here one month from now, one year from now, and will will stand here for as long as it takes for 350 to become a reality for our people and for our planet."

An Eco-SWAT Trained Rapid Responder beams down to Crisis Zone #521.

NOW & Bangladesh

Water World  on NOW: Is a coastal catastrophe approaching, and what should we be doing about it?

Imagine you lived in a world of water. Your home is two-feet under. You wade through it, cook on it, and sleep above it. This is the reality for hundreds of thousands of people around the world, coastal populations on the front lines of climate change.

Only weeks before world leaders meet in Copenhagen to discuss climate change, NOW senior correspondent Maria Hinojosa travels to Bangladesh to examine some innovative solutions—from floating schools to rice that can "hold its breath" underwater—being implemented in a country where entire communities are inundated by water, battered by cyclones, and flooded from their homes.