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The Alliance for Community Transition of South Sound (ACTSS)

By ACTSS

Mission
The Alliance for Community Transition of South Sound (ACTSS) is a network of organizations and individuals working to coordinate and strengthen local citizen action in response to economic uncertainty, diminishing resources, and climate disruption.

Our purpose is to accelerate our community's transition toward a resilient and sustainable future dependent upon human resourcefulness, renewable energy, and a healthy natural environment.

Our goal is to organize community participation in developing and implementing an Action Plan that will strengthen our economy, reduce our carbon footprint, and increase our capacity to adapt to a changing climate.

How ACTSS works
Steering committee

We are a Steering Committee comprised of individuals affiliated with a variety of sustainability and environmental organizations and efforts in the South Sound Region. We are volunteers who meet monthly to develop the roadmap for achieving our goal of developing a community-based Action Plan within two years. Our committee includes, but is not limited to:

  • Transition Olympia - Climate Action (TOCA) - Joanne Lee, Gita Moulton, Barb Scavezze
  • Thurston Climate Action Team (TCAT) - Carole Richmond
  • The South Puget Environmental Education Clearinghouse (SPEECH) - Janine Gates, Krag Unsoeld
  • Sustainable South Sound - Chris Hawkins, TJ Johnson
  • Dani Madrone, a student at The Evergreen State College, is also involved with ACTSS. -}

    Working groups
    Our work is done in Working Groups: Food, Energy, Transportation, Land Use & Housing, Water and Environment, Solid Waste, Economy and Finance, Inner Transition, Media, and Indicators. Each Working Group will develop a chapter of the Action Plan. Not all of these groups are yet established.

    Food
    Our current industrial food system places corporate profit ahead of human health and wellbeing. It is destroying the earth, poisoning people, and exacerbating inequality. It is our job to design and implement an alternative system. The Food Working Group is leading the way by envisioning the future we want, catalyzing cooperation, and aligning resources to create a just, sustainable and resilient local food system. Join us!
    CONTACT: TJ Johnson at (360) 943-4596 or tjjohnson@scattercreek.com

    Local motion: Transportation
    What would a transportation system that is sustainable for the long run look like? The transport sector is our region's leading contributor to global warming, among other problems. We can shorten supply lines and build a community where people find what they need (education, goods, services, cultural and social life, etc.) closer to home, within walking or bicycling distance - what are we waiting for?
    CONTACT: Chris Hawkins at (360) 539-2585 or sustainss@gmail.com

    Water and the environment
    Think of all the ways that water benefits all life. Think of the amount of money we spend collecting and treating both stormwater runoff from our buildings and roads and sanitary sewer flows. Help us develop ways to integrate natural systems into our built environment to reduce stormwater runoff and to fully protect and benefit from our water resources. We also will examine how to use the nutrients in human and animal waste to fertilize our local food production.
    CONTACT: Krag Unsoeld at (360)705-9938 or kragu@juno.com

    Land use and housing
    Most of us live in suburban developments that require getting around by car, but higher gas prices will make this lifestyle increasingly difficult. We need to create compact neighborhoods, protect forests and farmlands, and build smaller energy-efficient housing. The Land Use and Housing Working Group will address these challenges and focus on directing growth and development to existing urbanized areas. We'll create livable communities together!
    CONTACT: Carole Richmond at (360)754-0813 or richmond.carole@gmail.com

    Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
    It takes a lot of energy to heat and cool our buildings and operate the systems within them. In order to reduce our use of fossil fuels, the Energy Working Group will focus on energy efficiency measures for both existing buildings and new construction, and renewable energy resources appropriate for the South Puget Sound Region.
    CONTACT: Barb Scavezze at (360) 878-9901 or barb@scavezze.com

    Media and outreach
    This working group offers a multitude of opportunities to express your creativity, while providing information, public awareness and motivation to our efforts to transition to a resilient community. If you are a writer, graphic artist, videographer, or someone involved in any traditional or new media, such as blogs and social networking, this group needs your skills and welcomes your input!
    CONTACT: Janine Gates, (360) 791-7736, or Ja9gates@aol.com

    Indicators of a resilient community
    0ur challenge is to develop ways to measure our community's progress toward becoming more "resilient" - to evolve, adapt and grow in the face of unforeseen changes. The use of indicators ("yardsticks") has been common in efforts to measure progress toward sustainability. Our work will incorporate those indicators that best measure our ability to absorb and adapt to stresses as we prepare for a changing climate and energy-lean future.
    CONTACT: Gita Moulton (360) 352-9351or gitamoulton@earthlink.net

    Inner transition: The heart and soul of transition
    The Inner Transition working group explores how we can continue to be hopeful, creative, and actively engaged in building a better community and world when faced with the seemingly overwhelming challenges of climate change, peak resources, and economic contraction. We put arms and legs to Gandhi's quote, "Be the change you want to see," while honoring our reactions to deep and rapid change without becoming hopelessly cynical or paralyzed by fear.
    CONTACT: Joanne Lee at (360)352-6224 or joanne@naturalcoach.com

    If you're interested in learning more, come to the ACTSS Open House on Monday, March 14, from 7:00-9:00 pm at the MIXX 96 Meeting Room, corner of State and Washington, in downtown Olympia.


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Updated 2015/01/07 21:14:22