August 3rd — First Congregational United Church of Christ, 20 Oak Street, Asheville, NC. From 6:30 until 8:00 pm: “Energy 2050: Understanding the Present Reality and Possible Futures of the US Energy System” with Dr. Daniel Vermeer We are rapidly running out of time to address climate change by decarbonizing our energy system – and the stakes could not be higher, profoundly impacting our climate and natural resources, economy, and quality of life. By framing our energy decisions in the

August 3 — First Congregational United Church of Christ, 20 Oak Street, Asheville, NC. Noon till 1:30pm “Effective Advocacy for Environmental Justice: Lunch with Thomas Lodwick of the Southern Environmental Law Center” Please join the Creation Justice Network of the United Church of Christ, Creation Care Alliance of WNC, and First Congregational UCC for a brown-bag lunchtime discussion by SELC attorney Thomas Lodwick on the most challenging environmental issues facing our state today, and ways in which we can become

July 17 — Do you know about the Asheville TimeBank? This local project initiated from a Transition gathering a couple of years ago and now has 165 members who have shared 1806 hours of assistance to one another. Janet Black, organizer of the project will share what time banking is about and how this project is impacting our community and its resilience. 6:30 until 8pm at the St. Mary’s episcopal Church’s parish hall, 337 N. Charlotte St. (enter at Evelyn

Transition members and community resilience builders from across the country are invited to gather in St. Paul, Minnesota, this July to make connections, share knowledge, and generate strategies to bring the Transition vision of resilient, local, connected and fossil-fuel-free communities to life across this nation. Early Bird Tickets Available With a team of Transition organizers from across the country, and 75 knowledgeable, dynamic and diverse presenters, this event promises to be inspiring, informative and fun! See below for more information

What we are missing is humanity’s connection to nature. This spectacular series offers hope and optimism. No other nature series has captured conclusive scientific proof that co-existence between man, animal and earth is thriving. Dr. Sanjayan is more than a leading conservation scientist he is the conduit connecting us to more than probabilities about the regenerative abilities of resources once considered threatened by mankind. Instead, we learn the most fascinating conclusions to the delicate balance of man and nature. One

“Rising Tides” is an award-winning documentary (2016) that explores the topic of coastline erosion and what might be done about this global threat. Available through the Buncombe County Library system.

Transition Asheville and the Earth Team of First Congregational UCC will sponsor a Skill Sharing event to honor Earth Day. Participants can choose from a variety of practical skills that can help us live more sustainably on Earth. Among the skills being shared by experienced teachers are the following: making homes more energy efficient; a range of tips for conserving resources; how to make a solar oven; basic carpentry; canning; worm composting for gardeners, principles of permaculture; tree identification; and

I Have a Green Dream In February, participants in a church class were encouraged to write an “I Have a Green Dream” speech. Here is one such effort.

From Ron Martin-Adkins

Wild Abundance Essentials Program for living with the land, www.wildabundance.net for more information