Hi climate action supporters,
Thanks to everyone who showed up to the meeting on Monday. A lot was accomplished and I think the way forward is becoming more clear. The meeting minutes are below. An audio recording of the meeting is available here.
As promised, here is the link for a page with resources (it will go live soon): http://www.350ct.org/moveplanning/
Also, look for a followup email with the “big save the date” email and the “personal appeal” email.
And finally a request from the food committee: please nominate your favorite local/sustainable restaurant that you want to highlight on 9/24. We’re trying to get 5-6 local restaurants to sponsor Moving CT in return for us featuring them on our local/sustainable food map. Leave your vote as a comment. Thanks!
Best,
Emily
Lead Organizer, Act New Haven and 350 Connecticut
Moving Planet, Meeting #4 Notes
Present:
John Calendrelli, CT Sierra Club
Paul Bruner, CT Sierra Club
Melissa Everett
Bill Duesing, ED CT NOFA
Chris Schweitzer, NH Leon Sister City
Melinda Tuhus – Elm City Cycling
Tambira Armmand
Louis from Montreal, couch surfing at Justin’s
Maria Tupper – NH Bioregional Group & Land Trust
Yalamber – Intern w/ 350
Craig Smith
Christina Andrioti – Yale
Kim Stoner – CT Agricultural Experiment Station, clerk of NH Quaker Meeting
Doug Kelly – outreach helper
Justin Haaheim – lead organizer ACT New Haven, 350 CT
Paul Hammer – Elm City Cycling, manages NH Zipcars
Joyce Raduskus
Diane Lentakis
Agenda:
NOTE: lot of work happening in teams)
Justin – big pic update
Other updates
Questions
Volunteers and needs
2 big outreach things – personal appeals and sending out “save the date” emails
Organizing and using the resources that we have
[Media person Jessica may have to pull back]
Big picture:
schedule and main activities decided, lot of outreach done, good spot
time to kick into high gear – plan hard and fast to get it to come together
if goal is making big, energizing event, then must get organizations to invest in it – need much more – everyone identify contacts and ideas please
Schedule:
Early morning til 4 pm is off our statewide plate – will happen in towns across the state, local stuff in New Haven (exception is Tambera coordinating bike rides in) – Wilton, Woodbridge, Hartford, Enfield, et al meeting and rallying in their own towns and around noon or later, migrating to New Haven. Impressive, exciting. Commitments to hop on (train and) bikes; may have extra cars on the trains to accommodate bikes.
Our “day” for this event starts at 4 pm in New Haven. Bike ride around New Haven “critical mass style” – catch neighborhoods, have drums and posters, meet on green at 5 pm, that is when main event begins.
5 – 7 = speakers, big photo opp, Dan Esty maybe, or will send someone; personally forwarded note to Malloy to see if he will come. # of state reps; big biking community folks (many companies are located in CT)…
No detailed speaker schedule yet, know we need to nail this and yet keep fluid for dignitaries – Diane help remind Justin and/or take lead; ask for speakers’ availability and flexibility; commit to get them exact time asap.
7 – 8 music, access to food carts around green
8 Wall-E (powered by bikes???)
Possible informal after-party
Power needs: amplification system – Robert Gardiner has not yet confirmed solar truck
Rain contingency planning – we checked with God, it’s OK.
Arts & Ideas has reserved Woolsey Hall, consider other large venue(s)
Rain committee – bring up with Emily (logistics lady)
Aspire to carbon neutrality even if stretch
Outdoor movie – inflatable screen thingy
(Why) was permit so delayed? Processing person was on vacation; they’ll get back to us Wednesday. [City has reserved the space so it’s probably fine]. We have sponsorship of the NH Office of Sustainability so are covered by the City’s insurance and had the permitting fee waived.
Moving Planet website has time discrepancies – will be consolidated in the coming week prior to next big blast.
Note: 350 CT was adopted by email discussion; have domain 350ct.org as home base. 350ct.org/move is where definitive schedule, contact info, etc. will be.
Tabling – target that for when the crowd gathers – OK to set up as early as noon, recommend 2 pm for early arrivals and locals, some activities will be happening on the green. We have committed to scrounging up tables for suggested donation $25 or more; Tambira & Emily will do a map. Shorter time frame recommended, say 3 – 5, then again 7 – 8. Note: no exchange of money on the green (donation buckets can be exception, nail down in permit). Note from Emily: No cash is allowed to change hands on the Green, so no donation buckets allowed
Distribute 1-page FAQ, e.g. parking. For early arrivals, Yale gated lots are open but fill early. Please distribute FAQ and map/ parking info asap.
For participants who don’t live near rail transportation, could there be info on parking lots just outside New Haven to bike in and participate?
Paul can serve as resource for parking – can consult Director of Sustainability.
All this hinges on the available people-power.
Who’s doing what? www.350ct.org has key people & bios – expand this with other key volunteers, send photo and bio to Doug
Justin:
horizontal structure of inner organizers, concentric circles
Lead organizers = Justin (high level relationship building, coordinating, outreach), Doug (heading up outreach to organizations), Tambira coordinating bike activity in 4 categories (1. Kidical Mass, 2. bike infrastructure in New Haven, offshoot = little safety FAQ; 3. equipping your bike to be a work-horse, safe, weather resilient; 4. bike lady); Tambira also reaching out to statewide bike organizations to organize their own activities; critical mass type ride around New Haven; Yalember has time w/ Diane, Maria, Doug; reaching to schools, faith groups, etc.; also helping Emily w/ logistics including Port-a-potties; Emily (logistics and lead organizing), Yalamber, Rick Herron (Yale student), Genevieve (Conn College, she’s doing lots social media) – the students are doing campus organizing, lots.
Core organizers
Arturo & Manin, Russ Powell university liaisons
Craig Luekens churches [note: make sure to reach to Interfaith Cooperative Ministries]
Melissa: business leaders – people like this
Everyone: consider yourself part of the outreach team
There is a Master Outreach Spreadsheet – Google doc, we can all update with orgs and contact status – REALLY IMPORTANT – If we duplicate, do so consciously.
[email protected] is BETTER than [email protected] because he is getting swamped! – seen by Justin, Doug & Emily. If in doubt, send to this address.
KEEP DOUG IN YOUR LOOP
Other contributors
Other organizations (SeeClickFix sponsoring event)
5 – 7 – highlight local leaders, not just bigwigs, identify who’s doing great work
Action – what is followup? CAN USE HELP FIGURING THIS OUT
During event, keep notes if you can for lessons learned on logistics
Goal= establish active statewide network doing climate convening, think now about leadership, need steering…
Work in a way that makes people feel ideas & energy welcome, build progression. There happens to be International Food Day Oct 24 in same agenda, could cross-promote….. with focus on food-miles and embodied energy to make connection.
Make strategic commitments first, then work opportunistic connections.
ME help w/ Malloy letter.
Outreach flyer available on 350CT.org/move
Would be nice to have public web page w/ resources – YES
Best website for just about everything = bit.ly/mpctstrategy – working document w strategy, goals, etc. most up to date, w/ blurbs, 350 national goals, potential asks, schedule, outline of outreach group work. + main resources and links. Has messaging stuff. Great organizing resource. Also has email list we have.
Main useful Google docs: (1) master outreach spreadsheet; (2) moving planet ct tasks signup – responsibilities & who is working on them.
Volunteers:
Tambira and Emily will coordinate. Day-of and advance:
Post flyers do outreach. Set up on day of. We will have form.
One of the most important things you can do is involve people in reaching to their networks.
Personal appeal. Justin writing one for many people on his list. Include social as well as activist networks. Recommended that everyone do.
Melissa will facilitate – messaging and specific strategic analysis of action directions & urgency
include talking points vs denial messages [ME]
JoycePaulDianeKimChristinaTambiraJustinPaulBillChrisJohnMaria
Angle: Peabody Museum fossils
Yale School of Forestry very nearby – could field experts
Name of the game is organizing power, lots of great people, but all stretched. More you can find people to chip in, the better.
Big email will go out, main messaging will be like flyer, like personal appeal, will go out as far as we can send it…Save the date…keep an eye out.
Is there a communications plan? Jessica needs help. Need a coordinator. Nate & Joyce have written articles.
Garbage? First aid? Yale recycling = bins. First aid still working on it.
Need cheap or free stage. Paul will help. Fallback = Parks & Rec stage. Note from Emily: Parks&Rec stages are NOT available on 9/24