[Organizers] contra dance gypsy & fuel consumption

Tue Oct 8 10:03:56 PDT 2019

Hi all,

This is a timely discussion because we are looking to implement something
concerning this topic at Butterfly Whirl 2020. We are looking into
establishing a non-profit to team up with other brick-and-mortar
non-profits to install solar panels at their sites. Our main idea for
funding is to essentially allow dancers at our weekend to donate to this
non-profit entity. The framework would essentially involve asking all
dancers to put in how some information voluntarily during event
registration that will let them calculate how much CO2 their travel would
produce to get to our dance (and we'd also calculate how much we create
hosting the event). We could then give dancers the opportunity to donate
enough to offset their carbon footprint. If this is successful, we would
love to be able to get other dance organizers to participate in this
program, especially since it would be a grassroots contra-based
organization that wouldn't have to rely on a third party's claim that they
are performing actions to better the environment.

Best,

Jonathan Roveto
Owner/Member
Fair Oaks Holdings, LLC
Cell: (559) 961-7497
PO Box 131
Smyrna, GA 30081

On Mon, Oct 7, 2019 at 3:07 PM Mac Mckeever via Organizers <
organizers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:

> These are some really important things to consider.  There are easy ways
> to reduce our carbon footprint without avoiding travel
>
> Carpools are wonderful - more efficient and a great opportunity to bond
> with other dancers
>
> There are lots of more fuel efficient cars that make a real difference.
> Outside out local dances it is starting to look like a Prius dealer's lot -
> those get near 50 mpg.  All electric or plugable hybrids do even better -
> but are relatively new and expensive right now.  Trains and buses take a
> little planning but better for the environment..
>
> only slightly related question:  Why is it offensive to call a dance
> figure a gypsy but not offensive to be a dance gypsy?
>
> Mac McKeever
>
> On Monday, October 7, 2019, 01:55:01 PM CDT, Paul Wilde via Organizers <
> organizers at lists.sharedweight.net> wrote:
>
>
> Hey all,
>
> This is a long email, as it includes three posts.
>
> First, I hope people don't mind, but I'm ccing,
> callers and musicians list here, as I think
> we can collectively bring about a major shift
> in habits w/ our concerted hive intelligence.
>
> I am including the original two posts near the top of
> this email, so callers/musicians list people can
> see where this started.  PLEASE feel free to
> cut out the original lengthy posts when replying.
>
> First:
>
> On 10/7/19, Heitzso via Organizers <organizers at lists.sharedweight.net>
> wrote:
> > I'm a believer that climate change is a real threat.
>
> > I'm also a believer that our culture desperately needs activities
>   that bind people together rather than fractures them apart, and
>   I believe contra dance is an excellent way to do that.
>   (sharing weight, dancing with everyone, ...)
>
> > I've mentioned the issue of how do we change our contra culture
>   to minimize our carbon footprint from traveling to non-local contra
>   dances to my wife, Jennifer Horrocks, a few times over the years
>   (she sews and sells contra dance dresses all over the country).
>
> > Recently Liz Burkhart (on this email's "to" list) posted on Facebook
>   about her trying to alter her contra lifestyle to minimize her contra
>   carbon footprint.
>
> > Cut-and-pasting from her post:
>
> >> I've spent years with a contra habit that takes me to roughly one
> dance weekend per month. The closest, besides our own, was 83 miles
> away and the furthest was 795 miles. I am acutely aware that this is an
> incredible amount of distance to be covered for just one weekend (sometimes
> a week) for a pleasurable activity. It's been weighing on me more and more,
> as it's becoming painfully obvious that our lifestyles aren't sustainable.
> My
> lifestyle at home is mostly pretty simple, but I feel this nagging guilt
> when I do something extravagant, like drive to Vermont for YDW. Although
> we did our best to cram up to 6 people and our stuff in a van, we still
> consumed a lot of fuel to make it happen. Some people flew, which consumes
> even more.
>
> >> I think I'd like to work on decreasing the amount of out-of-town events
> I go to, and try to find alternative ways to get there. Carpools are great
> and much better than driving solo, but we could do more. One dancer this
> weekend took public transit and a bicycle from DC area to Vermont. A whole
> band playing for a square dance weekend a few years ago biked from south
> (I think New Orleans?) all the way to Nashville. I think this is really
> admirable and more people should consider something like this. This
> ongoing climate change makes our world a scary place, and it will only get
> worse (it doesn't look like those with the power to fix it care to change
> the high consumption status quo). It's also becoming more common for me to
> have to drive distances to call contra dances, which is harder to find
> carpool mates for. I'm not sure what that will look like for me - I am
> fantasizing about a NE train/bike tour with dates far enough apart that I
> can make it to gigs with this slower and less convenient transportation.
> I'm also considering making a vow to never fly on an airplane again. Their
> use is so incredibly terrible for our environment.
>
> >> Has anyone been adapting their travel habits in the face of climate
> >> change?
>
> > I believe that we, our contra community, needs to openly start discussing
> this issue.
> I applaud Liz's public request for comment and solutions.
>
> > Sincerely,
> > Heitzso
> > http://atgaga.com
>
> Finally, my reply:
>
> Yes, this is a very worthwhile discussion.
>
> On a slightly side note, 2+ yrs ago a hydrogen station was completed
> at a local super market parking lot 1 mile from our house.
>
> I tried for 1 yr, writing emails and calling Stop & Shop, Toyota, Honda,
> and people from Air Liquide who were the ones responsible for installing
> the hydrogen station.  I got absolutely nowhere for all this effort.
> I was told repeatedly by everyone I could get to talk to at both
> Toyota and Honda (both who make hydrogen powered cars)
> that there weren't stations to provide fuel to start selling these
> cars anywhere but in CA.  To my knowledge (I live in Prov RI),
> there are stations near Hartford CT, Mansfield MA (20 mi. from us),
> Newton MA, (40 miles from us and close to Boston), and I'm sure
> there are others nearby that I'm not aware of.  Perhaps you know
> of others you could add to this?
>
> CA is the only place you can buy these cars (is what I'm told).
> Someone mentioned OR.  I called dealers there, and no luck.
>
> SO, my very dissatisfied take on all this was that the industry
> (car makers, etc) are doing worse than just dragging their feet
> on switching to non-carbon based fuel alternatives.  It pisses
> me off no end (esp having a station 1 mile from home).  But
> honestly I don't know where to take this from here.
>
> After all this effort, we switched out from a Toyota Echo ('05)
> which had been getting just under 40 mpg for over 10 yrs, to
> a Prius, now getting 55+mpg overall, but I'm still not happy
> about the carbon footprint.
> Biking is great, (but I'm afraid our household is a little to
> old for that now), and public transportation is also a great
> alternative.  However, just for an example, I believe there
> is no public transportation that will take you into Concord MA,
> where the Scout House is, and where there is dancing at least
> 10X/mo.  Correct me if I'm wrong on this.
>
> So I'd love to hear from others and apologize for this slightly
> lengthy rant, but for one, I would LOVE to see hydrogen become
> the rule of the highways.  Their exhaust is water, and being lighter
> than air, any leaks would go up, and not spread fire across the landscape,
> as gasoline would do, should there be an accident.  Oh, and the
> Hindenberg?  All that black smoke and all the fire after the first few
> seconds was due to diesel to run the engine and the canvas bag.
> Grrr!!!:-)
>
> These lists rock,
> Paul
>
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