Site How-to & FAQ

Yes, this web site is overwhelming.  Maybe that is because our task--transitioning to a post-carbon, resilient, local-economy model of civilization--also seems a bit overwhelming at times.........well, all of the time.

Neither this site nor our task should be too much to handle.  However, it takes lots of people (all of them!) to organize, to find a favourite and most fun Transition activity, to specialize at what he or she does best, to connect with like-minded and compatible neighbours, and then to make Transition happen.

We all know how to do this, or at least our great-great-grandparents did.  They lived in a pre-carbon world with a balanced population throughout their lives (1.6 billion in 1900).  I know it seems hard to believe that they used no oil.  The first oil was not extracted in any meaningful amount until the 1880s.  Whale oil doesn't count; it was once renewable...until we inevitably and nearly annihilated several species of whale.  Coal does count, but so little was extracted before 1900 that its burning was having little effect on the global climate at that time.  (Yes, urban air quality was--and still is--horrific due to the burning of coal and other sooty hydrocarbons.)

Your ancestors in the pre-oil days talked to their neighbours, helped each other during good and bad times, lived off the land (or land very close to them), produced as much as they consumed, rarely took on debt, and could not pollute the earth because they barely generated any non-biodegreadable pollution of any kind.  Their ecological footprint was well below the carrying capacity of the earth.

How do we get back to those more responsible times...without giving up our smart phones?

First, Sign Up on this site, on the top right of this page.  You'll need to give us your email address, a name, some semblance of a birth date that shows you are over 14 (federal law), and a few details about your interests.  We will never share your email address with anyone, ever.  If you elect to give us your true birthdate or even birth year, this will also remain secret until one day you might show up at a potluck and there will be a cake for you and anyone else who may have claimed to be born that month.  (Give us a nearby year, rather than the real one, if you are at all worried...or embarrassed.)  All other details are open for anyone to see.  We moderate the membership on the site, to make sure everyone is civil to each other and committed to Transition.

Then, once you are a member, find your neighbours: join a village.  Look for a existing village nearby and join it.  Many will have regular potluck meetings, and simply attend one, or hold one of your own.  No one bites...or if they ever do, they will quickly be thrown out and ostracized for good.

Check out our numerous public events every week, where there are many things to learn and do, and cool people to meet.  Hold one of your own, and invite those same cool people.  

Dream up a Transition-related project, such as making your own biofuel, starting a food garden, or organizing a regular neighbourhood bike ride.  Read about what others are doing.

Read other member's profiles on the members page, and find someone you'd like to meet or work with.  Get inspired and add things to your own profile.  

If you have a particular interest in something that helps to build a low-carbon, resilient community, or simply a more fun one, start a working group to make it happen.  You might already find a working group that is doing something to which you'd like to contribute.  Join one.  

Finally, share your thoughts on our blog or in our forums.  Share your photos or videos.  These are moderated postings, so be patient with us.  We will approve anything that fits with our mission and meets our Site Guidelines.  

Most of all, have fun and start feeling prepared for anything...along with a very climate-cool group of people.

And, if you are still lost on these pages, talk to anyone!  Pick on Village Vancouver's Directors first, if you must.  That is what they are there for.

WE ARE DEVELOPING A FAQ SECTION.  HELP US AND LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW WITH YOUR QUESTION.

How do I control messages I receive from this site?

All members of this site can control, limit, or stop emailed communications from this site (for example, notices about events, the newsletter, messages from other members you're "friends" with, etc.) on their email settings page (click here).  To stop all VV email, just check the last box at the bottom of the settings page and remember to click the save button.

How do I translate this site into other languages?

To translate this site into any language (with reasonable accuracy), select your language at the bottom right of this page.