Community Development Objectives for Bloomington

¶ … Community Development Objectives for Bloomington

Xinxin Zhang

Objective is to create a community organization in Bloomington that provides local representation to the worldwide 350.org group. The 350.org group believes that the atmosphere can only support a level of up to 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. This estimate is based off some of the latest reports provided by top scientists at NASA and other organizations. This level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is important because it is a primary driver of climate change. Therefore reducing the emission levels is a necessary step to return to 350 parts per million. Our current level of atmospheric carbon dioxide is already 387 parts per million and rising exponentially. This project is important because it will have an impact on the local community in regards to employing sustainable development initiatives to help secure a better future. However, another important task for the group will be to help to educate the community as to what the problem is in terms of the actual science and create awareness among people who don't really understand what climate change is all about. This group also acts as an activist group that pressure politicians to take action on climate change. On October 10, 2010 (10/10/10) the group organized what was called the largest worldwide political demonstration in history.

2) the first step will be to choose the platform for communications. This is an incredibly important step because it will dictate how the group communicates with itself for the duration of the group's existence. There are several social networking sites that could be used for this purpose including Meetup.com and Facebook.com as well as several other options. This step will be entirely the responsibility of the group's founder.

The second step will start recruiting members on an individual basis. Once enough members and recruited to form a small group of five members or more, then a process involving collaboration will begin. This is important because it will expedite the group's formation much faster than the founder can do alone.

The third step will be to have the small group will have its first meeting to brainstorm on how to create awareness on a greater level. The group should also choose the date for the first official group meeting of the local community 350.org group. Then the group should then plan to post flyers, post announcements in newspaper and on radio, and spread the word through any means possible.

The fourth step will be to have each member will then split up and accomplish the tasks assigned to them. Tasks may include items such as placing an ad in a newspaper, putting up posters, talking to twenty people, or making an announcement on the radio.

Once the second round of recruiting is completed then the next step would be to actually hold the first official meeting. The meeting organizer should introduce the group and explain what the group is all about, talk about the history of the group and all of the science it is based on.

The fifth step in the first meeting would to be to announce elections for the official positions. The next step would be to vote on all the official positions, count the ballets, and declare the winners. Also, the person who was elected note taker should begin taking notes.

The sixth step once the positions are filled would be to start some committees. During the meeting ideas for meetings should be collected and voted on for their merit. The next step would be assign members to each of the committees. The committees will accomplish tasks like planting trees, learning about greenhouse gas reduction techniques, teaching people how to recycle, teaching neighborhoods about energy conservation, helping people insulate their houses, or possibly holding a bike rally.

The seventh step would be to decide on the date, time and place of the next meeting and also to set up a list of tasks to be completed by the next meeting. Also, this step needs to include a gathering of all the contact information from all the members so that a contact distribution list can be created in order to make group announcements. The next step in the meeting would simply to be to adjourn the meeting.