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SpaceShare Carpooling & Green Logistics April Newsletter
- We think you signed up for SpaceShare's once-a-month update.
If not, just reply and let me know.
Reaching Out
We're still in our spring growth period: ran an exhibit booth at New Living
Expo a weekend ago, just back from Arizona for the Sun Festival,
and in Davis for Whole Earth this weekend. Hands and minds and hearts are
needed, join us!
New Shoots
While I'm very busy reaching out to events and sponsors and building
sites, there is some more interesting news: a plan for symbiotic
ways to grow with other green businesses.
SpaceShare is seeding the "Bay Area Green Travels
& Homes Alliance." We're talking with small green companies that
provide services to travelers and ways to green people's homes. When we have
a table at our events, we'll guide travelers and residents to take
another step to be greener.
- For travelers at conferences: Green hotels & restaurants, bicycle, kayak
and sailboat rentals, biodiesel wine tours,
as many ways as we can think of to enjoy the
city without burning petro.
- For residents at festivals: Solar, efficiency, green housecleaning and
gardening.
Let's start creating the green city we've been envisioning. SpaceShare's
ability to reach thousands of people at events could help seed many other
small businesses, while funding more carpooling at the same time.
If this sounds good to you, jump in and make it happen! Helping put
together the Bay Area Green Travels & Home Alliance could make for
an exciting, payed internship. Or join me in trying to start our
own green company and help set these up across the country.
These projects won't happen unless more people step up. If you've
been wondering how to help transform our economy from destructive
megacorps to human-scale and green, the door is open and the ideas are here.
The Barrier: Growing Pains
SpaceShare's ideas have been proven in the last two years. If we can
get past the start-up phase, we can make a huge difference for the
planet. With no capital and no partners, things are pretty tough
right now: the initial savings to start SpaceShare are gone and this
is a wonderful, growing business, but not a "make money fast" field.
If SpaceShare is going to succeed, more people need to get involved.
We're not a multinational, or the charity case of a foundation
or wealthy person, SpaceShare is a place for ordinary people to jump
in and create. We have some wonderful volunteers
who are making a big difference, but the core of the effort is me
and one intern, and that's not enough to hold the center together
as we grow but before SpaceShare becomes financially self-sustaining.
Passing the Barrier: Summer Interns and Partners
Do you know someone ready to get serious about protecting
our planet, but not sure how?
The summer internships hold out the chance to make a real
difference instead of making photocopies. We need an
artist and designer, an environmental studies or urban planning
enthusiast, and most of all someone who'd like to explore
green business and marketing. Do you know any students?
The miracle we need right now: a new part-time partner,
to contact events and encourage them to carpool, and
to search for sponsors, on commission. This could be
part time, perhaps a summer job. Surely someone out there
is adventurous, entrepreneurial & green. I can't do it alone,
join me!
Please, think through your list of friends!
If you think this is a worthwhile project, the time to
get involved is now. If we can make rent for the next few
months, we'll probably be able to keep growing and reach
thousands of events, tens of millions of people, in two
years. Or, we can pack it up. Bush and the megacorporations
are not the villain this time: are we ready to create a more
grassroots activism and grassroots economy, driven by adventurous
people rather than money and heirarchy?
Spring Events Calendar: We need you in California, Scottsdale, Canada and Seattle!
SpaceShare plans to be exhibiting at all these events. This is a great way to help out, have fun, and meet people. Small contributions are welcome,
you don't need to spend the whole weekend at the booth to be a big help!
California
- May 6-8. Davis, Whole Earth Festival.
- May 31, Oakland, Green City Vision.
- June 11-12, Santa Rosa, Harmony Fesival.
Seattle
- May 27-30, Folklife Festival.
Canada
- June 27, Toronto, Yet Another Perl Conference.
We have real needs, and real opportunities for you to make a difference!
Be the Change,
Stephen
Stephen Cataldo
SpaceShare.com
6420 Colby St.
Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 520-6175
Replacing Cars with Community
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