Albany activists strive for sustainability

…On Saturday, Sept. 29, several Mansion neighborhood residents will host Albany Skill Share 2007, a community-organized conference aimed at teaching city residents how to live self-sufficiently.

“It’s kind of a way to prepare for a post-peak-oil society, but it’s also about taking any steps you can to reduce the use of petroleum products now,” said main organizer Dylan Boyce. “The best way for society to prepare is that everyone knows as much as possible, and whatever happens, they can provide for themselves.”


…Skill share is a relatively new term to the activism, do-it-yourself community. Skill shares have been held around the country since the turn of the century. One of the largest is held each year in Boston, where workshops have been taught on topics ranging from bike mechanics to fire breathing to beginner violin.

Albany Skill Share 2007 will feature 16 workshops in four time slots. Participants are asked to donate on a sliding scale up to $10, based on income. The daylong program also includes a lunch prepared by the organizers.

Albany Times-Union