Looking Ahead to 2011

Well it's been a while, hasn't it?

I admit, it hasn't been on purpose; life just has a way of finding other things for you to do sometimes. Back in April, I launched a new endeavor -- The New Pursuit -- and it just took off. My voice felt a bit freer there. But the Call of Community has never been far away. Of late, it's been scratching at the door again.

REDISCOVERING THE 'UNITY' IN COMMUNITY
The more I look around, the more the signs are clear: The return to the power and solace of community is a necessary step for reclaiming our collective sense of self; for rediscovering that our similarities far outweigh our differences; for achieving that critical balance between our existence and the long-term prosperity of this little planet we call Home.

It is through that Unity of Experience we can transform ourselves, our communities and in no short order, our world.

I continue to believe that here in our neck of the woods, we are poised to blaze a trail in this direction. As I drive around and look at things, as I talk to folks, it is clear that people want a return to simpler things; to things that are deeply rooted in the people and places that are familiar.

NURTURING THIS RETURN
That familiarity is the base from which our community can grow and prosper -- socially, economically and ecologically.

Socially speaking, 2010 saw a boon in events that brought us together. From farmers markets to cow flops to fund raising concerts; from theater performances to art exhibits to youth sports; from garden tours to open houses to cultural bazaars. The energy and vibe that such gatherings creates is undeniable. We're creating ways to escape the four walls of our homes and interact; to meet and exchange with neighbors and friends. This is way better than any TV show or movie.

In terms of economy, there's not much to say here as few have escaped the shadow of the ongoing 'Great Recession'. Many of our neighbors have seen better times. Local businesses -- that backbone of our local and regional economies -- have also had to bear their part of the struggle. Our support of these businesses is more critical than ever.

Looking at our local environment and ecological resiliency, we continue to be at a critical juncture. The often-opposing pressures of development, investment and conservation are at an all-time high. There have been successes though: The preservation of Ferolbink Farms and the advancement of the East Bay Energy Consortium hit the highlight reel for sure. But we need more as the challenges will only be getting stronger: Redesigning local transportation in the face of rising fuel prices; continued investment in our local food and economic infrastructure; community and school education... This list is long. But not impossible to achieve with the proper investment of time, willpower and resources.

OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS ALL OF US

Alas, it will be only through the coming together of all of us -- hanging our labels, ideologies and agendas at the door -- that we will be able to take up these challenges and work together for the betterment of all. This is OUR community and OUR earth; OUR lives and OUR future.

With that, I want to leave you with a few resources that I have found absolutely amazing over the past few months. All bring together a fantastic intersection of community, environment and renewed resourcefulness.

• YES! Magazine
• Transition U.S.
• Upcycled Love
• Raam Dev
• Common Security Clubs

As always, any thoughts, ideas or comments about how we continue to make the Sakonnet Community more sustainable and resilient are welcome! What would you like to see worked on in 2011?

Be well,
Bill

Book Review: $20 Per Gallon

How would your life change if gas cost $4.00 per gallon? $8.00? $12.00? $20.00?

That’s the premise of the new book by Christopher Steiner. While many books on the prospect of higher fuel costs driven by lessening supply and increasing demand are typically of the doom-and-gloom variety, the premise of $20 Per Gallon is that our lives will actually change for the better.

Each chapter looks at the impact of our American lifestyle at ever-increasing per-gallon price points ($4.00, $6.00, $8.00… all the way to $20.00). It’s an interesting and thought-provoking ride through a number of well-research scenarios of what will be lost and gained as we spend more on fuel. Historical perspectives that helped shape our current situations add context, while first-person interviews with field experts help ground the proclamations. Consider the following key game changers from the book:

• At $6.00 per gallon the SUV dies and we drive fewer miles by the billions. Fewer lives are lost to traffic fatalities and as a society we begin the great Slim Down.
  
  
• At $8.00 per gallon, air travel as we know it goes the way of the dodo and the airline industry is stripped of all but the most savvy players. This drives families and friends to re-localize to a smaller geographic area.
  
  
• At $12.00 per gallon suburbia begins to wither on the vine as more and more people relocate to cities to live more energy efficient lifestyles and take advantage of all that higher density living has to offer.
  
  
• At $16.00 per gallon food shipped from half way across the globe is a thing of the past. Localized food systems based soundly on organic growing principles (no fossil fuel derivative fertilizers here!) take center stage. Processed foods begin their fall from grace as people continue to evolve their healthier lifestyles.
  

I won’t spoil the "cliff-hanger" $20.00 scenario for you. Now, of course WHEN we see this dramatic rise in gasoline cost is the Million Dollar Question. Mr. Steiner does not get into that. He doesn't have to. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Why? Consider peak oil.

Prior to reading the book, I was already a committed believer of peak oil and the inevitable changes (good and bad) that will ensue as the world’s demand for carbon-based fuels far outweighs the supply. When you consider all of this through the lens of our suburban Sakonnet community, I began to feel a growing sense of urgency. An urgency to engage our community – from elected officials to businesses to citizens just like you and me – to start the discussion of just how we should be proactively planning for that inevitable time. We all need to be a part of this process.

You may remember the post on Saving Suburbia through the creation of a Transition Town movement. I picked up the “handbook” through the inter-library loan system and am giving it a read-through. It’s all about just that – putting aside the typical short-term thinking of municipal affairs to start engaging the broader public in a collective think-tank for creating solutions for evolving and sustaining our communities in the face of peak oil and climate change.

But when I step back from the eco-pulpit, I look out and see very few people out there with that same sense of urgency. As a society, we have forsaken the long-view for the more instantaneously gratifying shorter variety. Proactive planning is a long-lost art. Yes, some of the new recently-passed business zoning laws start chipping away at this, but that is no silver bullet.

The inherent design flaws of our own municipal government structure are a case in point: We are so wrapped up in the (sometimes important, sometimes not) minutiae of day-to-day operations we can never take the time or effort to look out five years, let alone 15 or 20. Few of our elected officials are willing to risk even small-scale political careers on such big and often complex ideas. Further, our simpleton financial process, with its 12-month birth-death cycle, will never allow for long-term planning and investment in serious and substantial community change initiatives. The broader community lacks the necessary context for an informed vote in that knee-jerk, group think arena known as the Financial Town Meeting.

I ask for your honest opinion: Do you sense the same urgency for engagement and planning? Why or why not? Is the vast majority of the population just bogged down by the day-to-day to even care? If you've read this book, how has it changed your perspective on things?

Happy New Year

Hard to believe it's a new decade, but here we are. What next?

I'm optimistic about 2010, both personally and at the community level. There is a lot going on and even more in the pipeline.

On the home front, I'm committed to doing even more to lessen our environmental footprint -- and sharing what we're doing with all of you. Be on the lookout for a new blog series I'm going to call (for now, anyway) "Back to Basics" -- a forum for learning a sharing some things both big and small to help live more simply and sustainably.

In the community, there is much to be done with many things starting to make their way to the forefront -- from Pay as You Throw to municipal renewable energy projects to long-term economic development opportunities. What should the agenda be with our elected officials? Take the January Poll (at right) and start to lend your voice.

2010 is also the year that I hope to make Sustainable Sakonnet more than just a blog. There are many like-minded folks out there and ample opportunity to help connect us a bit more -- to share, to learn, to organize and galvanize our community around topics that are important to the long-term vitality and sustainability of our little neck of the woods.

As for the blog, we'll keep trucking along. This Blogger platform is becoming a bit limiting so I'll be exploring other options (e.g., Wordpress) to enable better organization of the content.

In the meantime, I'd like to try a few new "features" to further seed the dialogue: Up first, a "Book of the Month". Sounds hokey, yes, but why can't the good ol' fashioned book club concept work here too? Stimulating thought provoking (virtual) conversation has never been a bad thing. Check it out (at right). I'll be getting a post up soon to serve as the discussion chain. Perhaps a Movie of the Month is not far behind.

So until next time, I wish you and yours the best for the New Year. Thanks for your support of Sustainable Sakonnet! As always, I love to hear from you -- your thoughts and ideas are always welcome and appreciated!

Saving Suburbia (Part II): Transition Towns

Way back in December, I wrote a post on “saving suburbia” spurred on by the announcement of a proposed 650-acre Eco-Village development here in town. My intent was to follow that up periodically with other thought-provoking ideas out there on how to transform the inherent design failures of modern suburbia into something more promising and sustainable. (Clearly things – work, school, baby – got in the way of that well-intentioned plan.)

During my research I happened upon a UK-based movement knows as “transition towns”. I squirreled away my notes and there they sat until one day, fellow Sustainable Sakonnet reader Jeremy happened to forward a note about a NY Times Magazine article chronicling transition town efforts here in the U.S. I just love when things come full circle like that!

In a nutshell, the transition town premise is that Peak Oil and Climate Change will negatively impact life as we know it in the not-so-distant future. The solution: Start preparing now by figuring out how to solve these pending dilemmas at the community level.

To that end, the Transition Town (TT) movement offers community members a literal game plan and playbook for recruiting and organizing their fellow neighbors, then developing solutions for everything from energy to transportation to food. TT doesn’t provide communities with the answers; it merely supplies the tools for you to figure that out on your own.

It appears to be working with – according to the article – over 150 TTs in existence across the globe. Closer to home, a national arm of the grassroots organization has formed (Transition United States) to provide guidance and resources to communities through hands-on training and ongoing support. One by one, a network of Transition initiatives is taking root across the county: Los Angeles, Boulder County, Colorado, Sandpoint, Idaho (the feature location for the Times Magazine article).

Now, I read something like that and say, “Let’s rock! This is something that we could do right here!” Then, the reality of community organizing hits me upside the head and retorts, “Sakonnet could never get something like this off the ground. Too polarizing. Too tree-hugger. You’ll get kind words of support but little action. People are too pre-occupied with other things…” The list of excuses goes on.

But could we?

I know from professional experience that if you involve others in the solution, they are more apt to support it, give it a try, and less apt to shoot it down. From that angle, the TT concept makes sense. But do enough people in our community feel this passionate about the potential life-altering consequences of the post-carbon crash and climate catastrophe to do something of this scale?

Please, someone, take me off of this pessimistic ledge I’m holding on to...

More TT resources:

• Official TT Wiki
• TTs in action (Ashland, Ireland)
• TT coverage on TreeHugger.com
• Rob Hopkins (TT Founder) YouTube interview

Portsmouth 2, Tiverton 0

The score is in and it doesn't look good for the home team. A recent email news update from People's Power & Light (where we participate in the New England GreenStart program) highlighted progress at the new wind turbine installation happening in Portsmouth. The first in the state to be owned exclusively by a municipality, this new tower will be located at the high school within gazing distance of its well-known predecessor at Portsmouth Abbey.

According to the newsletter, this installation will save the town more than $4 million over the 20-year lifetime of the turbine. Cha-ching.

It would now be easy to criticize the Tiverton establishment for its lack of action. But the truth is it takes a LOT of work to explore – never mind build -- one of these things (I know, I've tried to kick-start a group). Based on what I know, talk of exploration has been on again, off again for several years. It needs to be made a priority by some entity within town government and the charge made to move forward.

With each passing year, we lose the opportunity to put a stake in the ground and move forward. But with the renewal of the federal production tax credits (to help offset the cost of a project) the time has never been better to build. Yes, we need to investigate whether we have good candidate sites for towers (wind maps show promise); and yes, paying for one (or more) would probably entail a bond. That being said, we need to view all of this as a long-term investment -- from the point of view of both our operational budget and local environment. We need to change the perspective from reactive to pro-active.

Based on the conversation from the last post, maybe the only way this is going to happen is by private investment. I’m not sure. It could be through an eco-village, it could be from an enterprising local farmer, or it could be by our town. Anyone care to wager a bet?

You can read more about the turbine at the Portsmouth town website.

(Photo by Bob Thayer, Providence Journal)

Saving Suburbia (Part I): To Eco-Village or Not

For a while (OK, years) I’ve thought about how the collective we might go about “saving” that grand ol’ plan of post-WWII expansion known as “suburbia”. Clearly, at the time it sounded like a good idea, but with time comes wisdom and of course, hindsight. Alas we now know that it is at the heart of why the U.S. is leads the world in carbon emissions. You just can’t walk to the store when it’s ten miles and half-a-dozen-40-mile-per-hour-no-sidewalk roads away.

But what if you could start over? Re-architect the whole thing? Build it from the ground up with sustainability woven into every single construction-laden fiber?

I guess that’s the idea behind the eco-village concept. And last week, that hit home with this interesting announcement.

Clearly, if you’re coming to the table with this kind of plan, you’re coming out swinging. Hence you hire a PR agency to pitch it with all the fanfare and spotlights you can (those spotlights, mind you, help to blind you from the details, which many times are scant at this point in the whole thing). You have some fresh concept posters. You give it a cool name.

All that aside, this thing is massive. Six hundred and fifty acres spanning both sides of a major highway; industrial and residential mix-use areas; pre-powered with its own wind and solar arrays build in; agriculture, retail, trails; the list goes on. New zip code anyone?

Not wanting to pass an uninformed judgment, I set out to learn more about other eco-villages. What I found was interesting.

The Global Eco-village Network is a good resource for learning about and finding a large listing of these sustainable communities across the globe. Another listing/tracking site I came across was Intentional Communities.

No matter the listing, traditionally, the typical motivations behind these shared living communities are social, environmental, and/or spiritual. While there is a more-with-less approach it is kind of Three Musketeers at the end of the day – one for all, all for one. Micro-governance structures are in place with shared decision making the primary means of “law”. Many times there is strong link to permaculture.

Check out some of the specific communities I found (I tried to find ones with decent websites). All are in various stages of formation. This list is in no way exhaustive.

• Abundance Ecovillage, Fairfield, IA
• Nubanusit Neighborhood and Farm, Peterborough, NH
• Sawyer Hill EcoVillage, Berlin, MA

My take-away: The new eco-development proposal for Tiverton is at a scale unlike any of the eco-villages I checked out. Is that to say such scale and size is un-doable, contrary to what a sustainable living infrastructure is supposed to be? I don’t know. It reminds me of driving through Utah and seeing new towns being build literally out of nowhere on huge tracks of land.

But the thought of clearing all that land to develop all this makes me wary. I’m all for doing more with that industrial space off of Eagleville and agree that would be great for our local economy. But adding 480 new homes and trying to figure out how to support all that with an already strapped municipal infrastructure is concerning. And then there is the “gated community” portion of the plan – that just flies in the face of what true cooperative living is all about. And finally, there are other potential placement opportunities for renewable energy structures in town (if the town could just its act in gear and push forward with all that).

So, if clear-cutting and building from scratch is not an attractive way to save suburbia, what is? Stay tuned for Part II…

A New Triple Crown?

We’re nearly at Day 30 P.E. (post-elections) and most people are over the hump when it comes to griping one way or the other. Now it’s time to roll up the sleeves and get to work. Yet, overcoming divisions (insert your polar opposite of choice here -- red/blue, right/left, pro-this/anti-that) always seems to be the hardest thing. It’s quite the bottleneck of what could be an efficient, productive, forward thinking supply chain of people, ideas, and action.

Newsflash: Sitting around complaining is wasted time and energy -- period. One of our favorite kids' books, "Zen Shorts" by Jon J. Muth, includes a classic Zen story about “carrying” things with you. When you “put things down”, you free yourself to be more. I find this so applicable to our collective situation whether it is at the local or global level.

In thinking about progress that is sustainable and prosperous (“rich” but not necessarily in a fiscal way), there are many platforms in which to build upon. After much rumination, I have arrived at three that I believe create a synergy that allows for both short- and long-term sustainable progress and prosperity: Economy, Environment, and Education.

Alone, they are each important. Together, they create an almost symbiotic über-sustainability machine capable of churning out win-wins at every turn (and every generation). Not that the folks elected into local offices have asked for help (from me, at least), here are a few ideas under each of those buckets that I think could allow Sakonnet to BE more. (Caveat: I claim no intimate knowledge of the details of town workings, but for me, an outside perspective is always fresh and useful.)

ECONOMY
For existing businesses:

• Facilitate the creation of a business alliance organization that allows small businesses to join forces for the purpose of “buying in bulk” whether it is for raw materials, supplies, services, or insurance
• Review and modify where applicable local law and regulations that inhibit a successful small business environment
• Review contracts and agreements for quid-pro-quo opportunities resulting in net gains for everyone
  

For new businesses:

• Seek innovative ways of incubating new businesses such as creating a local forum for idea and innovation sharing
• Partner with non-traditional entities (academic, professional trade groups, etc) to explore opportunities to seed new business development
• Consider the creation of a farm incubation program allowing for hands-on training and education for a new generation of land stewards – and helping to bolster our local food security in the process
  

Create connections between local businesses and schools to enable both an employment chain and an opportunity to learn how business works

Explore the creation of a local currency or rewards program that creates incentives for supporting local businesses


ENVIRONMENT
Ensure the integrity of our natural environment for future generations through:

• Implementation new municipal planning and services strategy (commercial and residential) that creates a sustainable suburbia model
• Top-down review of town operations for opportunities related to sustainable operations that result in long-term fiscal wins
• Create new curricula at all our schools that inspires future generations of inquiry, critical thinking, and problem solving when it comes to the environment
  

Capitalize on our natural resources through:

• Exploration and implementation of renewable energy projects that benefit the community
• Enabling and expanding our local agricultural industry through low-cost access to land, farm/farmer incubation projects, and improved market development
  

EDUCATION
Make the Tiverton Public School System a model for the state through:

• Identifying opportunities to streamline operations and redirect funding to enhancing educational programs
• Ensuring adequate funding for curricula that will enable our students to excel in more connected, “flatter” world
• Building bridges with the broader community through enhanced public relations with a goal of sharing the positive “story” of our educational system
  

Enable life-long learning through:

• The establishment of a continuing education center (the old Ranger School perhaps?) where new skills, trades, and hobbies can be learned and enjoyed

Of course, there is so much more to be said about all of this. I’ll come back to these with time. But for now, I – and I hope others within the community – want to hear from our elected and appointed officials what the PLAN is. Something, anything. And that brings up one last point for now: Our local government needs to be more accessible, transparent, and communicative (beyond the minimum required by law). The vast majority of people in town have no idea what is going on. And therefore cannot be part of the process OR solution.

Better Than Budget Slashing?

As the town budget drama continues, here’s a bit of alternate universe for you:

Our financial woes are not unique. Municipal and state budgets are feeling the pinch across the country. But, unlike closer to home, some communities are taking a more proactive approach to smart fiscal policy. Some actions benefit the government entity, others help out employees, still, some knock two birds with one stone.

The State of Utah is the latest to entertain the four-day workweek in an attempt to cut back on operating expenses. Read about other communities here.

Determined not to let high energy prices take the wind out of the sails of running a town, some communities are actively investing in alternative energies. Rock Port, MO, has more than enough energy to power everything in town and then some. In our neck of the woods, the recent passing of the Municipal Renewable Energy fund (no endorsement implied by link) should have Tiverton and Little Compton vying to be first in line for significant project funding come January 2009.

And who says your police department needs to be tied to the gas pump? In case you missed this one, the Providence Police Department recently entered into a partnership with Middletown’s own Vectrix for four fully electric scooters (tough to call them scooters, they go 0-50 mph in 6.8 seconds). Granted this solution works better in urban areas, but for general patrolling, it would still work out in the country.

What does all this mean? Gone are the days of easy fixes when it comes to budgets. Savvy communities are getting creating when it comes to making ends meet. They doing away with knee-jerk reactions and embracing innovative, proactive solutions. There’s no reason we couldn’t be doing the same.

Speak Out for Renewable Energy & Take the Poll

For the last couple years, talk of Tiverton embracing renewable energy in earnest has waxed and waned; on again, off again, following the ebb and flow of public interest. As Portsmouth trucks ahead, we seem to be stuck in neutral. Even when the pros of pursuing a renewable energy project gain momentum, they seem to be quickly stopped in their tracks by the ever-present cons on cost and applicability.

Well, right now, there are two bills being debated at the Rhode Island State House that could change all of this making it easier for towns to leverage all that sunshine and wind.

In last Sunday’s Projo, an Op-Ed piece by Matt Auten of Environment Rhode Island, and Jim Seveney, Vice President of Portsmouth’s Town Council, nicely explained the legislation, as well as why it is imperative that they pass. One would change the laws surrounding 'net metering' – the ability to take energy produced in one location and apply it to another – and the other would move forward in creating a new municipal energy fund to help cities and towns offset the implementation costs. Passage of these bills would certainly sweeten the pot and remove some major obstacles for more municipalities – including Tiverton and Little Compton – to move from discussion to action.

Take a read through, then take a moment to reach out to our state legislators to voice your support for these bills:

• State Senator June N. Gibbs (info, email)
• State Representative John J. Loughlin II (info, email)


The renewable energy train is moving ahead and we’re at risk of not being a stop along the way. Consider some recent coverage about Coventry, Jamestown, and Portsmouth (again). The environmental and economic benefits of these projects cannot be disputed. We must move forward.

To that end, I'd like to introduce a new feature at Sustainable Sakonnet – the monthly poll. We're a couple days early for an April start, but what the heck. This month’s poll aims to gauge the community's support of renewable energy projects from the funding point of view. Please take a moment to share your views. We'll take the results to our elected officials to help further the discussion. Thanks.

Event Notice: Wind Power Workshop in Tiverton

Great news on the local sustainable energy front! At the December 10th Town Council meeting it was decided to hold a second dedicated workshop on wind power in Tiverton. Helping to drive the decision was the announcement of the new Sustainable Energy Group we have formed in town. Given this new group, I was contacted and asked to attend. But I need your help.

This is a great opportunity to come out and show your support for sustainable energy. There is good potential for wind power in Tiverton. We just need the town to make the commitment to take the next step and begin gathering all the relevant facts and information. Hopefully this session puts that good foot forward.

Tiverton Town Council Wind Power Workshop
Tuesday, January 22, 7:00PM
Tiverton Town Hall, Highland Road

Hope to see you there! Feel free to pass this on to friends and family. The meeting is open to the public.

Help Support Local Land Conservation Funding Efforts

I continue to be pleased with State Representative John J. Loughlin’s environmental efforts. In another show, he recently sent Governor Carcieri an open letter requesting additional bond funding in his next state budget submission to help support three land conservation programs. Unfortunately, the letter hasn’t caught much attention from the local media. That’s where alternative media like blogs can fill the void.

I asked Representative Loughlin to comment on local projects that have benefited from other open space bonds. He graciously reminded me of projects such as Town Pond in Portsmouth, Pocasset Ridge in Tiverton, and the recent Treaty Rock farm acquisition in Little Compton. Many of these projects also benefit from other sources of federal and private matching funds, but unless there is local funding on the table, there’s nothing to match.

Here’s the letter. You can contact the Governor’s Office to voice your support by calling 401.222.2080 or by email.

December 17, 2008

The Honorable Donald L. Carcieri
Governor
State Of Rhode Island
State House, Room 222
Providence, Rhode Island 02903

On Open Letter To Governor Carcieri

Dear Governor Carcieri:

As you and your staff finalize a very difficult state budget, I would like to respectfully request you include in your budget submission, provisions for a $15 million in bond funding (over the next two years) to be put before the voters in November of 2008. The purpose of the bond issue would be for three land conservation programs:

$5 million for the Local Open Space Grants Program;

$5 million for the RI Farmland Protection Program; and

$5 million for the DEM Land Acquisition Program.

Please consider that without new bond funding, these important state land conservation programs will come to a halt in 2008. Moveover, Rhode Island will lose matching federal and private funding for land conservation - as much as $3 for every state $1 will be lost. Also, state bond money is a catalyst and provides seed funding for all three programs.

Rhode Islanders recognize the importance of saving our farms, forests and open spaces for future generations. In 2000, and in 2004 Open Space Bond Referendums have consistently passed with more than 70% of the vote. As recently as November of 2007, Portsmouth overwhelmingly passed a local open space bond.

In Little Compton, the Agricultural Conservancy Trust, together with other groups recently were able to preserve for future generations 120 acres of rolling farmland known as Treaty Rock Farm.

In Tiverton, we remain committed to protecting our precious rural character through the Tiverton Land Trust.

Our farms and open spaces will disappear if we do not act now to ensure they are available for our children and grandchildren to cherish and enjoy. In closing, you have shown great leadership in the past toward protecting and defending our environment. It is with that background that I urge you to help Rhode Islanders preserve our rural character and please include the 15 million dollar bond in your budget request. In return, I can assure you that I will work diligently to help ensure passage in the Rhode Island House of Representatives.

Describe YOUR Sustainable Sakonnet

It’s a cold, blustery, sleet-filled morning. As I look out over the crusty white yard watching the trees sway aggressively back and forth I am finding myself pondering how to grow this effort called Sustainable Sakonnet. I have some ideas, but are they the RIGHT ideas? Will they meet the needs of a community prime with opportunity but short on delivery? Will they meet YOUR needs, the dedicated readers of this blog for whom I am grateful?

If the events of the past week at the United Nations climate conference in Bali have driven home, it’s that it is up to individuals and communities to take the lead in shaping a better future. We cannot wait for others to lead; it is up to us to take up that helm with gusto and determination.

So, what does YOUR Sustainable Sakonnet look and feel like?

What are the needs of our community when it comes to making it a model for sustainability?

If you had a pool of resources available to you to help you lead a more sustainable lifestyle, what would it look like? What activities/resources do you think could help raise awareness with our neighbors and help them take some proactive steps?

Here are a couple things that I’ve been thinking about:

• Developing a comprehensive website that could serve as one-stop-shopping for local information and resources related to all-things sustainable: local food, green building, renewable energy and energy conservation, recycling and waste reduction, green business, etc.

• Launching a dedicated committee (or even non-profit organization) to shepherd and partner with the town and its citizens in areas of environmental sustainability

• Producing a local sustainability video series that could air on Cox local access (and the web)

• Pitching a regular green issues column in some of our local papers

• Creating a speakers series to bring in local experts and organizations to help engage and educate us all

• Creating some kind of dedicated resource for local businesses to learn how to green their operations

• Developing an environmental education curricula to help teach our kids how they can be stewards in both our local and global communities

No idea is too small or too big. All it takes is a little bit of time, effort, and collaboration. You probably have great ideas that I haven’t even thought of. Thanks for chipping in. Together we can do this.

Sustainable Energy Group to Meet; Thoughts on ALLCO

In an earlier post, we talked about the fantastic kick-off meeting of a new community group focused on creating and driving a new sustainable energy agenda in town.

While we are still in the early formation stage, our second exploratory meeting will be taking place next Monday, December 10, from 7:00 – 8:00 PM at the Tiverton Community Center on Judson Street (off Main Road, past Holy Ghost Church). Our agenda will focus on reviewing the initial scope of the group that we formulated last time and talk about how best to align ourselves with the town for maximum impact. If you’re interested in being a part of this exploratory discussion please join us. Questions? Email me.

While we’re talking about sustainable energy, I can’t help but pass along a few thoughts on the recent news regarding the potential ALLCO project off Little Compton’s coast. I’ve hung back to observe initial reaction from the community and local papers. All-in-all, it’s been mixed.

I admit that I’m biased, but this matter requires a strong and thorough discourse by everyone involved. What makes the stakes even higher is that this project – possibly the first offshore wind farm in the U.S. -- could have the eyes of the nation on it (assuming that Cape Wind does not progress). We have an opportunity to create the model, not only for the rest of Rhode Island’s offshore projects, but nationally as well.

Admittedly, I understand both sides of the table. Cut our dependence on carbon-based fuels or disrupt wildlife? Dig deep to pay for ever-increasing oil prices or “jeopardize” the pristine view (and the real estate prices they command)? Compromise a new sustainable energy-based economic model at the expense of a well-established local sea-based one?

These are difficult questions with no easy answers. A logical place to start could be by benchmarking all the offshore European wind farms. They’ve been operational for some time. What have they learned? How have their lives and environment changed (if at all)? We need to hear directly from those who have gone before us. The lessons they have learned could shine some much-needed light on the discussion. Closer to home, there are well-informed individuals who could carry a big flashlight here. Let's get the right people at the table before we start a round-robin of misinformation.

ALLCO’s website describes its community-based approach to wind farm development. At the surface, this appears to offer some relief from immediate concerns of Mr. Big-Time Developer coming in and tearing up our neighborhood. Hearing from some of the Midwest ranchers they’ve worked with would also be enlightening.

At the end of the day though, we need to do something to change course. I’d hate to position it as picking the lesser of the two evils, because there’s nothing bad about any of this. But as citizens of Sakonnet (and the Earth for that matter), we need to decide on what kind of future we want to have. Think only in the short-term and we are bound miss out and wonder how future generations will think of us. Think long-term and we have a wonderful opportunity to help set a new course and find comfort knowing that future generations will look back with admiration at the courage we had to think and act progressively.

Sustainable Energy Takes the First Step

On Thursday night, I had the pleasure of meeting a new group of friends and neighbors. We gathered to discuss what we could do to help create, drive, and see the execution of a new sustainable energy agenda here in Tiverton. The atmosphere was charged (positively, of course) and the discussion progressive. As the hour sped by the possibilities for our little town became more apparent. From energy conservation efforts to wind power projects to enhancing the town’s master planning document. People smiled.

Three or four of us were confirmed. But when we totaled twelve at the start of the meeting, I knew we had that spark that connects like-minded people and binds them together for a common cause. “Where there is a will, there’s a way,” so the saying goes. I left the Community Center that night knowing we had both.

It’s going to take a month or two to get everything in order organizationally, but just you wait. In the coming weeks, we’ll have messages out to let everyone know where and when we’ll meet next and how they can bring a friend or three in the process. There will be lots of work, but with a team approach, we’ll get it done. We have to.

If you’re interested in getting on a distribution list for our next meeting, email me.

Help Bring Renewable Energy to Tiverton

Congratulations to our neighbors in Portsmouth for voting to fund the 1.5 megawatt wind turbine slated to be sited at their middle school (story). That is a huge nod to the importance of turning the tide when it comes to creating a new energy future for us.

It's our turn now. On Thursday, November 15, I will be joining with some other like-minded neighbors to sit down and explore the feasibility of creating our very own Renewable Energy Committee here in town. While wind is an obvious opportunity, we also believe other energy sources such as solar, tidal, biomass, etc. are worthy of exploration too.

The meeting will start at 7:00PM at the Tiverton Community Center on Judson Street (off Main Road, past Holy Ghost Church). This initial discussion will focus on whether we have the personal and professional resources to form a dedicated group and pursue an aggressive agenda. If you're interested in being a part of this exploratory discussion please join us. Questions? Email me.

Back Talk

OK, I need your help. Sakonnet needs your help. If you ever wanted to get that idea out there, your two cents that by-golly you just haven't had the soapbox to shout from, here's your opportunity.

Where is Sakonnet going when it comes to sustainability? How green is our community? Where should our elected leaders be focusing their efforts? How can you and I help transform our neighborhoods (and neighbors) into more conscious, more action-oriented places of sustainability? What is the most important environmental issue for you?

We need a community agenda. We need to rally our community behind it. We need to see our collective vision into reality.

If you are one of those people who so graciously stop by from time to time to check this blog out, do us all a favor and chime in. Say your peace. Throw something out there for our readers to react to.

You know what's on my mind. What's on yours?

Tiverton Talks Turbine

One small step for sustainability, one giant leap for…

Time will tell. But kudos to the Tiverton Town Council for kicking off what will only be months, if not years, worth of discussions on how we can harness (profitable) wind power here in town. About 30 people showed up for the workshop held last night to hear Professior Lefteris Pavlides of Roger Williams University give an educational and inspiration presentation entitled, "Wind Power Tiverton".

The Bottom Line: Wind power can be profitable and on equal cost footing with electricity produced in more traditional and carbon-laden ways. What you need is a location with ample (at least 7 meters per second) wind speed and a turbine size of at least 1.5 megawatts. Put that up and your making a profit from the first spin of the 12-ton blades. Even better – your electricity production costs will remain constant for at least 20 years.

Professor Pavlides shared insight from the recent wind power conference at URI where amongst other things, the Governor’s Office released the long-awaited wind power siting study (Note: This is a large file). This is the first step in achieving the Governor’s goal of getting 15% of the state power needs from renewable sources by 2012.

Some interested factoids shared during the Council Workshop presentation:
• The wind power siting study identifies locations both onshore and in coastal waters. If all the coastal water locations were developed, wind power would generate 75% of RI’s energy needs. If just the locations in waters between Little Compton and Middletown were developed, we would hit the statewide goal of 15%.
• Rhode Island exceeds the U.S. EPA’s ozone cap levels. To that end the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates that wind power would avert 2,028 asthma attacks in New England each year.
• A Harvard University study found that pollution from Brayton Point Power Plant costs the region $500M a year in unnecessary spending (medical, environmental, etc.)
• Installing and maintaining wind turbines across the state and region means hundreds of new, local jobs.

Of course, concern over initial funding came up. There is more than one way to skin this cat according to Professor Pavlides. Everything from grants to partnering with other RI communities to create economies of scale and "bulk" purchasing power.

Stay tuned, there’s more to come on this. Council President Durfee asked to reach out to other RI communities exploring wind power, as well as connecting with Portsmouth Abbey on lessons learned. For us here in town, the next step – above and beyond thinking about potential sites to conduct feasibility studies with – is to SHOW OUR SUPPORT. Take a moment to drop a note to Council President Louise Durfee or Town Administrator Glen Steckman III and tell them you support wind power in Tiverton.

I’m curious, what are your feelings on wind power in Tiverton or Little Compton? Leave a comment and let’s start a discussion.

Hitting the Ground Running

Well, I hope everyone’s Earth Day was enjoyable and green. So now what?

Roman calendar year aside, I think Sunday has ushered in a new time for us here in Sakonnet: the Year of the Earth. Momentum is gaining both locally and globally. Things will start to happen this year; things that will see our community begin its transformation into one that’s more sustainable, prosperous, and inspiring.

We’re going to take this one week at a time, one positive action at a time. It’s the sum of all our individual efforts that will add up to make the difference we all wish to see. Again, I’m inspired by Ghandi’s words, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

Let’s hit the ground running. Here are some things we can all do in the coming week to start off on the right foot:

• Change a Light Bulb (or three). We’ve heard the facts. So what are you waiting for? This simple action benefits your wallet and the earth. Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) use a quarter of the energy than traditional light bulbs and last up to ten times as long. And with retailers like Wal-Mart and Home Depot making it easier than ever to purchase them, the time is right see your own bright idea come to light. (NOTE: This is not an endorsement for Wal-mart in the least; I still think they have nearly single-handedly wiped out a generation of mom & pop stores. I welcome the small overture to green their image though.)

• Switch to Renewable Energy. You can choose where your power comes from. With New England Green Start(TM) from People’s Power & Light, you can help support clean, renewable energy in Rhode Island, while making a difference in your own home. Why support coal, when you can support green?

• Learn About Global Warming. Come see a FREE showing of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” on Thursday, April 26, 7:00, at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Tiverton. Brown University’s Professor Steven Hamburg will lead a Q&A session afterward. Free raffle for a cool sustainability door prize. Event notice.

• Support Wind Power in Tiverton. Come to the Town Workshop on Monday, April 30, at 7:00 at Town Hall (Highland Avenue) and lend your voice to the discussion. The Town Council will discuss possible wind turbine projects in town. This is where the rubber meets the road. Be there and show your support.

• Sign Up for a CSA. Eat healthy and support local food all in one bite. Local farmers are our lifeline to the land. Read the post.

Here’s to the Year of the Earth. As always, your comments, suggestions, stories, and ideas are always welcome. Dialogs are always better than monologues.

Earth Day Week: Beyond One Day a Year

Earth Day is this Sunday, April 22. It comes every year. In fact, this is the 37th year that an official holiday will be celebrated across our planet. Over the last few years, we’ve seen “green” collide with “mainstream” as tree-hugger-like awareness has given way to an almost hip coolness about doing good for our Earth. While that’s good, there is still an air of shallowness to it all. It is not engrained in our everyday; not a modus operandi, but rather a trend du jour for many of our populous.

Award-winning New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman, hits the nail on the head (yet again) on this subject with his article from Sunday’s NY Times Magazine article, "The Power of Green". (Full disclosure, I’m a big Thomas Friedman fan.) In a nutshell, Friedman – who is also using this article, I imagine, as a precursor to his Discovery Channel series -- argues that while green has gone "Main Street", the USA still has a way to go if we’re to meet the challenge of global warming. Yet, this challenge is a huge opportunity for our country to once again prove its leadership in the global marketplace and community.

So what does all this mean for our Sakonnet Community? How are we to demonstrate our local leadership to become, as Friedman puts it, "The Greenest Generation"?

We all have a roll to play. As a community we are the sum of its parts – that is each and every citizen, business, and institution. We have an obligation to leave future generations with something better.

Let’s inspire one another. Let’s help each other figure out how to do ONE thing differently that will help our ourselves, our families, and our communities live more sustainably. But let it not start and stop with Earth Day. Let it be something that becomes part of our daily routine, something that IS engrained within us.

What are you doing this Earth Day? What do you want to share with your neighbors? What do you want to pass on to your kids?

If you had to make one change this year to live more sustainably, what would it be? Replace a few incandescent light bulbs with CFLs? Plant a garden or participate in a CSA? Sign up with a renewable energy source program? Buy carbon credits? Commit to supporting local businesses? Ride your bike to the local store?

Post a comment. Send me an email and I’ll get the stories out.

I’d like to put the challenge out there of creating a new local community event for Earth Day 2008. Something to bring our communities together, learn, and walk away with a new inspiration for being part of the solution. Does anyone want to join the cause?

Turbine Trifecta Part 2: Tiverton Ups the Ante

Clearly, I need to be tuning into the Cable Access replays of the Tiverton Town Council meetings if I’m to be up on all the sustainability discussions in town…

But regardless, it is extremely pleasing to read that Tiverton is talking the turbine talk. Last week’s Sakonnet Times gives the details around the Council’s recent discussion to put a workshop on the books to explore the possibilities of renewable wind energy projects in town.

As the article explains, Bob Chew, founder and president of Ocean State Wind and Solar Wrights in Bristol shared his optimistic opinion for the potential of wind power in Tiverton, commenting that based on energy usage data provided to him, Tiverton could move it’s schools and municipal buildings significantly towards being off-grid, while generating some income for the town in the form of renewable energy credits (RECs).

These are things we’ve talked about here at Sustainable Sakonnet. An anonymous commenter even suggested the high school as a potential location. To quote just one figure from Mr. Chew -- if the Town can get past the initial sticker shock and think long-term, our school system has the potential to be saving around $126,000 a year in energy costs.

So, it’s imperative that we get as many people as possible to the upcoming town workshop to lend a voice to the discussion and lobby for this bold move. Details:

Town Workshop
Monday, April 30, 2007, 7:00PM
Tiverton Town Hall, Highland Road

Talking the talk will be nothing but hot air blowing in a breeze not captured by a wind turbine if we can’t push this agenda forward. Walk the walk on over to the Town Hall on April 30 and show your support.