Thank You and Welcome

Well, it’s here. 2008. My goodness, I don’t know about you, but 2007 flew by. Thankfully, we’re all a bit older, wiser, and hip to what it means to lead a more sustainable lifestyle.

First and foremost, a hearty thank you to all of you who take a little time out of your day to read this blog and help it grow, offer feedback, and (hopefully) take some action as a result of its content. 2007 was a good year. My goal is to make 2008 a great one.

And thank you to the new friends I have met and been able to network with recently. There is a strong Rhode Island blogger contingency out there working hard to make our little state a better place. Be sure to stop by and say hello:

• Natural News Network. A great helping of news, events, and happenings from across the state. This is a robust jumping-off point for the local green scene. They even feature green job postings!

• The Providential Gardener. A wonderful site dedicated to all that which grows underfoot. From community farms to open spaces to home gardens, this resource is full of know-how for those with an appreciation and yearning for getting a bit more green out of your thumb.

So, now what for 2008?

One of the things I continue to try and have is that epiphany about is how to get MORE of our neighbors to have that what I like to call, “A-Ha Moment”. That moment where it clicks and doing one or two things to better Sakonnet and the planet make sense to them. At the end of the day, the reason folks end up treading more lightly is deeply personal. Maybe it’s reverence. Maybe it’s something more practical. We all have that reason that resonates best for us and helps tune our personal harmony with the world around us.

What I have observed though is that action (or reaction, or in-action for that matter) is very viral in nature. For whatever reason, we do what others do. Call it keeping up with the Jones’ or peer pressure or wanting to be viewed in the best light. We are a nation of Followers. That’s OK because we can use that to our advantage.

Here’s my challenge to you: Find one person in the next month to have the “green” conversation with. Make sure it’s a person you know well because you need to know the angle to take with them in order to help them have their A-Ha Moment. Do they respond best to facts? Or how about saving money? Or maybe even the heartstring tug of leaving a better place for future generations? Sustainable living is applicable no matter what makes your mo-jo flow.

If you need help, I’m here. Shoot me an email with a question or situation and I’ll do my best to answer it or find someone who can.

Here’s to a greener year ahead. Cheers!

Event Notice: Greening Your Congregation

Going green for God. The RI chapter of Interfaith Power & Light is hosting it's first annual "Greening Your Congregation" conference at Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick. Details:

January 10, 2008, 7 pm - 9:30 pm
Bishop Hendricken High School
2615 Warwick Ave, Warwick, RI

According to the organizers, this is the "first interfaith conference on developing a religious community response to Climate Change in Rhode Island." Clergy, lay leaders, parents, educators, business people and other interested individuals are invited to participate. Speaker and workshop details here.

New Osprey License Plate

Had to pass this opportunity along.

The Audubon Society of Rhode Island and Save the Bay have partnered with the state to create this new license plate to help support environmental education efforts. Not a bad price either. Half of the $40 plate fee goes directly to fund programs at both organizations.

Pre-orders are being taken now. Download the order form (which contains more information) here.

Wanted: A Transformed North End

[A belated Merry Christmas to everyone. Things have been busy, hence I've been behind on posts. Here's wishing you a happy, healthy New Year! -- bg]

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My brother lives in North Tiverton so I find myself driving through there almost on a weekly basis. I’m sorry, but it’s borderline depressing to see all those vacant buildings yearning for some economic and neighborly activity. What gives?

There’s one stretch in particular that I think could be attractive if given the right investment. Close to the Fall River border, just north of Interstate Insurance on Main Road lies a series of abandoned store fronts. Yes, it absolutely needs some rehab, but the possibilities are exciting if left to the inspired imagination.

There are plenty of examples to draw from: Broadway in Newport, downtown Bristol, Main Street in Warren, all of Wickford, the first two blocks of Westminster Avenue on the west side of Providence. The list could go on. These are places with small mom & pop shops; convenient, walk-able locations; destinations for towns people. Eclectic fare that helps give a community a sense of self and a flavor to be proud of.

When you get down to it, the north side of town could really transform itself into a nice little retail destination that goes beyond the current small-to-mid-size corporate box stores; something to draw out folks from other parts of town. All it would take is one or two new outfits to blaze the trail, create some buzz, and kick-start the momentum. Think of your potential customers: Folks from those high-end condos (that will remain nameless), a large student population, families that descend on the ball fields for either soccer or baseball throughout the year, church-goers, state-line crossers, residents at the eventual Bourne Mill complex, never-mind your everyday residents. The traffic is definitely there.

So what will it take to make all this happen? Better planning/zoning regulations, rehab investment for buildings and sidewalks, more business-friendly allies at Town Hall, a couple of people with good retail ideas and the gusto to give it a shot? What kind of stores do you think would do well? What retail needs could be met with a local business solution? Do we have the best resources to help with small business development in town?

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.

Book Review: "Reclaiming the Commons"

This is a retrospective review. I've read Brian Donahue's, “Reclaiming the Commons,” three or four times now and it continues to inspire and educate me. It’s one of those few books where I’ve made more notes in the margins than I can shake a stick at. Looks more like a used textbook at this point. But that’s the hook. Last week, it jumped out at me again from my bookshelf.

I picked it up in 2000 while still living in Providence, in-between stints in Tiverton. Looking back, I have to say that this could have been THE book that solidified my belief that turning this crazy world of ours around starts at home in your own community; that food and farming can be those conduits of change; and that I wanted to someday try to replicate this concept in some form.

The book recounts Donahue’s trials and tribulations of creating a vibrant, self-sustaining community farm and forestry business within the 2,000 acres of public land in Weston, MA. The farm, called Land’s Sake, evolved into a true community commons – that focal point of activity that brings together friends and neighbors, old and young alike, together to create a new bond with the land and themselves.

Weston, while slightly smaller than Tiverton in both land area and population, is similar in its geography and agrarian past. Both have classic New England farming heritages steeped in history, succumbing to the challenges of modern suburbia; citizens out of touch of where their food comes from and the value that a local food economy can bring; youth disenchanted with the wonders of an outdoor classroom and that thing called work ethic.

From market farming to animal husbandry to cut flowers; from community forestry to maple syrup production to apple cider pressing, Land’s Sake has taken the natural resources of Weston and transformed them into a successful community-based business model. What makes Land’s Sake a wonderful model for what a community farm could be is its fortitude in ensuring all of its various enterprises adhere to the four basic principles of the ecological, economical, educational, and esthetic.

They farm organically and practice sustainable forestry; their enterprises are self-sustaining and profitable; they include kids at all levels of the operation ensure a new generation of well-educated land and local food advocates; their work beautifies the land and welcomes the public to it as a respite from their hectic lives.

What I love the most about the Land’s Sake model is that they have forgone the potential for a more efficient operation for the opportunity to involve kids and integrate an environmental education component into their operation. From summer jobs to school-time fieldtrips, kids are working the land while expanding their minds. What a win-win.

Bottom line: As a resident of the Sakonnet area, you owe it to yourself to read this book. Then sit back and imagine reclaiming our own commons. Building that new focal point for our community that connects the past with the present while ensuring a sustainable future. We could do this. All we need is the land and the vision to make it a reality. It’s the total package: Land conservation, local economic and food security development, and inter-generational engagement.

(Note: Tiverton’s library doesn’t carry this book, but you can order it through the online Ocean State Libraries system.)

Have you read this book? Have you ever envisioned a new “commons” here in Sakonnet? Please take a moment to share your thoughts.