Welcome to the Spokane Sustainability forum for all folks interested in creating a dialogue for sustainability issues facing our city, county, and region. Wikipedia defines sustainability thus:
"Sustainability is a characteristic of a process or state that can be maintained at a certain level indefinitely. The term, in its environmental usage, refers to the potential longevity of vital human ecological support systems, such as the planet's climatic system, systems of agriculture, industry, forestry, fisheries, and the systems on which they depend. In recent years, public discourse has led to a use of "sustainability" in reference to how long human ecological systems can be expected to be usefully productive. In the past, complex human societies have died out, sometimes as a result of their own growth-associated impacts on ecological support systems. The implication is that modern industrial society, which continues to grow in scale and complexity, will also collapse."
Uh oh. This sounds kind of scary. Why does it affect
A little history first.
White Americans conquered the West by rifle, and then by the plow, saw, drill, and bulldozer. They built railroads. They built highways. They mined. They built cities and towns. They dammed wild rivers, channelized and buried urban creeks. They sprayed chemicals and built roads nearly everywhere. Progress was king, and the resources seemed endless. But it wasn't sustainable.
By 1970, this unsustainable lifestyle took a great toll on the environment. Air, water, and soil pollution literally killed Lake Erie, poisoned residents on the
The government responded. The Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and Clean Air Act were put in place. And we created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The movement towards cleaner industry, towards a less toxic environment got underway. A long rage plan to reduce oil and gas consumption through clean energy solar, wind, tidal, and other green technology developed. Efficient appliances replaced the old inefficient durables. Air and water slowly improved in part because of smokestack industry regulation and unleaded fuel. Things were looking up.
In 1974, the first World Environmental Expo took place in what would become
The mandate to develop clean, efficient, high mileage vehicles ended, the oil and auto industries were deregulated, and we subsidized offshore drilling, oil shale exploration, and massive oil fields in the
Consumption and profits trumped sustainability. The promising technology of reducing emissions and getting tremendous power from modern multi-valve engines was used to move extremely heavy vehicles, rather than making very small, but peppy fuel efficient engines you find in small Japanese cars today. And people bought SUV's, pickups, and powerful fast cars. EPA fuel efficiency regulations conveniently excluded SUV's and pickups from the mandated 30mpg by 1990. SUVs and pickups took over the congested roads and streets like a fleet of armored tanks with airbags and four wheel drive. Light, small cars became more dangerous and SUV’s dominated the highways.
The result clogs our streets with huge vehicles that average 12 to 18 mpg. Semi trucks replaced rail freight as "rolling inventory" as they fill the big box stores and our streets.
Airlines added flight after cheaper flight. Even poor people could afford to fly and did.
Cheap and plentiful goods from
And then along came 911, an endless and ridiculously expensive war, an "Inconvenient Truth", and the mortgage loan credit crash. The third human air pollutant, after chlorinated fluorocarbons (CFC refridgerant) and ozone were identified and steps taken to mitigate - carbon dioxide began to be taken seriously – global warming began to permeate the American psyche.
The sustainability movement grew from a perceived "left wing" fringe into a mainstream stampede towards sanity. It didn't hurt that gas jumped from $1.89 a gallon in 2001 to almost $4.00. Oil company insiders predict gas prices will top $5 by Labor Day, 2008, and exceed $7 per gallon a year from now! If you drive a rig that gets 18 mpg, that has a 30 gallon tank...that's $210 per fillup. One of those huge pickups that gets 12 mpg with a 35 gallon tank...that's $245 for a fillup. You will be spending 77 cents a mile!
Peak Oil seems to have arrived. The worldwide demand for oil is about to exceed the supply - even according to the International Energy Agency, who denied this a year ago. Now how does that STA bus and light rail project look?
Mayor Mary Verner has stepped up to bring sustainable change to the
When Susanne Croft was tapped to lead the program, folks exchanged high fives in the corridors of the
Hooray for a Green Spokane! Whether this makes you mad or glad, feel free to opine and comment! This is what democracy, free speech, and citizen action is all about.
5 comments:
Go Spokane!
I have children in other parts of the state of Washington and they have the opportunity to recycle so many more items than do we. For example: office paper, all "triangle" plastic including our limited choices and magazines.
Why can't we be more "green" and do the same?
A question and a comment:
Why won't the recycling trucks take colored plastic (such as orange juice bottles) They say there's no market for it...why not?!
When in Ithaca, NY several years back I was impressed by the waste collection system they had. People bought garbage "stamps" and paid for the garbage cans with a stamp whenever it was full. The genius behind this is that when people have to pay each time, they will try to fill it up less often. The way we have it set up in Spokane now, the psychology is that if you're going to pay for it either way, you might as well fill it up. I think this "stamp" method would greatly reduce the waste in the community over time, as attitudes change.
Climate change? I haven't noticed the climate change in Spokane. Working for a better environment is a good idea for everyone, but what I want from the mayor of this city and the city government is to do what cities do - like Boise - make a big plan to fix the streets. It amazes me that this isn't number one on our city's agenda. The first impression of our city by visitors are our streets and it isn't a pretty site. Pothole? The street department can't even do that correctly in comparison with the county and you want to make it all green? The problem with the environmental movement is that it carries a lot of political baggage of more government control, more socialism. Fix the street first and then I'll help paint everything green. lol
Cultivating discerning minds for caring hearts.
I have been reading and learning ...and it seems the more you want to know, the more material turns up so that you can learn more. Most of what I know or can talk about is from things I've recently read regarding "Going Green" and Sustainable Properties or Building GREEN, etc.
So please note: much of what I am writing in this blog is from other sources. I am not the source...just the source of the source. As a matter of fact; The title of my blog was from something I was reading and thought to myself, "gosh Grace, that seems to apply to the upcoming teaching that I"m going to be doing for the National Association of Realtors GREEN
Sustainable Property Designation." Cultivating Discerning Minds for Caring Hearts.
Sustainability ~REST on the principle~ that we must meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Therefore, Stewardship of both natural and human resources is of prime importance.
Despite the diversity in people and perspectives, the following themes commonly weave through definitions of sustainability.
We are all sharing in this vision and contributing to it.
"Honey, I shrank my ecological footprint."
**I laughed when I read this the other day...it's wonderful, light and fun**
To put this into perspective as to just how large of a building footprint the housing industry has in just the United States...In 2005 an American Housing Survey by the US Census Bureau shows that there are more than 124.3 million homes in the housing stockpile with a median age of 32 years. 1/3rd of that housing stockpile was built in 1960 or earlier. 10% built in the 1960's, 20% built in the 1970's, 13% built in the 1980's, 13% in the 1990's and 8% in the years of the 21st century.
With such a heavy PAST Footprint...we surely need to improve our future footprints.
I am learning; a Systems perspective is essential to understanding sustainability. The System is envisioned in its broadest sense. It starts from the origination of the ripple and moves out. (the individual, to the local ecosystem, the communities within that ecosystem affected by those activities both locally and then globally.) An emphasis on the system allows a larger and thorough view of the consequences of our practices on both human communities and the environment. A systems approach gives us the tools to explore the interconnections between us and our world. A systems approach also implies interdisciplinary efforts in research and education. This requires input and engagement. Active Participation. Making the transition to sustainable is a process. It will require small realistic steps. Economics and personal goals will influence how fast and how far participants will go in the transition.
It is important to realize that each small decision can make a difference and contribute to advancing the entire system to the sustainable continuum.
We are the sum of its parts
The key to moving forward is the will to take the next step.
Finally, it is important to point out that reaching toward the goal of sustainability is the responsibility of all. Each of us will have our own part to play, our own unique contribution to strengthen the sustainable world. Reduce reliance on non-renewable with a substitution for renewable sources. **replace what you use**
Choices that reflect individual goals and lifestyles to promote sustainability.
Nourish the environment, the community and the individual.
more to come as the journey continues......
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