Archive for January 7, 2009
Model Principles for Sustainable Communities
Source: Ontario Round Table on Environment and Economy
A sustainable community is one which:
- Recognizes that growth occurs within some limits and is ultimately limited by the carrying capacity of the environment
- Values cultural diversity
- Has respect for other life forms and supports biodiversity
- Has shared values amongst the members of the community (promoted through sustainability education)
- Employs ecological decision-making (e.g., integration of environmental criteria into all municipal government, business and personal decision-making processes)
- Makes decisions and plans in a balanced, open and flexible manner that includes the perspectives from the social, health, economic and environmental sectors of the community
- Makes best use of local efforts and resources (nurtures solutions at the local level)
- Uses renewable and reliable sources of energy
- Minimizes harm to the natural environment
- Fosters activities which use materials in continuous cycles.
And, as a result, a sustainable community: - Does not compromise the sustainability of other communities (a geographic perspective)
- Does not compromise the sustainability of future generations by its activities (a temporal perspective).
3rd ANNUAL DOWLING FOCUS GREEN SERIES
The lecture series will occur every Thursday evening at 6:00 PM through February 19 at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center (MACC). The series offers an opportunity for Maui residents and visitors to hear some of the most famous environmental leaders in the country.
The third Dowling Focus Green Series is scheduled to kick off on January 15, 2009 with Kevin Fletcher, executive director of Audubon International, a world-renowned environmental organization focusing on sustainable development and sustainable resource management. Audubon International recently awarded the Mākena Golf Course a certification in environmental planning through its Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses (ACSP).
MEET KEVIN FLETCHER IN KIHEI
Kevin has agreed to join with South Maui Sustainability for a luncheon ‘salon’ at Stella Blues from 11:30AM until 2PM on January 15th. He will speak about Audubon’s programs with an emphasis on Sustainable Communities Program and Signature Program (for new developments).All are welcome and there is no charge, but we hope to support Stella Blues with food and beverage purchases and then we can do this again. Please RSVP if possible just to get an idea how many might be there. Kevin will speak about “Tools for More Sustainable Communities: Planning, Building, and Managing Right” and there will be time for informal discussion.
January 22: World-renowned explorer and spell binding story-teller, Mark Plotkin. Plotkin is a Time magazine “Hero for the Planet,” and star of the Academy Award-nominated IMAX documentary, Amazon.
On January 29 the series will present Hunter Lovins, president of Natural Capitalism, Inc. and co-creator of the Natural Capitalism concept. Lovins has been at the cutting edge of environmental thinking for the past 30 years and helped grow the respected Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) into the source of some of the most innovative environmental policy ideas of recent decades.
On February 5, Jeff Corwin will speak. Corwin is the Emmy Award-winning creator, producer, and host of Animal Planet’s The Jeff Corwin Experience and Corwin’s Quest. He travels the world seeking exotic adventures to educate his viewers on conservation of endangered species and ecosystems—all in a humorous way. His Animal Planet shows reach over 13 million viewers in the United States, and are available in over 70 countries worldwide.
The speaker on February 12 will be Ray Anderson, president of Interface International & Sustainability. The story is now legend; the “spear in the chest” epiphany Anderson experienced when he first read Paul Hawken’s “The Ecology of Commerce.” Fourteen years and a sea change later, Interface, Inc., is nearly 50 percent to its target of “Mission Zero,” the journey no one would have imagined for petroleum-intensive industry of carpet manufacturing, which has been forever changed by his vision.
The final speaker on February 19 will be Alex Lee of Phoenix Motorcars, a leading developer of zero-emission electric vehicles, will be presenting the company’s vision for the introduction of EVs and EV infrastructure in Maui County. Their light-duty EV can drive over 100 miles on a single fast charge. Governor Lingle and Mayor Tavares have announced a cooperative agreement between Phoenix Motorcars and Maui Electric Co. to bring EVs into Maui beginning in 2009.
The lecture series is presented by Dowling Company Inc., a leading developer recognized throughout the state for green building practices. All lectures will be held at the Maui Arts and Cultural Center (MACC) at 6:00 p.m. The entry fee is $5.00 at the door; students with a valid ID are free of charge. Proceeds will be donated to the Hawaii Nature Center Maui.
CARPOOL TO THE FOCUS GREEN LECTURE SERIES
Starting on Thursday the 15th and for 5 Thursdays will be this year’s Focus Green Lecture Series put on by Dowling Co. at MACC. We think this is a great series and are encouraging our members, friends and supporters to join us in carpooling to the series, and we will be skipping our February South Maui Sustainability Community Meeting so we won’t compete with the lecture series. The schedule for the entire series is on our web site.
CARPOOL FROM KIHEI
If you’d like to join us for carpooling, we will meet starting at 5PM on successive Thursdays from January 15th and ending on February 19th. We will be gathering in the parking lot behind (mauka of) of Stella Blues and Bank of Hawaii at Azekas. We will start filling cars and getting people on their way as arrivals dictate. We hope the last car leaves no later than 5:30 for the 6PM start time of the lecture.
CARPOOL FROM OTHER LOCATIONS
If you need more information or want to organize a carpool from a part of the island other than South Maui, we can help you. Just send an email to rides@CarpoolMaui.com and we’ll connect you with others.
AFTER LECTURE DISCUSSIONS
After the lectures, we will be heading back to Stella Blues for an informal gathering of folks hosted by South Maui Sustainability. You are invited to join in discussing information from the lecture that evening or anything else of interest to the group.
White House Garden Project
Eat The View and The Who Farm are campaigns to urge the Obamas to replant a large organic Victory Garden on the First Lawn with the produce going to the White House kitchen and to local food pantries. Both sites are featured in the change.org Ideas For Change In America contest.
• White House Farmer Michael Pollen’s call for a White House Farmer and the results of a poll to choose one.
Here are links to their videos about the campaign.
• This Lawn is Your Lawn
• A Short History of America’s Garden
• Green the White House
