What IS Sustainable?
GREETINGS! And Happy Almost First Day of Spring!
This is the 5th installment of "The Sustainable Shopper's Ball!" newsletter.
Welcome aboard!
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
This Month we feature the following good stuff:
> 1. Feature Article: "What IS Sustainable?"
> 2. On the Web
> 3. Things Cultural
> 4. Our Town is so Cool!
> 5. Quote of the Month
> 6. Recycling Factoids
> 7. Local Resources
** Next Shopper’s Ball May 19th!
Please visit: www.sustain-a-ball.org for details
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Each Sustainable Shopper's Ball newsletter, we present a guest writer.
“What IS Sustainability, anyway?”
AWARENESS -- I've been thinking about this one a long time. And the answer seems to get simpler, more collective, and more big picture as more information comes in. First of all, let’s talk about today's 4 Big Picture Environmental Issues: global warming, resource depletion, toxicity, and waste management. Rather than explore the overwhelming data to support the idea that these things are rapidly destroying the ecosystem we all depend on, let’s turn to the living/breathing solutions that could very well move humanity, and the biodiversity we depend on, into a mutually sustainable relationship.
Big Picture Environmental Solutions, 2007
OPPORTUNITY -- The beauty of living in a world where all living beings are interconnected, is that one environmentally intelligent turn tends to benefit another organism, and so on and so on. By choosing 'correctly' for the sake of eliminating environmental impacts we can repair our damaged biosphere and begin the journey towards rebalancing human expectations with planetary limits. Let’s get to it!
-- written by Chris Searles, founder of the Sustainable Shopper's Ball & owner of "Good Common Sense.net" To read more on related topics please visit the Good Common Sense newsletter: http://www.goodcommonsense.net/newsletter.html
- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
On the Web
1) It’s Spring! Time to play in the yard
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has assembled this downloadable resource for a Green Guide to Lawn Care” - http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/comm_exec/forms_pubs/pubs/gi/gi-028.html
2) Thank You SOS
Watch underwater footage of Barton Springs, and other cool stuff -
http://www.sosalliance.org/underwater_video.shtml
3) Thank You News 8
Edwards Aquifer story - http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=178793
- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Things Cultural –
It’s Spring! time to get outside and do stuff…
March 14th, 21st, 28th
Free invigoration:
yoga yoga in the park (downtown)
http://www.yogayoga.com/events#YogainthePark
(republic square park)
March 24th
Free concert:
the austin civic wind ensemble
http://www.acwe.org/
(george washington carver museum)
March 24th-25th
“r.u.s.t.” - radical urban sustainability training
learn: bioremediation, rainwater harvesting, chickens & more
http://rhizomecollective.org/rust.html
(rhizome collective)
March 29th
Legendary 10-piece jazz band visits Austin
40th anniversary tour, 2-day fest
ICP jazz orchestra (amsterdam)
http://www.creop.org/news.html
(george washington carver museum)
March 30th
See "snow white,” & “romeo and juliet"
performed by austin conservatory ballet
http://www.austin-conservatory-arts.com/
(dougherty arts center)
Mrch 31st
visit the gardens
zilker garden festival
http://www.zilkergarden.org/
(zilker botanical gardens)
- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Our Town is SO Cool!
1) Mayor Wynn Does It Again
On Feb 7, Mayor Will Wynn announced what is currently the world's best climate protection plan, read the mayor’s statement: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/mw_acpp_release.htm
read sos’s statement:
http://www.sosalliance.org/Public/BBCopy.cfm?IID=282
2) It’s Spring! Time to Eat
Austin is home to 4 weekly Farmers Markets and numerous farm stands. View a complete listing of what’s out there, including Chefs, Crops, Farm Stands, and CSAs:
http://www.austinfarmersmarket.org/food.php#markets
3) Rocking Out
Our friends at the Central Texas Mountaineers recently caught our attention when they screened “An Inconvenient Truth.” - Learn more about the mountaineers here: http://www.ctmrocks.com/
4) University of Texas Campus Environmental Center
Check out the UT CEC’s beautiful website and learn more about their initiatives:
www.utenvironment.org/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=section&id=15&Itemid=42
5) UT Austin's Architectural Department
Recently won first place in the British Petroleum Solar design contest:
http://www.utexas.edu/opa/email.php?path=http://www.utexas.edu/opa/news/2006/11/architecture02.html
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Quote of the Month
“Sustainability boils down to this: Don't eat your seed corn!”
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Recycling Factoids
Did you know?
> Recycling a single aluminum can saves enough energy to run a television set for three hours or a 100 watt bulb for 20 hours.
> It takes the same amount of energy to make 1 “new” aluminum can, as it does 20 “recycled” aluminum cans.
> Because of these energy savings, cans made from recycled aluminum cut air pollution emissions by approximately 95% as compared to cans made from virgin materials.
Recycling Saves Energy and eliminates emissions!
(Source: The Passaic County Office of Natural Resources)
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Local Resources
REBATES!
Our wonderful, city-owned, community-led utilities provide Austinites with hundreds of ways to lessen their environmental impacts … at a discount …
Learn all about the things you can do to save energy, save water, minimalize waste – and become more sustainable, here:
> residential rebates
– including weatherization, air conditioning, solar power, solar hot water heating, and more: http://www.austinenergy.com/Energy%20Efficiency/Programs/Rebates/Residential/index.htm
> residential loans
– for weatherization, weatherization, and solar power systems:
http://www.austinenergy.com/Energy%20Efficiency/Programs/Loans/Residential/index.htm
> residential waterwise rebates
– lower left hand margin, for toilets, clothes washers, rainwater, irrigation, landscaping, and more:
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/watercon/#
> get a free thermostat
http://www.austinenergy.com/Energy%20Efficiency/Programs/Power%20Partner/index.htm
> business entity energy rebates
- including solar energy systems, solar hot water, lighting, HVAC, and much more:
http://www.austinenergy.com/Energy%20Efficiency/Programs/Rebates/Commercial/Commercial%20Energy/index.htm
> business entity water rebates
– lower left hand margin, for commercial equipment, restaurants, toilets, clothes washers, irrigation and more: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/watercon/#
MORE SUSTAIN-A-NEWS NEXT MONTH!
Thanks for reading!
Shopper’s Ball VI, May 19th!
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
the "sustain-a-news" is intended to promote and
empower sustainable lifestyle choices in the Austin,
Tx. area. thanks for reading - contact us anytime -
and have a great month! visit http://www.sustain-a-ball.org/ for new information, soon. call us anytime with questions or to volunteer: (512) 535-4804.