CitiesGoGreen - October 2008 - (Page 3) From the Editor the sustainability magazine for local governments October, 2008 Issue 3 Daimon Sweeney Publisher & Editor Daimon@CitiesGoGreen.com Judith Sult Publisher & Marketing Director Judith@CitiesGoGreen.com Stephanie Hopkinson Creative Director Stephanie@CitiesGoGreen.com Anna Koeppler Production Assistant Anna@CitiesGoGreen.com Page Buono Editorial Assistant Page@CitiesGoGreen.com Sam McNeil Associate, Website Editor Sam@CitiesGoGreen.com Elizabeth Johnson Circulation Coordinator Elizabeth@CitiesGoGreen.com Letters to the Editor Editor@CitiesGoGreen.com Subscriptions (866) 686-8101 or www.CitiesGoGreen.com Digital subscriptions are free to those with a government email address. Print subscriptions are $72 for 12 issues per year CitiesGoGreen is published by Verde Publishing, Inc. 1155 North State St., Ste 510 Bellingham, WA 98225 We can be reached at (360) 306-8101 or (866) 686-8101 © 2008 by Verde Publishing, Inc. Cover photograph: Fayetteville, AR, in autumn. Photo courtesy City of Fayetteville Shifting to Sustainability: What Does It Take? I n the combination of energy savings, green jobs, stronger local economies, healthier people and perhaps saving the planet, what’s not to like? “Going green” is emerging as the smartest direction for municipalities from just about any perspective. The great questions are, when will we shift from the wasteful, expensive, environment- and climate-damaging ways of the past to efficient, healthier ways, and how much damage we will do to ourselves and the planet in the meantime. While the science becomes increasingly clear and the situation increasingly urgent, most local governments have not yet put sustainability at the center of their decision-making processes. This shift to sustainability as the lens through which we make decisions is what we need most as a world. To be truly effective this change has to happen at every level of government. It can start anywhere, and given national inaction, it seems to be up to local governments to pick up the ball and run. Their accumulated efforts can create the leverage needed to change the larger system and the specific changes they can make are essential in any case, so there is no loss to getting started sooner than later, and much gain to be had. In your organization, how open is the leadership to making this change? If they (or maybe it’s you) are unclear about whether, when or how to start making changes, what might make the difference? Is the holdup about money issues? Is it ideology? How hard it is to buck the status quo? Not knowing where to start? Feeling overwhelmed? Tell us what the obstacle is. Maybe we can help. Or if they (or you) are taking positive action, let us know about it. We’ll publish your action on CitiesGoGreen.com and others can learn from you. Email WhatWorks@CitiesGoGreen.com with your insights or your story, large or small. We’d love to hear from you. a In this issue we profile Fayetteville, Arkansas, which is making sustainability increasingly central and saving a lot of money. Amy Buckler shows us a simple, effective way to reach well-considered decisions on sustainability issues using a single sheet of paper. We continue our series on highly efficient building methods and materials with an example from Ada County, Idaho, and John Lombard explains how to use the marketplace to stop subsidizing destructive practices, reduce taxes and benefit the environment, all at once. In general we need to learn how to make more nuanced decisions, and Mayor Jensen of Ferndale, Washington gives us an example in the way he and his planning staff shattered the oxymoron of thoughtful big box retail development, while supporting community values. Technological, scientific, social and policy changes are coming faster and faster. Your choices are multiplying, as Colin Grant points out in this issue. New technologies are on the way, from breakthrough concepts in electric cars to cellulosic ethanol to fuel-producing algae, as well as advances in building and community design to lower fuel use and increase efficiency. Kites may generate megawatts for less cost than coal. New geothermal approaches are being developed. Financing breakthroughs are eliminating the upfront costs for home solar electric and hot water. The “smart grid” is under study. Renewable energy investments are growing dramatically worldwide. Solar and wind installations are multiplying in number and size. Prices for solar cells are predicted to drop significantly next year due to increased production, and new discoveries in the field appear weekly. To keep up, building codes are evolving. We’ll be talking about all these and more in this and future issues. Changing to a sustainable way of living is a big transition. We hope you’ll invite us along for the ride. If you’re not a subscriber, get your subscription to the digital edition (free if you have a government email address) at CitiesGoGreen.com, or just click here if you’re reading the tree free digital edition. If you know someone who would appreciate what we’re doing, let them know. Warmly, Daimon Sweeney 3 October 2008 http://citiesgogreen.com http://www.CitiesGoGreen.com http://www.CitiesGoGreen.com http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/aug/03/renewableenergy.energy http://www.rmi.org/sitepages/pid520.php http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/2008/08/22/new-rays-of-hope-for-solar-power%E2%80%99s-future/ http://www.CitiesGoGreen.com http://citiesgogreen.com/subscriptions http://citiesgogreen.com
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