The lights officially flipped on for Dunwoody as a city this morning at the stroke of midnight. The creation of the City of Dunwoody is an idea whose time has finally come. But were those lights compact fluorescent bulbs? Was the paper on which policies were written recycled? Did trash from the midnight media extravaganza go in a blue bin?
Don't know. In fact, I could hazard to guess the answers to those questions would be no, no, no. And perhaps, you might argue that those things are so minor compared to what was achieved in these past few months by this working-around-the-clock council. I'd like to suggest, however, that these environmentally-sound symbols of a sustainability commitment would send an important message to the citizens and businesses in our new city--that decisions that represent triple-bottom-line responsibility (balancing people, planet, and profits) will be made every step of the way, every day, and that we are committed to building a city that will be strong and secure not just today but in the future.
So, yes, perhaps light bulbs matter. However small and insignificant they seem.
I do want to commend the council, however, for engaging in numerous conversations about sustainability and expressing great interest in various aspects of its application to life in our city. Many citizens passionate about these issues have stepped forward and are finding ways to combine their energies to make a measurable difference.
Businesses all over the country and world (including right here in Dunwoody) as well as municipalities are increasingly making sustainability commitments that help them reduce costs and reduce their carbon footprint while creating more vibrant, locally-strong communities. In fact, here are the sustainability statements of two of the vendors that have been hired by the City of Dunwoody:
Boyken International
Clark Patterson Lee
It is my hope that the City of Dunwoody will take advantage of the sustainability expertise of the companies it hires, and seek advice from various expert resources available for free consultation (such as the Atlanta Regional Commission, and yes, I know John Henghan is taking the ARC Sustainable Communities workshop next week).
I look forward to keeping you updated on progress made right here in our brand new City of Dunwoody. Perhaps starting with a light bulb . . .
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5 comments:
I know CF is all the rage and I have used them for decades but I have yet to find a source of reliable CF lights. On average I doubt I've had CFLs last more than 2 years, not the 10-13 times the incandescent life often claimed. Then there is the disposal problem...
That said I'm looking forward to trying the new Air Purifying CFLs.
Many years ago, NYC cleaned up its crime problem by focusing first on somthing as seemingly small and irrelevant to the problem as graffiti.
Turns out that graffiti eradication was the fuse that needed to be lit first before anything else could be fixed. And the city achieved its goal in a big and dramatic way.
So yes, light bulbs matter, recycling matters - in fact, every little step in the right direction matters enormously!
So go Dunwoody! Become a beautiful example for everyone in this country who is watching and saying it can't be done!
TOD: Would you be willing to serve on a sustainability committee, if the city where to form one? You seem to be very well informed and I think your energy would be a positive addition to forward prrogress!
Judy: Great point. I also would like to add that sometimes taking the little steps makes the bigger steps feel less daunting. The challenge is to not be paralyzed by the little steps.
And I quote:
"I have no intention or interest in trying to talk people into things like organics or sustainability or healthy school lunches or any other cause. I don't, and won't, serve on committees facing uphill battles."
And I couldn't agree more.
People engage in non-mainstream causes like earth ships, renewable energy and sustainability for deeply personal reasons, often as a matter of character or eccentricity.
Very few folks will have an epiphany because they see how "walking this walk" affects someone else and even fewer will engage simply because they're told to or 'sold to' as most of these causes require sacrifice. And it simply isn't right to impose this by government fiat simply because of an influential group's conviction. Were that to happen, folks in Dunwoody would pay no more attention than they do to the watering ban.
These are grass-roots causes that have significantly less chance of gaining traction in Dunwoody than say in Athens, or Asheville, possibly even Decatur. I believe it is humanly possible to create a sustainable community, just not with the humans we have available.
Regardless, I applaud your efforts and will continue to read your blog and do what I can in my little corner of the planet.
Now, where did I put that blue bird house...
TOD: :(
But let me know if you want tatsoi seedlings! I have hundreds.
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