Lincoln, NE: sharing what "green" we have to attract what we lack.
As for Me and Mine, We Will Speak of Haiti in Our Kivas.
Regardless of political beliefs, it seems that everyone can agree that the images of Haiti this month remind us of all we have here in America. With other catastrophes fresh in our minds this past decade (Hurricane Katrina, the Sumatra Tsunami, the Chinese Earthquakes), we have all wondered how we would react in a world without power, water, food, shelter. These basic necessities have vanished in moments for a variety of civilizations, right before our eyes—ALL of us have imagined how we would keep our families healthy beyond mere survival. These concepts make up what we refer to recently as “sustainability.” How can we sustain our way of life in the face of disaster?
And although we shake our heads and sometimes have to turn off the televisions to move on, we know that these disasters are happening in a myriad of regions, and some right here within our borders. Our political reactions to these situations have taken such a polarizing toll in our social lives that it sometimes seems like our disagreements will never end. But in conversations across the aisle in American politics, both sides agree that volunteerism and family preparedness are absolutely vital to the success of any emergency plan.
And considering I received two disturbing but important emails from local Nebraska experts on the subject of sustainability this month, the urgency of preserving our environment also plays an important part of my emergency plan.
Cecil Steward sent out an email announcing a new blog post. Cecil Steward, an architect by trade, heads the Joselyn Institute for Sustainable Communities—a 501(3)c non-profit organization that has a varied range of initiatives for creating and leading a sustainable way of life in Nebraska, including Lincoln Green By Design. Cecil publishes his blog entries as a green column in the Lincoln Journal Star’s Neighborhood Extra, and this week’s post sends an alarming chill throughout the design community. Read “Humans Must Learn to Engineer Repairs to the Planet” on Lincoln Green By Design.
If you are a long-time resident of Lincoln, perhaps you have met a fellow named “Buffalo Bruce.” Bruce admits that “Buffalo” has become a moniker of the activist part of himself. His scientific research is published under his given name, Bruce McIntosh, and he is an ecologist with the Western Nebraska Resources Council. One of his most recent efforts to publicize his research on Nebraska Aspens successfully made the Omaha World Herald this past August. Read “Nebraska’s Aspens in Peril.”
At the beginning of the year, I got an email from the activist, Buffalo Bruce. And although activism is often portrayed as reactionary, the fact that Buffalo Bruce is reacting to the scientific research of Bruce McIntosh flavors his calls to action with a haunting reality. The subject line in Buffalo Bruce’s email was “Wildlife as Climate Refugees.” The body of the email contained the content of this article, http://www.ciw.edu/news/climate_change_puts_ecosystems_run.
To be honest, I wondered if he was passing it on as a forward to a list of experts, and thought he must have just attached me to post to the Green Scene. But when I looked at the sent information, my email was the only one on the list.
I got REALLY nervous. I am, after all, an enthusiast. Ready to help when someone asks, but NOT an expert. And at first, I doubt my ability to contribute. I mean, engineering is far from my skill set, Cecil. And Bruce—come on. I’m a blogger.
But the nerves don’t last long. After all, the flow of information is working! Here we are, a collection of concerned citizens looking to help. And it turns out that the experts in our region have FOUND us, and they are leading. And they are not the kind to go sounding the alert, here in Nebraska, without knowing they will meet resistance, disbelief, and maybe slander.
So what do we do?
There are varying opinions about how to plan for survival for a reason. Diversity of thought is essential to thriving civilizations, just as diversity of organisms is essential to all life adapting to climate change. Some believe that a sustainable future might mean returning to an electricity-free place in time and re-introducing similar home-heating and cooling technologies and craftsmanship. Some believe in a philosophy of “Appropriate Technologies,” collecting studies from permaculture and community planning in third world countries to apply to disaster situations. Some believe that learning to cook with solar ovens once a month can make them feel more empowered to provide food in tough times. Some builders are changing their materials to locally available living materials. Whatever your flavor of adaptability, your community can use your contributions.
It’s a new year and a new decade. Knowing the time is now, 2010 simply marks that it’s time to learn. It’s time to get share our books with each other. What books do you have in your personal library that have helped yo...?
If you believe we should learn rudimentary survival skills, please share books and ideas with us. If you believe that today’s technology can be designed to save the environment, please tell us why. Review products you have installed in your homes. Make your own emergency plans. Tell us if you have found databases. Go to Lincoln Green By Design or Bioneers meetings. Upgrade and retrofit your appliances and tell us about how to get the best deals with local businesses.
Perhaps our perception of native cultures has become idealistic, but we’ve taken the stuff of legends for a reason. It’s time to take those revered children to your version of the kiva and tell them stories of survival or self-reliance—it makes them feel empowered and important. Learn from Foxfire books, native technology videos, and science fiction. Make a plan for drastic weather as a family, and teach kids how they can help. Find a way to use less and less energy and more physical energy. Urge your church to create a green team, or become a part of an existing one, and make it part of your initiatives to encourage green spending as personal financial responsibility. Introduce yourself to your neighbors and practice looking out for them.
Most importantly, imagination is important to share. Visualizing simple living makes saving lives possible.
And although we shake our heads and sometimes have to turn off the televisions to move on, we know that these disasters are happening in a myriad of regions, and some right here within our borders. Our political reactions to these situations have taken such a polarizing toll in our social lives that it sometimes seems like our disagreements will never end. But in conversations across the aisle in American politics, both sides agree that volunteerism and family preparedness are absolutely vital to the success of any emergency plan.
And considering I received two disturbing but important emails from local Nebraska experts on the subject of sustainability this month, the urgency of preserving our environment also plays an important part of my emergency plan.
Cecil Steward sent out an email announcing a new blog post. Cecil Steward, an architect by trade, heads the Joselyn Institute for Sustainable Communities—a 501(3)c non-profit organization that has a varied range of initiatives for creating and leading a sustainable way of life in Nebraska, including Lincoln Green By Design. Cecil publishes his blog entries as a green column in the Lincoln Journal Star’s Neighborhood Extra, and this week’s post sends an alarming chill throughout the design community. Read “Humans Must Learn to Engineer Repairs to the Planet” on Lincoln Green By Design.
If you are a long-time resident of Lincoln, perhaps you have met a fellow named “Buffalo Bruce.” Bruce admits that “Buffalo” has become a moniker of the activist part of himself. His scientific research is published under his given name, Bruce McIntosh, and he is an ecologist with the Western Nebraska Resources Council. One of his most recent efforts to publicize his research on Nebraska Aspens successfully made the Omaha World Herald this past August. Read “Nebraska’s Aspens in Peril.”
At the beginning of the year, I got an email from the activist, Buffalo Bruce. And although activism is often portrayed as reactionary, the fact that Buffalo Bruce is reacting to the scientific research of Bruce McIntosh flavors his calls to action with a haunting reality. The subject line in Buffalo Bruce’s email was “Wildlife as Climate Refugees.” The body of the email contained the content of this article, http://www.ciw.edu/news/climate_change_puts_ecosystems_run.
To be honest, I wondered if he was passing it on as a forward to a list of experts, and thought he must have just attached me to post to the Green Scene. But when I looked at the sent information, my email was the only one on the list.
I got REALLY nervous. I am, after all, an enthusiast. Ready to help when someone asks, but NOT an expert. And at first, I doubt my ability to contribute. I mean, engineering is far from my skill set, Cecil. And Bruce—come on. I’m a blogger.
But the nerves don’t last long. After all, the flow of information is working! Here we are, a collection of concerned citizens looking to help. And it turns out that the experts in our region have FOUND us, and they are leading. And they are not the kind to go sounding the alert, here in Nebraska, without knowing they will meet resistance, disbelief, and maybe slander.
So what do we do?
It’s a new year and a new decade. Knowing the time is now, 2010 simply marks that it’s time to learn. It’s time to get share our books with each other. What books do you have in your personal library that have helped yo...?
Perhaps our perception of native cultures has become idealistic, but we’ve taken the stuff of legends for a reason. It’s time to take those revered children to your version of the kiva and tell them stories of survival or self-reliance—it makes them feel empowered and important. Learn from Foxfire books, native technology videos, and science fiction. Make a plan for drastic weather as a family, and teach kids how they can help. Find a way to use less and less energy and more physical energy. Urge your church to create a green team, or become a part of an existing one, and make it part of your initiatives to encourage green spending as personal financial responsibility. Introduce yourself to your neighbors and practice looking out for them.
Most importantly, imagination is important to share. Visualizing simple living makes saving lives possible.
Tags: emergency, kit, outdoorsmen, planning, preparedness, protection, readiness, severe, skills, sportsmanship
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