This post was originally published on October 23, 2008 at sustainablog. I’m still looking for input, though!
I wrote my first "Building Bridges" post on a lark: the article I referenced on carbon offsets tied in nicely with ideas about bridging the divide between the environmental community and "Red America" (which tends to distrust, at the very least, environmentalists). Since then, I’ve been digging into existing success stories… and I’d love your input.
For the next round of posts, I’d like to feature "case studies" of "red" communities (and I hate that designation, but it conveys the rights characterization) that are implementing "green" practices. I’m particularly interested in "homegrown" initiatives put forth by local residents, as I think ideas that come from within will get a better reception — we’re all a bit more open-minded about ideas that come from people we know and trust. So far, I know about the following communities:
- Rock Port, Missouri: This town of 1300 residents is the first 100% wind-powered community in the United States.
- Reynolds, Indiana: Designated "Biotown USA," Reynolds has set the goal of total energy self-sufficiency (as part of a larger state program).
- Greensburg, Kansas: Greensburg has received a ton of attention for its decision to rebuild to LEED Platinum standards after 95% of the town was destroyed after a tornado.
I’m very interested in learning more about these communities, and the roles residents played in launching these initiatives (and am already reaching out). If you’re a resident of one of these towns, please get in touch: I’d love to talk to you!
Also, I’m sure I’m just scratching the surface here. Do you know of small communities involved in significant green efforts? Again, I’m particularly interested in places that lean rightward for the most part — I think we’ve got a lot to learn from these people. I want to find more about their motivations and values — how does "green" fit into their larger worldview? How do the goals they set align with other values? Do they view these efforts as "green," or are they primarily interested in other outcomes? I’d be grateful for any information and/or contacts you can pass my way. Let’s start building those bridges…
Image credit: Randy Son of Robert at Flickr under a Creative Commons license
I know that Fairfield, Iowa, is very much into green. http://www.travelfairfieldiowa.com/this-is-fairfi…
They are just building a Sustainable Living Center – completely off the grid called the 'Ultimate green building' by Forbes, Associated Press and MSNBC. http://green.wikia.com/wiki/Sustainable_Living_at…
The city has a Moving Fairfield Forward Sustainability Plan. Also, Lonnie Gamble and David Fisher from the Maharishi University of Management there, which has a Sustainable Living program running there and completely organic dining for their students there, ar quit famous. Lonnie is the founder of Abundance Eco-Village and organizes the Big Green Summer, , a 10-week summer intensive in sustainable design.
More hier: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonnie_Gamble
I think "Red" is the problem.
If you begin trying to add up everything that equates to "Red", you might draw many faulty conclusions.
A century earlier, there were serious land feuds between farmers and ranchers. You'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between them today.
Take for instance, 7th Day Adventists. If you research carefully, you'll find along with their emphasis on bodily health, diet, there is also a lineage that depended on farming, its holistic view of the person. If I'm not mistaken, Kellogs was a healthy endeavor begun by 7th Day Adventists.
I believe that the Red/Blue divide is a recent concoction (which is actually a complete reversal of a dozen or so years ago when Democrats were Red and Republicans were Blue on the politica map, presumably because Democrats were near cousins to the "reds" of the evil empire).
It is an oversimplification that runs in contradiction to much of the history of the plains states. To help untangle this confusion, I recommend The Americans – The Democratic Experience by Daniel Boorstin.
It'll help bring some depth and clarity to what has lately become narrow-minded shorthanded thinking.
WOW. I literally have not picked up the book in over 12 years. And when I read an excerpt from Chapter 1 (http://www.amazon.com/Americans-Democratic-Experience-Daniel-Boorstin/dp/0394710118), it literally began with a statement about the diet of the new "meat-eaters".
Hmmmm. The book must have really made an indelible impression on me!!!