E-Update from the Sustainability Coalition - PLEASE DISTRIBUTE!
Annette Mills
E-UPDATE
December 21, 2009
Welcome to “E-UPDATE” – a twice monthly news brief to keep you informed of the work of the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition and to invite your participation. Please forward this “E-UPDATE” to members of your participating organization and to other interested individuals. Check our website at www.sustainablecorvallis.org.
GET OUT YOUR 2010 CALENDAR: Coalition Sets Dates for Two Key Community Sustainability Events
All community members actively involved or interested in moving our community toward sustainability will want to attend and participate in the following events, sponsored by the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition:
· Friday, January 8 - COALITION ANNUAL MEETING (12:00 noon – 1:30 pm at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library)
The Coalition’s annual meeting is an opportunity for partners and action teams to find out more about the Coalition’s activities and to offer guidance to the Steering Committee on the Coalition’s direction for the coming year. If the Quarterly Gatherings of the past year are any indicator, you can expect the January 8th event to be alive with ideas, energy, and the enthusiastic participation of our partners and action teams. (This event is open to the public.)
Following introductions of our newly-elected Steering Committee, partner representatives, and action team and committee members, we will provide an overview of the past year’s accomplishments and take a look at what is planned for 2010. The Coalition’s action teams have many exciting projects under way and new committees that are hard at work to support them, so this will be a good time to find out what’s happening and to give your input.
· Thursday, March 11 – COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY FAIR & TOWN HALL MEETING (5:30 pm – 9:00 pm at the CH2MHill Alumni Center on the OSU campus)
When the “Community Sustainability Action Plan” was completed in December 2008, the Coalition Steering Committee wanted to ensure that it would be a framework for action. An important part of that commitment is the sponsorship of an annual town hall meeting that will give the Corvallis community an opportunity to assess how we’re doing as a community in our efforts to become more sustainable.
The March 11th event will focus on the sustainability efforts of the whole community. It will begin with a Sustainability Fair that will feature Coalition partner organizations and give them an opportunity to tell participants about their activities and engage them in projects. During the Town Hall Meeting portion of the evening, attendees will gather in the ballroom to be part of a community conversation about how we’re doing and what else needs to happen to accelerate our efforts to become a thriving, sustainable city and county. Event organizers are planning a highly interactive event that will include food, entertainment, and plenty of opportunities to visit with old friends and meet new ones. On-line pre-registration opens in mid-January. The Alumni Center Ballroom holds just under 500 people, so we encourage everyone to sign up early
Plan to come and be a part of these important and engaging events – and help spread the word to all who may have an interest in being part of the action!
Sustainability Guiding Objectives - A Framework for Decision-making
Our community will:
1. Reduce and ultimately eliminate our community’s contribution to fossil fuel dependence and to wasteful use of scarce metals and minerals. Use renewable resources whenever possible.
2. Reduce and ultimately eliminate our community’s contribution to dependence upon persistent chemicals and wasteful use of synthetic substances. Use biologically safe products whenever possible.
3. Reduce and ultimately eliminate our community’s contribution to encroachment upon nature (e.g., land, water, wildlife, forests, soil, ecosystems). Protect natural ecosystems.
4. Support people’s capacity to meet their basic needs fairly and efficiently.