These are suggestions you've heard from League before. They are presented here now because they present a realistic understanding of what a sustainable community should think about when taking action on new proposals.
Barbara Tokmakian
1 Provide for the basic needs of shelter and food:
housing and adequate food supply are needed not only for the present population but for populations far into the future. Without protecting resources for these basic needs very little else is possible.
2 Educate for literacy for all members of the community: about 29 percent of the adults in Fresno are functionally illiterate. It is not possible for these people to participate fully in the life of the community. They become an underskilled and low paid work force that is not attractive to the diversified technology and manufacturing jobs the community would like to attract. They cannot participate fully in the democratic decision-making processes
3* Reward conservation, not consumption:
our society makes it easy to spend, but not to save. Let’s say we want to a buy a house: it costs us about 8 percent to borrow money for a mortgage, and we receive a tax break on the interest, making the true cost about 6 percent. But if instead we choose to save or invest, we are taxed at rates of up to 40 percent. This is backwards! Rewarding savings would ensure that people would have enough for the future by reducing the urge to consume today.
4* Focus conservation efforts on saving energy:
energy use is a key factor affecting the climate in our valley environment. Burning fossil fuels pumps carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere, significantly increasing chances of regional climate change. Focusing on issues such as mass transit and home energy savings will have a major impact on whether our climate improves.
5* Refocus our political will on the greater good: we no longer look at what’s best for society, but rather what’s best for particular interest groups— that’s where the money, and thus the political influence, lies. This is a sad state of affairs, because it means that groups that favor continued development (such as real estate developers) win out over efforts to conserve resources and sustain living conditions.
6* Maintain the quality of life in our major cities: keeping cities vital reduces suburban flight, thus reducing the need for more roads, cars, subdivisions and shopping centers. Cities are inherently efficient, because many people live in a small amount of space and rely on public transportation or their feet.
7* Practice systems thinking: too often, we look at the little picture and don’t see the overall effect of our action. Recycling is a prime example. It’s good to recycle. But if we only focus on what to do with our garbage, we take our eye off the bigger problem— the creation and consumption of the products that originally came in those packages and containers.
8* Encourage self-sufficiency: the more we can do for ourselves, the less we need to rely on what others can do for us. For example, if we grow our own food, we can reduce the energy cost associated with transporting foodstuffs from thousands of miles away.
9* Go organic: foods will significantly reduce fertilizer, pesticide and fungicide. This is good for our bodies, and also reduces water and ground pollution. Yes, organic foods cost more, but as the demand grows, more farmers will make the switch and costs will come down.
10* Plan for social needs: quality of life is based on more than material needs. It’s also a based on social needs. City planning that creates open spaces, encourages cluster housing and local shopping will make us better neighbors. We’ll feel better about ourselves, thus reducing the need to artificial!” bolster our self-esteem by purchasing more stuff.
11 * Redefine progress: progress doesn’t necessarily mean growth. It means better living conditions and a healthier environment. Less development and improved social health can mean progress, while more development can actually lead to social and environmental degradation.
12* Worry about the big stuff: our real environmental problems involve energy, population, climate change and consumption. Let’s stop worrying about paper vs. plastic bags or disposable vs. cloth diapers. We need to reduce the amount of stuff in most bags and the number of bottoms that go in those diapers if we are to create truly sustainable communities.
*Source: Adapted from an article in the San Francisco Chronicle by Bob Lilienfield, editor of The ULS Report and president of the Cygnus group, a consulting firm that helps organizations to think and act more sustainably.