Community Sustainability Form

While concern (or more appropriately, respect) for the environment is a large factor in my choice to ride a bicycle instead of drive a car, it's not something I really beat my drum about. First of all, there are many reasons other than the environment to cycle rather than drive and secondly, I don't want to scare anyone off by making them feel like bikes are for 'green people' and therefore not for them. My wish instead is to help bikes become for everyone. Heck, even in Amsterdam, a shining star of bicycle use- it's just normal over there, not a hipster or yuppie or hippie or green thing to do. A quote from today's post at Amsterdamize:

..the locals, [go] from A to B, to C, D, Z and back, ziggedyzag. Day by day, for every errand, for every task, for any venture, we take our bikes and we rule. Mind you, it’s in our blood, we don’t consider it a culture or something quaint. It’s there, we use it, period. We don’t know any better.

So there you have it. My real goal is to make bicycling a normal, fun, convenient, safe, hip activity. BUT, after this long disclaimer of sorts.. there's no denying that bicycling is much, much more sustainable than driving gas hogs for grocery runs. (I'm not against cars- I just think that they're overused. Driving 2 blocks to work is stupid- and yes, I've seen it done.) SO- that is why I deem it relevant to post this very important meeting happening in our community. I hope to see you there!

Are you concerned about the rising price of gas? Or about the rising price of food, and other basic needs? Are you hearing more about climate change and the need to transition to a low-carbon economy and community? Are you thinking about how we can sustain ourselves in an era when fossil fuels are unstable and will keep getting more expensive?

The Road Ahead-- A Community Sustainability Form, will be held on {!correction!}THURSDAY, July 10 from 6:30-9:30pm in the ballroom at Reid Campus Center on the Whitman College campus at Park & Boyer. 

Panelists will include:

• Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Spokane, Susanne Croft
• Whitman scientist, Bob Carson
• Chamber of Commerce President, Tim Larkin
• Port Commissioner, Mike Frederickson
• City Manager, Duane Cole
• Homeless Coalition Member, Noah Leavitt
• Long time resident and householder, Jennie Romine

WWCC President Steve VanAusdle will moderate the forum.

For more information, email sustainableww (at) charter (dot) net, call 509-522-0399, or go online at www.sustainablewallawalla.org