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I'm participating in a program to help nurture new leaders in social innovation, and this week we are covering the topic of urban resiliency, and maybe some of you folks can help me out gathering information.
Specifically, I'm looking for information (program names are fine links are great) on any programs in the city (government and/or NGOs) that are working to increase Somerville's independent ability to have enough:
Whole Food
Clean Water
Fresh Air
Warmth and Light (shelter, clothing, energy, etc.)
Outlets for human products (sewage, human power, CO2, etc.)
Right now we rely on other parts of the state and world for many of our basic needs, but that's obviously not a sustainable situation, as those sources could easily be cut off from us, especially if there were a disaster situation. So I'm curious as to how different groups are helping plan for Somerville's future in ways address these most crucial needs.
Also, if anyone participated in any of the Somervision planning groups, if you talked about any of these elements during the discussion, I'd love to hear about that, too.
I hope to have the article ready for Earth Day next week, and I'm planning on sending it into the Somerville Journal as a possible editorial, as well as offering it up here and other online communities.
For the record, I've already got info on the following groups:
Whole Food
- Groundwork Somerville http://www.groundworksomerville.org/
- Growing Center http://www.thegrowingcenter.org/
- Farmers Markets
- School gardens (run by Groundwork Somerville)
- Somerville Garden Club
- Shape Up Somerville http://www.somervillema.gov/Division.cfm?orgunit=SUS
- Somerville Community Gardens project http://www.somervillema.gov/Department.cfm?orgunit=CONSBD
Fresh Air
- Urban Forest Initiative http://www.somervillema.gov/section.cfm?org=PARKS&page=1239
Warmth and Light
- a whole slew of stuff at the Community Resources page at the city's website http://www.somervillema.gov/section.cfm?org=aging&page=1357
Specifically, I'm looking for information (program names are fine links are great) on any programs in the city (government and/or NGOs) that are working to increase Somerville's independent ability to have enough:
Whole Food
Clean Water
Fresh Air
Warmth and Light (shelter, clothing, energy, etc.)
Outlets for human products (sewage, human power, CO2, etc.)
Right now we rely on other parts of the state and world for many of our basic needs, but that's obviously not a sustainable situation, as those sources could easily be cut off from us, especially if there were a disaster situation. So I'm curious as to how different groups are helping plan for Somerville's future in ways address these most crucial needs.
Also, if anyone participated in any of the Somervision planning groups, if you talked about any of these elements during the discussion, I'd love to hear about that, too.
I hope to have the article ready for Earth Day next week, and I'm planning on sending it into the Somerville Journal as a possible editorial, as well as offering it up here and other online communities.
For the record, I've already got info on the following groups:
Whole Food
- Groundwork Somerville http://www.groundworksomerville.org/
- Growing Center http://www.thegrowingcenter.org/
- Farmers Markets
- School gardens (run by Groundwork Somerville)
- Somerville Garden Club
- Shape Up Somerville http://www.somervillema.gov/Division.cfm?orgunit=SUS
- Somerville Community Gardens project http://www.somervillema.gov/Department.cfm?orgunit=CONSBD
Fresh Air
- Urban Forest Initiative http://www.somervillema.gov/section.cfm?org=PARKS&page=1239
Warmth and Light
- a whole slew of stuff at the Community Resources page at the city's website http://www.somervillema.gov/section.cfm?org=aging&page=1357
no subject
Date: 2010-04-15 04:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-15 04:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-15 04:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-15 05:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-15 05:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-15 05:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-15 05:18 pm (UTC)Cities may not be able to be fully self-sufficient, but it seems to be that being able to provide basic services for people during a (hopefully only short-term) emergency situation is something cities should be able to do as part of being a city.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-15 04:53 pm (UTC)There is more info here:
http://www.somerville.k12.ma.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectionid=85
no subject
Date: 2010-04-15 04:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-15 05:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-15 05:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-15 05:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-15 06:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-15 06:52 pm (UTC)Anything about solar?
Date: 2010-04-15 07:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-16 04:41 am (UTC)http://groups.google.com/group/somervilleclimateaction?pli=1
Some of their members have been doing Transition Town work, which is all about this stuff, from a "let's start preparing for climate change" perspective.
no subject
Date: 2010-04-16 11:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-04-16 08:05 pm (UTC)Clearly there is a need for some disaster preparation, but it needs to be in the context of what disasters are likely and planning for specific events, not planning for Massachusetts to break a part and Somerville to drift into the sea.
You're confusing sustainability and self reliance. Making each community or worse yet each household self reliant is very inefficient and is not practical for our population density. On the other hand, having people live in dense urban areas is much more sustainable since it reduces the the amount of resources that need to be devoted to individual transportation and the distribution of goods and services.
Many of the resources you mention are certainly positive things, it's the overall goal that I question.
Preparing for the Rapture?
Date: 2010-04-17 02:34 pm (UTC)Re: Preparing for the Rapture?
Date: 2010-04-19 01:56 pm (UTC)