2011 Midyear Report

CENTER FOR
EARTH LEADERSHIP
Forging citizen leadership to a sustainable future l
2011 MIDYEAR REPORT
Lily Pads
and Happiness
R
ecently, lily pads and happiness have been on our
minds. Let’s begin with the well-known lily pond
metaphor.
Suppose you have a pond with a single water lily.
You know that water lilies will double in surface area
each day and that the lilies will cover the entire pond,
thus killing all living organisms in 30 days. Question:
if you decide to cut out the lilies when the pond is only
half covered, and plenty of open water remains, what
day would that be?
For a growing number, the lily pond has become the Alan AtKisson trains Center Agents of Change. See page 2.
elephant in the room. As a society, we continue business
as usual as the lilies keep growing. And we cannot be certain how many days have elapsed, but we have a
gnawing feeling that time and opportunities are rapidly slipping away.
In a recent seminar that Dick was leading, one participant expressed the despair of feeling impotent in
a world where an anonymous global economy is moving relentlessly ahead without regard for the natural
world or the future. Moreover, financial uncertainty among responsible citizens has never been higher.
Responding to this growing concern, in January our Center for Earth Leadership was the organizing
sponsor for the premiere showing of The Economics of Happiness produced by Helena Norberg-Hodge,
a long-time colleague. We were astounded when close to 1000 people showed up at the First Unitarian
Church in downtown Portland, and some had to be turned away for lack of space. The title of the film had
deeply touched the yearnings of people.
If you look at the science that describes what is
A main theme of the film was that economic globalization
happening on earth today and aren’t pessimistic, you has produced a crisis of the human spirit by homogenizing
don’t have the correct data. If you meet the people in
culture. In effect, under the onslaught of economic
this unnamed [sustainability] movement and aren’t
globalization, humans are no longer grounded in a unique
culture of place that allows them to know who they are.
optimistic, you haven’t got a heart. – Paul Hawken, Blessed Unrest Rudderless, they look to commercial messages to define
themselves.
A Swedish linguist fluent in seven languages, Norberg-Hodge is internationally recognized as a sharp
critic of economic globalization. She is also an inexorable proponent of what we call deep localization.
Through localization, happiness is nurtured.
The lily pads and happiness underlie our mission. We work at this critical time with citizens to
create a sustainable local culture, including a vibrant local economy. Those trained in our agent of change
program work with people at a level where they see the visible results of their efforts. They work with
hope and with joy, without direction from the global economy, to create a unique local culture where
neighbors work hand in hand. This is the happiness factor promoted by Norberg-Hodge.
“
“
– Jeanne and Dick Roy, Co-Founders
Change Agents and Happiness
T
he happiness of localization involves neighbors working to meet living needs locally, to become rooted in
their neighborhoods, and to connect with the natural world of a unique watershed. Many of our agents of
change are creating resilient ways of living in their personal lives and in their communities: Ana Inclan raises
chickens in her back yard, a natural alternative to industrial eggs; Chris Musser developed Lost Arts Kitchen to
teach others how to prepare and preserve locally grown foods; John and Janelle Sorenson and Seth Truby formed
a non-profit to promote district energy; and Steve Couche formed a neighborhood tool library.
By its very nature, work as an agent of change creates a stronger, more resilient, local culture.
Keri Carkeek wished to promote sustainability within
her condo association. After being appointed as the
facilities chair, she and her neighbor first requested an
association expenditure report to determine areas of
potential cost savings. Noting that the largest shared
cost is for heat and electricity, they developed a plan
to replace the boiler, install compact fluorescents,
and remove half of the bulbs from common area
fixtures. Their next projects were to replace all four
laundry room washers and dryers with energy- and
water-saving machines and to construct space for
interior bike parking.
Jon Mehlschau, an architect at SRG, used his project
management skills to develop a three-step plan to
advance sustainability within the office building
housing his firm: (1) upgrade recycling within the
building, (2) earn the BEST Climate Champions
award, and (3) improve the embryonic carbon
Localization Quiz
1. Do you know the geographical source of your
water?
2. Do you know where your garbage goes?
3. Can you name ten native species found in your
neighborhood or closest green space?
4. Do you grow food or purchase food from a CSA or
farmers’ market?
5. Do you give preference to local restaurants,
pharmacies, and retail shops rather than chains and
big box stores?
6. Do you keep your money in a local bank or credit
union?
7. Do you know the names of neighbors in the eight
closest residences?
8. Do you borrow or loan tools with neighbors, share
chores (pet care, mail pickup), or help a neighbor in
need?
9. Do you know how water run-off in your
neighborhood makes its way to the sea?
10. Do you purchase items from local businesses rather
than order over the Internet?
SRG architect hauls recyclables to depot.
footprint assessment tool used by his firm. As a result
of his efforts, the building is now recycling difficult
non-curbside items such as plastic clamshells and
fluorescent light bulbs, his firm purchases carbon
credits for electricity use and business transportation,
and bicycle commuters receive a small stipend.
To find recruits for a sustainability team for her
Oak Hills Neighborhood, Jen Lockwood held a Home
Eco-Party in the recreation center. Five interested
participants initiated a few small projects, but not much
happened until the group got excited about the idea of
a community garden. Their homeowners association
not only gave permission but also pledged $1,000 to
pay for construction of 12’x 4’ raised garden beds and
a water system. Through volunteer labor, 18 beds were
constructed, which are now fully leased to neighbors
in the broader community. With the proceeds, Jen and
her colleagues will pay operational costs and construct
additional garden beds.
A Formula for Change
In March, Alan AtKisson, an international
sustainability consultant based in Sweden, spent an
evening training 40 of our Portland agents of change.
He explained the formula for change developed by
Robert Gilman, who many consider to be the father of
the Northwest sustainability movement.
Many people state they are willing to make changes
for the public good, but don’t actually do so. When
an agent asked AtKisson how to be more effective in
facilitating such change, he offered a tip. For someone
to enthusiastically switch from an old way of doing
things to a new way, that person must perceive that the
additional value provided by the new way is greater than
the “cost” of making the change. Here is the formula:
Perceived
value of
new way
Perceived
value of
old way
=
Perceived
cost
of change
Young student admires new Hayhurst compost bin.
The perceived cost may be monetary, psychological,
or both. The message: A change agent can 1) build
up the value of the new way (riding a bike to work
increases physical fitness), 2) reduce the value of the old
way (cars contribute to global warming), or 3) decrease
the cost of the change (secure bike parking or a workshop
on what to wear). Or the agent can work on all three.
Students lobby the Portland School Board about trays.
Within our Eco-School Network, we see the Gilman
formula at work.
• Student testimony at school board about
styrofoam. To help eliminate stryrofoam trays
from Portland Public Schools, in 2010 the Network
decreased the perceived cost of change by lobbying the
City to grant PPS $70,000 to purchase washable trays.
Yet, by January, the trays had not appeared in the
schools. Therefore, three students from Network EcoSchools testified before the school board, armed with
a week’s worth of styrofoam trays from one school
cafeteria, to shine a bright light in the dark corner of
continual delay in eliminating these disposables. To
emphatically reduce the perceived value of the old
way, fifth grader Camille ended her talk by handing
each school board member a gift-wrapped styrofoam
tray and plastic fork and asking them to please use the
disposables for their next lunch.
• Synergy. Cultural change occurs more readily in
a circle when two or more agents collaborate. At
Hayhurst Elementary, Kendall KIC started the parentled Without a Trace Team by toting a week’s worth of
plastic cafeteria disposables into a PTA meeting. The
PTA responded with a vote to buy metal utensils and
paper straws for the lunchroom. This year, Helena
Nissen joined Kendall, and the two instituted a new
recycling system with green bins for paper and red
bins for other recyclables. They also recruited a team
of parent volunteers to help students sort properly.
Their hard work is paying off. Hayhurst will be the
first school this year to eliminate styrofoam and receive
washable trays from the district.
Perceiving the value of the new way, Hayhurst
parents have been energized. Agent Jeffrey Briley
had no difficulty adding gardening to the school’s
sustainable practices. The garden council he formed
raised funds for seeds, soil, and construction materials
and recruited enough volunteers to build raised beds
plus a compost bin and worm bin that will accept food
scraps and garden debris. All students got to plant pea
seeds in donated wine barrels placed on the edge of the
playground, and all teachers want to incorporate school
gardening into their instruction.
Reike Elementary has also experienced the synergy
of two agents working together. Jamie Rapaski joined
forces with Cindy Eldkrona to launch a styrofoam
packaging drive in the school parking lot after the
holidays. Also, in January they started a student EcoThink Club.
4. Center Briefs
Rieke student helps to crush styrofoam packaging.
Center Briefs
Michael Allen Harrison plays at our
Earth Day celebration.
Producer Helena Norberg-Hodge speaks at our premiere showing of The
Economics of Happiness.
Left. Skyline Elementary’s green team acquired Portland Public School’s first
wind turbine.
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2011 Mid-Year Report
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