This Wednesday, March 3, from 6:30-9:00 p.m., Sustainable Tompkins and Shaleshock Citizen Action Alliance will be hosting a free energy fair and opportunity to take the Marcellus Challenge, a promise to reduce your dependence on natural gas and fossil carbon in an educational community setting at the Women's Community Building.

Wishing Well is co-sponsoring this event because we deeply care about our environment and our communities, as well as the missions of Sustainable Tompkins and Shaleshock. We supported the Life is Water concert in December in the effort to help prevent hydrofracking from ruining our water supplies and the health risks that we believe are inherently tied to such practices. We are very connected to the natural world, and we feel that conservation combined with renewable energy use is imperative to the protection of our natural resources from more and more drastic and damaging extraction processes.

As individuals, Greg and I have taken the Marcellus Challenge. It's a little daunting, because we live in a huge old house downtown. It was neglected for decades as student housing. It needs a new roof. Sometimes it's downright breezy inside. We can't plug in the toaster and the microwave at the same time. We can see daylight through places that are not windows. And, well, our monthly energy costs are almost as much as our mortgage (seriously). It often feels hypocritical and embarrassing for me to be out in the world advocating for sustainability and conservation, while our family is pretty wasteful. If I had to guess, most people see the value in conserving energy, but they're just not sure financially how they can afford to.

When we first heard about the Marcellus Challenge, we thought it was a good idea, but not for us. After all, we can't just stop paying our heating bills and save that money for a more efficient system or a tighter front door. And with four kids, there's no extra money to be found. But after talking with Gay Nicholson, president of Sustainable Tompkins, it was clear to me that even very small monthly changes could be helpful, and she reminded me of the wealth of resources right here in Ithaca that are available to help me navigate all the gobbledy-gook of tax incentives, NYSERDA thingamajigs, rebates, and who knows what else.

Besides, I am a people person. I don't want to read through all the different guides and government documents. "Can't someone just tell me where to start?" I asked Gay. And she did. She listened to my particular situation and pointed me toward specific resources. I was invited to a teach-in, where I learned little tips that (seriously) anyone can do, and we are on our way to making real changes in the efficiency of our lives. 

So it's okay if you can't replace your heating system right now, or afford to insulate your house. It's okay if you rent and don't have control over a lot of how your building is maintained. It's okay if you don't even have a job. Your stuff matters, too. There are still many small steps you can take that add up and save both energy and money.

I am passing on Gay's invitation to you so that you may join local organizations, businesses, legislators and community members this Wednesday for the Marcellus Challenge Energy Fair and Pledge-In. You will hear about what others are doing, but more importantly, you can get answers about what you can do to conserve energy and money while protecting our environment that work for you. 

I hope to see you there. Please come say hello.

Best Wishes,

Danielle

YOU'RE INVITED

Dear Friends,

We'd like to invite you to join us for an evening of serious fun. Serious because the topic of Marcellus Shale drilling brings many grave concerns. Fun because working together to assert our independence from fossil carbon brings a rich array of benefits to all of us.

Sustainable Tompkins and Shaleshock Action Alliance hope you will join us on the evening of Wednesday, March 3 to explore all of the connections between consumer patterns, drilling and mining, climate change, our local economy, and our highest values. We've got a full night of learning and sharing, taking a stand and supporting each other, as we walk our talk and live by our values.

Go to www.sustainabletompkins.org to learn more. And please! Share this with your friends and colleagues and bring your families. We need to take personal responsibility, but it's so much more effective when we do that together!

For a better future,

Gay Nicholson                     Lisa Wright
Sustainable Tompkins            Shaleshock Action Alliance

TAGGED WITH: conservation, drilling, frac, Fracking, hydrofracking, Marcellus Challenge, mining, pledge, renewable energy

As we look around Tompkins County, the green sector is becoming more and more visible, as evidenced by the 140-plus Signs of Sustainability that were recently acknowledged by Sustainable Tompkins, but what does it take in a growing green market to be truly SEEN?

Photo by Danielle KlockDuncan Cooper of Renovus Energy addresses the importance of the Sustainable Enterprise & Entrepreneur Network

On Dec. 14 the Green Resource Hub celebrated another year of programs designed to "expand the marketplace for sustainable living in the Finger Lakes region through consumer education, workforce training, and professional development," at La Tourelle Resort and Spa in Danby. But the focus and highlight of the festivities was the formal introduction of the organization's newest initiative, the Sustainable Enterprise and Entrepreneur Network (SEEN).  

The SEEN is a growing community of member businesses, organizations and entrepreneurs working to achieve ecological, social and financial success. These three ideas are what Green Resource Hub President Bob Rossi describes as the "triple bottom line."

For many professionals, the bottom line has traditionally been solely equivalent to financial success. But Rossi's vision raises the bar to define ecological and social responsibility as integral components to financial success and the movement toward a sustainable future. The SEEN will provide connectivity as well as opportunities for business development and collective action all in support of the members and their shared priorities and values.

With Blue Cayuga Jazz playing in the background, the banquet hall was filled with people who wanted to learn more about their place among the SEEN, whether they are just starting out, or have been a well established business or organization in the region for years. Because the event was a festive celebration, most of the evening allowed people the freedom to connect with others who shared common goals and values surrounding sustainability and business. 

Photo by Danielle KlockThe formal introduction of the SEEN at La Tourelle

Duncan Cooper, director of sales at Renovus Energy, an Ithaca-based company that designs and installs renewable energy systems, commented on other social benefits of the new network. "In addition to the chance interactions and opportunities to network as individuals, the SEEN provides ways to harness our collective capacity to teach and be taught," he says. "More generally, the SEEN is a mechanism of support; a place for the like-minded to come together to celebrate our successes and work through our problems. It also allows us a time and a place to take a step back from the day to day hustle of running our businesses and think analytically and deliberately about how to better our businesses." 

Susan Cosentini, president of Cosentini Construction and New Earth Living, captured the community spirit of the event when asked why she has become a charter member. "You are who you hang out with! That's why I'm joining!" But the camaraderie isn't the only benefit that Cosentini sees. She looks forward to the "affirmation and validation in being a business with a triple bottom line."  

Scott Hamilton, Hub treasurer and SEEN steering committee member, explains how the holistic nature of the SEEN's triple bottom line creates change in the real world. "More and more people are realizing that the qualities of all ecosystems are wholly connected to each other," he says. "Wellness in the environment in which we live signals high quality in social life and wealth in our local economy; so, increasing wealth in any one area depends on how well such action supports all areas." 

Gay Nicholson, president of Sustainable Tompkins, agrees. "Sustainable Tompkins is deeply proud to sign on as the first charter member of the SEEN. A thriving green business sector is essential to the redesign of how we work and live, and the SEEN will help provide critical infrastructure we need to build a more sustainable economy."

During the event, Cooper stressed the timeliness and value of the network. "We are engaged in an activity that is too important to fail. Every day our business and organizations are doing the right thing. We are not waiting for the world to change, we are changing it while sustaining ourselves and our families. This is why I think the SEEN has value, and why I am excited to become a member." 

For more information on joining the SEEN, or to learn about other Hub programs such as their watt meter lending service, visit www.greenresourcehub.org, or call Scott Hamilton at (267) 970-1641 or Bob Rossi at 592-2222.

TAGGED WITH: green economy, green industry, sustainability

Share Tompkins will hold its seventh Community Swap Meet on December 12th, 2009 from 4-7 p.m. at the Southside Community Center on 305 S. Plain St. in Ithaca. The holiday-themed swap is an opportunity for people to get unique gifts through sharing and bartering with their neighbors for crafts, services and other goodies. The event is co-sponsored by Southside Community Center.

The event’s goal is to meet people’s gift-giving needs locally and sustainably. No registration is required and all are welcome to participate. Visitors can expect to find one of-a-kind fabric collage sweatshirts by Lea Elleseff, hand-knitted hats and cozies by Shira Golding, hand-drawn buttons by Ari Moore and much more.

All are invited to bring crafts of all kinds, food products such as baked goods and preserves, body care items like tinctures and soaps, and used-but-in-good-condition housewares, electronics and books. Services providers such as massage therapists, music teachers and others are also welcome to attend and offer gift certificates in exchange for other services and goodies.

Shira Golding , Share Tompkins Co-Founder: “We’re really excited to partner with the Southside Community Center for our Holiday Swap. We share a common goal to strengthen community self-reliance and this seems particularly relevant during the holiday shopping season, when so many families turn to big-box stores for gifts. We’re hoping that this event draws attention to local creativity and talent and helps forge new bonds based on sharing.”

Share Tompkins was formed in May 2009 to help people share and trade goods, services and labor in Ithaca and Tompkins County. The volunteer-run group has organized sixth monthly Community Swap Meets to-date. The Share Tompkins Web site features photos and videos of events and a growing resource directory of local initiatives that help people meet their needs equitably and sustainably.

Share Tompkins is the recipient of a 2009 Sustainable Tompkins “Sign of Sustainability” Award.

Since its incorporation in 1934, the Southside Community Center, Inc., continues to affirm, empower, and foster the development of self pride among the African-American citizens of greater Ithaca. Through forums and activities in education, recreation, political and social awareness, the Southside Community Center is a community resource center. They serve as a vehicle to develop an appreciation for the contributions and presence of those peoples of African descent in the greater Ithaca community and in the larger world community.

For more information about the Holiday Swap or Share Tompkins, contact organizer Shira Golding at (607) 821-0654 or shira@shirari.com.

Visit the Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=203720536936

Visit the Share Tompkins Web site: http://sharetompkins.wordpress.com.

Over Seventy Ithacans Make Zombie Movie About Natural Gas Drilling

Frac Attack: Dawn of the Watershed, an 18-minute environmental zombie movie, will premiere at Cinemapolis in downtown Ithaca on December 10th, 2009.

The premise: When the town of Ithaca gets fracked by natural gas drilling, the water goes sour and the citizens start craving human flesh. Anna and other survivors band together to save their community.

The film is a co-production of Shirari Industries and The Dacha Project, in association with the Shaleshock Citizens Action Alliance. The idea emerged out of the Ithaca Freeskool D.I.Y. Movie-Making class. Frac Attack was made to inspire action to protect the environment from the exploitative drilling of the Marcellus Shale by multinational corporations. Shaleshock will be tabling in the lobby of Cinemapolis during and after the screening.

After the premiere, the film will stream online for free in its entirety at www.fracattackthemovie.com, and visitors to the site will be invited to learn more and take action on the issues. The filmmakers are also encouraging individuals and community groups to organize screenings of any size as a strategy for sparking action. There has been interest in screenings in Otsego, Broome and Tioga Counties as well as at the New Roots Charter School.

Frac Attack was made on location in Ithaca and includes dramatic scenes at Ithaca Falls, Stewart Park and The Commons. Over 70 members of the community were involved; people of all ages came out to be zombies and help out with production, including students from TC3, Cornell University and Ithaca College. Local businesses including Ahimsa Yoga, Dancing Turtle Farms, Greenstar Cooperative Market, Ithaca Bakery, Loaves & Fishes, Moosewood Restaurant and The Tompkins County Workers’ Center donated food and space. The film has been honored with a “Sign of Sustainability” Award by Sustainable Tompkins.

Shira Golding, Writer, Co-Director and Editor of the film: “In all movements for social and environmental justice, it takes a combination of strategies to create positive change. The arts, and films specifically, are powerful tools to reach people at an emotional level and it’s our hope that Frac Attack will inspire people who might not have otherwise got involved to start asking questions and take action.”

Lily Gershon, a member of The Dacha Project and an actor in the film: “For me, Frac Attack was another way to express the ridiculousness of natural gas drilling. If poisoning our own water supply isn't ludicrous enough, then how about zombies?”

Kevin Mayer, an activist with Shaleshock and an actor in the film: “Decades of psychic numbing have created a populace so disconnected from their landbase, so clueless about their true source of life, that they could easily be robbed of their birthright by promises of cash. Frac Attack is first-aid for a culture of PTSD and denial.”

Extra Isaac Spencer gets turned into a
zombie. Photo by Joe Fisher.

Screening Details:
7:00 Family Screen
7:30 Q&A with Filmmakers
8:00 R-Rated
After Party TBA

$5-10 suggested donation
Tickets at the door - come early!
Cinemapolis
120 E. Green St, Ithaca, NY 

For photos and more information, contact Shira Golding:
607-821-0654 or shira@shirari.com

Visit the Facebook event page at:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=215155877323