The Roof Over Our Heads

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• 100,000 – the number of Tucson houses over 50 years old – Today
• 200,000 – the number of Tucson houses over 50 years old – in 10 years
• 80% – the percent of houses inside the incorporated City of Tucson that will soon reach the age (about 50) when repair costs often exceeds many owners’ ability to pay them.

Have you or anyone else replaced the furnace, the ducting, the electrical service and the water and gas pipes? And, if the house was built in the 40s or 50s, add in electrical wiring

If not, it is likely that within the next 15-20 years – you will have to replace them all. Your cost: $20,000 – $30,000. Maybe more.

Neither the City, County, State nor Federal Governments can afford to pay the Trillions of dollars needed to repair all our old houses. It’s going to be mostly us, or not at all (Nationally, there are 56 million homes that will be at least 50 years old within 10 years.) But it costs several times that much to tear down and replace them. Even adding in maximum energy efficiency upgrades, it is cheaper to repair than replace.

The July Sustainable Tucson meeting will explore the needs and opportunities to repair our old houses. How can we train thousands of people to do the work? What needs to be done? And most importantly – how do we pay for it?

On Tuesday, you will hear:
• Robert Bulechek (Energy Management Consultant) – Can we make our homes MUCH more energy efficient?
• Scott Coverdale (Community Home Repair of Arizona) – What conditions are our homes really in?
• Chuck Gallagher (SkillsUSA, former construction teacher at Santa Rita High School) How do we teach the workforce we need to make Tucson more efficient?
• Rick Gibson (Sustainability Partners) How do we pay for all this?
• Tres English (Sustainable Tucson) Overview of Tucson’s housing stock

Join us for this important discussion that will begin the conversation about the future of – Keeping the “Roof Over Our Heads”.

Ward 6, 3202 E 1st St
6:00pm (doors open at 5:30pm)

Sustainable Development Goals for Tucson

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On 1 January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force.

What are these goals, why do they matter, and how could they apply to Tucson?

– We’ll give an overview of each of the 17 SDGs
– We’ll relate each goal to Tucson
– You’ll explore and propose options to make the goals happen

Join us for this exciting and critical thought-provoking meeting. Get inspired to create a Sustainable Tucson for 2030!

Tuesday, June 11, 2019
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Tucson City Council Ward 6 Office: 3202 East 1st Street · Tucson, AZ

Doors open at 5:30. The meeting starts promptly at 6.

Food Resilient Tucson – Our Future is Delicious

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Why should we want a Delicious & Resilient local food system?
• We get to enjoy the wide range of delicious local foods that show off our 4000-year history of growing food in the desert.
• We get to celebrate the unique history and multiple cultures that make Tucson special.
• We get to create thousands of local jobs based on everything from growing and preparing local food to learning to design and build the specialty tools that will help make Tucson a world leader in desert-adapted urban agriculture.
• And of great importance, we get to share delicious food with our neighbors and create community in the process.

Why do we need a Resilient & Delicious local food system?
• Most national food chains have adopted a Just-In-Time inventory system, so we have only a few days of food in our stores.
• The national distribution system brings us everything, every day, from 1000 miles away and could become a bottle neck, if anything goes seriously wrong with the communication, banking, power and fuel systems that run it.
• It will help us do our part to mitigate climate change and protect us from climate impacts, like unstable food supplies.

The May General Meeting will focus on two questions:
• What do we need to do to make Tucson more Food Resilient? And why do we need to make Tucson a more food-resilient community?
• What factors that led to our designation as a World City of Gastronomy can we use to grow and eat more local food?

We have an excellent panel of local experts who will give their perspectives on these questions, discuss their implications for Tucson, and lead us in a lively discussion.

Panelist are:
• Carolyn Niethammer – Cookbook author, specializing in local food
• Mohyeddin Abdulaziz – President of Tucson Organic Gardeners
• Erik Stanford – Owner of Pivot Produce, a local logistics company that connects local farms and restaurants
• Parker Filer – Member of Pima County Food Alliance and educator
• Michael Ray – Neighborhood activist and member of Building Resilient Neighborhoods
• Moderator: Tres English – Sustainable Tucson and local sustainability expert

Join us on Tuesday, May 14 at 6:00 (doors open at 5:30) at the Ward 6 office, 3202 E 1st St.

The Green New Deal – What Is It?

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U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York, and U.S. Senator Ed Markey (R), Democrat of Massachusetts, speak during a press conference to announce Green New Deal legislation to promote clean energy programs outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.
 Saul Loeb/AFP—Getty Images

You’ve been hearing a lot in the news about the Green New Deal. Politicians have been praising and criticizing it, pundits have been pontificating about it, and social media has been buzzing about it. But what is really in the Green New Deal? What does it promise and what isn’t covered?

In this month’s Sustainable Tucson meeting, with the help of the Sunrise Movement, we are going to dissect the Green New Deal to see exactly what it is all about. Please join us for this inspiring and informational discussion.

Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at the Tucson City Council Ward 6 Office. Doors open at 5:30 pm, program starts at 6.

Tucson’s Complete Streets Policy

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On February 5th, the Tucson City Council passed Ordinance 11621 – The City of Tucson Complete Streets Policy. What’s in the Complete Streets Policy? How was it created? What does it mean? How will it affect the future of Tucson? At our next meeting, we are going to answer these questions and more. We’ll look at the details of the new policy and how it was created. We’ll also have some expert opinion about how the policy will be implemented. Be sure to join us and get a glimpse of the future of Tucson!

Tuesday, March 12, 2019 from 6-8 pm at the Ward 6 community room. Doors open at 5:30.

Advocacy 101 – Working with our government

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RSVP

The 2019 Arizona State Legislature session is well underway, with legislators introducing bills that will, if passed, have significant impact on our lives and our rights. At the federal level, the new Congress is hard at work, and locally both City Council and County Board of Supervisors deal with matters of direct interest to our community. At all levels, it’s vitally important to make our voices heard on important issues that we care about and that affect us all.

Join Sustainable Tucson at our February Monthly Meeting for Advocacy 101, an evening of training and tips on effective ways to reach out to elected officials, focusing primarily on the State Legislature, with lessons learned that can apply equally well at the local or national level. Presenters from League of Women Voters Greater Tucson will give an overview of the state legislative process and provide details about the Request to Speak (RTS) process, an easy but effective way to communicate your position on proposed bills as they are reviewed in committee. Then Jana Segal, Sustainable Tucson’s Advocacy Chair, will present a description of ST advocacy and policy efforts and how you can (and should) get involved.

Along with an overview of RTS, the LWVGT presenters will teach us how to sign up for an online account to use the system. If you bring your laptop, phone, or whatever you use to connect to the Internet, you’ll be able to sign up right then and there. Alternatively, you’ll learn how to sign up online at home or where to go in Tucson to sign up.

This evening’s program is the first in a series that Sustainable Tucson will be presenting on effective communication with our elected officials — and with those who aspire to be elected. We’ll be looking ahead and getting prepared for communicating to candidates for the City Council elections this fall, and then for elections at multiple levels in 2020.

Tuesday, February 12
Doors open 5:30 pm; program starts at 6:00 pm.
Ward 6 Council Office, 3202 E. 1st Street

Dealing with Drought

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Starting at 5 pm, Sustainable Tucson will host a tour of the rainwater harvesting, greywater harvesting, and water conservation features at WMG’s Living Lab. We’ll also be showing the Arizona Public Media film “Beyond the Mirage” for those who don’t want to participate in the tour. At 6 pm Sustainable Tucson regular meeting will begin. Local experts discussing the Drought Contingency Plan, what it will mean for Tucson, and what we all can do to prepare for the upcoming shortages.

Arizona could experience the impact of a Tier 1 water shortage by 2020 if the water level in Lake Mead continues to drop. What can we do to avoid this situation…or at least mitigate the impact if it does happen?

Join Sustainable Tucson for our monthly meeting to talk about water issues, water conservation, and the Drought Contingency Plan at a special location: the Watershed Management Group Living Lab and Learning Center.

Light snacks and rainwater will be available.

Limited handicapped parking is available next to the Welcome Center, just off of Dodge Blvd. DO NOT PARK IN THE IZUMI PARKING LOT WEST OF THE LLLC – YOU WILL BE TICKETED. There is ample parking on the south side of Speedway Blvd, just behind the Bashful Bandit, and a pedestrian signal to cross at Dodge.

Celebrate Our Sustainable Future

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Come celebrate with us!

Share the bounty of the season at our holiday potluck. Non-alcoholic drinks provided by Sustainable Tucson. Save a dinosaur; bring your own flatware and glasses.

REASON TO CELEBRATE

If you read the recent IPCC study on climate change, you might not think there is much to celebrate this holiday season. The idea that climate change is progressing faster than first predicted can be quite a jolt, even if you’re already working to fight it. But it could also be an opportunity to come together as a community to envision and create a better, more sustainable and resilient Tucson!

At this year’s holiday party, Sustainable Tucson will be celebrating the possibilities by creating a festival atmosphere with street fair activities:

Design Your Dream Neighborhood: Create a walk-able, inviting neighborhood from a typical Tucson neighborhood map using blocks that represent elements of complete streets. (Model built by Changemaker High School students.

Creating Our Future: Draw the ways we can create a sustainable future for Tucson by 2038 on panels we will join together into a paper quilt.

Community Tree: Add leaves with your ideas about what we can do as a community to make Tucson Sustainable by 2038.

Time Capsule: Place your note to the future in our time capsule to be opened in a year: What are your hopes for Tucson or what will you make happen in Tucson in the coming year?

“Tales of Future” storytelling stage: Local Comedian Jeremy Segal will host impromptu stories about pursuing your vision for a sustainable future and other fun environmental stories.

You are invited to Sustainable Tucson’s holiday party.
Tuesday, December. 11, 6-8:30 p.m. (Doors open at 5:30 p.m.)
Special location
St Mark’s Presbyterian Church, 3809 E 3rd St. Geneva Room
(Free parking in the church lots on 3rd St. or 2nd St. The 2nd St. lot is closer to the Geneva Rm.)

Sustainable Tucson’s holiday party: “Celebrate Our Sustainable Future.”

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You are invited to Sustainable Tucson’s holiday party. 

Tuesday, December. 11, 6-8:30 p.m. (Doors open at 5:30 p.m.)

St Mark’s Presbyterian Church, 3809 E 3rd St. Geneva Room
(Parking on 3rd St. and 2nd St. 2nd St. lot is closer to the Geneva Rm.)

Share the bounty of the season at our holiday potluck. Non-alcoholic drinks provided by Sustainable Tucson. Save a dinosaur; bring your own flatware and glasses.


REASON TO CELEBRATE
If you read the recent IPCC study on climate change, you might not think there is much to celebrate this holiday season. The idea that climate change is progressing faster than first predicted can be quite a jolt, even if you’re already working to fight it. But it could also be an opportunity to come together as a community to envision and create a better, more sustainable and resilient Tucson!
At this year’s holiday party, Sustainable Tucson will be celebrating the possibilities by creating a festival atmosphere with street fair activities:
Design Your Dream Neighborhood: Create a walk-able, inviting neighborhood from a typical Tucson neighborhood map using blocks that represent elements of complete streets. (Model built by Changemaker High School students.)
Creating Our Future: Draw the ways we can create a sustainable future for Tucson by 2038 on panels we will join together into a paper quilt.
Community Tree: Add leaves with your ideas about what we can do as a community to make Tucson Sustainable by 2038.
Time Capsule: Place your note to the future in our time capsule to be opened in a year: What are your hopes for Tucson or what will you make happen in Tucson in the coming year?

“Tales of Future” storytelling stage: Local Comedian Jeremy Segal will host impromptu stories about pursuing your vision for a sustainable future and other fun environmental stories.

Come celebrate with us!

Recycling and beyond

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Are you concerned about all the waste produced in modern society? Is “zero waste” a realistic goal? What can we do otherwise? Join us for a conversation with Master Recyclers, who will share insights and advice on effective recycling, one piece of the sustainability puzzle.

Post-presentation planning meeting, 7:30-8:00 pm: If you would like to be part of a new action team in Sustainable Tucson, we will be discussing local points of leverage for plastics reduction and other zero waste strategies. Sample points: no-straws-please, plastic tote bags, and green waste collection by the City. Join us for mindful activism in community!

Tuesday, Nov 13, 6:00-7:30 pm,
at the Ward 6 office, 3202 E. 1st St.
Doors open at 5:30

Recycling and beyond

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Are you concerned about all the waste produced in modern society? Is “zero waste” a realistic goal? What can we do otherwise? Join us for a conversation with Master Recyclers, who will share insights and advice on effective recycling, one piece of the sustainability puzzle.

Post-presentation planning meeting, 7:30-8:00 pm: If you would like to be part of a new action team in Sustainable Tucson, we will be discussing local points of leverage for plastics reduction and other zero waste strategies. Sample points: no-straws-please, plastic tote bags, and green waste collection by the City. Join us for mindful activism in community!

Meeting: 2nd Tuesday of month
Tuesday, Nov 13, 6:00-7:30 pm,
Ward 6 office, 3202 E. 1st St
Doors open at 5:00

WHAT’S UP WITH THE PROPOSED ROSEMONT MINE?

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Sustainable Tucson’s October meeting

Sustainable Tucson’s October meeting

 

6:00 – 8:00 PM, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018

(Doors open at 5:30 p.m.)

Tucson City Council Ward 6

3202 East 1st Street · Tucson, AZ

If you’ve been looking at the newspaper recently, you will have seen an op-ed from the Tucson Chamber of Commerce saying that it is time for us all to stop “fighting” and for the Rosemont mine to start. That was followed by a number of letters to the editor that clearly explained why the mine is a really bad deal for southern Arizona.

In this talk Gayle Hartmann, president of Save the Scenic Santa Ritas, will bring you up to date on what is happening and what is likely to happen in the near future. We’ll also screen a documentary about the Rosemont Mine by Frances Causey: “Ours Is The Land” is the new short film that depicts in moving and powerful detail the spiritual, cultural, and physical connection of the Tohono O’odham people of Arizona to Ce:wi Duag or the Santa Rita Mountains which are imperiled by the proposed creation of the mile-wide, half-mile deep Rosemont open pit copper mine. Desecrating this revered area with a mine would fundamentally alter the cultural landscape of the Tohono O’odham nation.

 

Sustainable Tucson at TENWEST!

At 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 14th, look for our tents at Discover Local Day in the Tucson Museum of Art Courtyard. “Discover Local Sustainability” Fun activities for all ages that show how our desert town can flourish in the future. Activities include:

  1. “Design your Neighborhood”: Create a walkable, inviting neighborhood from a typical Tucson neighborhood map using movable pieces that represent elements of complete streets. (Model built by Changemaker High School students.)
  2.  “Planning Tucson’s Future”: Draw your ideas of what we can do now to make Tucson a great place to live in 2038.
  3. “Understanding Our Groundwater”: Nothing is more important in the desert than water and the water we use in Tucson comes from underground. Understand how this works with an interactive groundwater model from Arizona Project Wet.
  4. “Note to the Future” letter-writing activity. Adult participants will be prompted to write a letter to a young person to be read 20 years from now, and young people will be prompted to write to a parent or other elder, looking ahead 20 years.
  5. “Tales of the Future”: Attendees will be inspired to tell their own 2-3 minute stories on their vision for a sustainable future for Tucson. The show will be hosted by local comedian Jeremy Segal.

 

TACTICAL URBANISM BLOCK PARTY

From 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 20th, you can find our tent at Sixth Avenue and Seventh Street (near EXO coffee.) “Design your Neighborhood” and “Understanding Our Groundwater” activities. Volunteers with vehicles needed to transport tables and activities. For more information call Jana at 325-9175.

SHADE FOR TUCSON

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September Sustainable Tucson Monthly Meeting

Tuesday, September 11, 2018     

One of the simplest and most pleasing ways we can adapt to climate change, while mitigating its effects, is to reforest our world. Globally, trees are dying off. But cities across the country are working to reverse this trend. Tucson is one of those cities. The goal: a shade canopy of 20% (we’re currently at 8%) by 2030.

At this Sustainable Tucson meeting, you can learn about the Shade for Tucson campaign, led by a network of non-profits who are reaching out to businesses, government agencies, and community groups to join in this massive effort. After brief presentations, leaders in this campaign will engage in conversation with all present as we envision and plan for the planting and care of one million trees across the city. Panelists include Tom Ellis, Executive Director, Tucson Clean and Beautiful; Katie Gannon, Program Director, Trees for Tucson; Kendall Kroesen, Community Outreach Coordinator, Mission Garden; and Tanya Quist, Director, UA Campus Arboretum.

Doors open 5:30 pm   Program starts 6:00 pm   

Ward 6 City Council Office  3202 E 1st Street

 

 

What’s the future of energy for Tucson?

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Solar power. Wind energy. Hydroelectric. Geothermal. Nuclear power. What are the alternatives to our fossil fuel addiction? How can we implement them? What are the advantages? What are the challenges?

There are a lot of questions about transitioning to alternative energy. Join us at the next Sustainable Tucson meeting as we explore the options. We’ll start off with a movie program that highlights some of the issues and then welcome a panel of local experts to discuss the topic and answer your questions. It promises to be a stimulating and informative evening.

The panelists for the evening:

  • Duane Ediger, Technicians for Sustainability
  • Michael Peel, Local First Arizona
  • Russell Lowes, Sierra Club Rincon Group
  • Jeff Yockey, TEP Resource Planning Manager
  • John Eisele will be able to represent Tucson 2030 District

In addition, we will present two short videos that gives important context for the discussion:

  1. National Geographic Renewable Energy 101 (3:16). May seem elementary to our audience, but it does provide some basic organizers. Suggestion: introduce it as a primer/reminder, a kind of warm-up for what follows.
  2. Global Weirding Series Renewable energy is way too expensive, right? (6:27). Katharine Hayhoe rocks, modeling what activists want to be able to do: understand and be ready for the scoffing remarks of status quotists . . . with a smile
  3. What is a Zero Energy Building?
  4. 12 steps to net zero. Conserving heat is a big piece of the puzzle in Puget Sound, but the concepts are applicable here

What’s in store for Tucson? Find out at the next Sustainable Tucson meeting:
August 14, 2018
Ward 6 • 3202 E 1st St
6:00 (Doors open at 5:30)

Complete Streets, Connecting Complete Neighborhoods, Creating a Complete City

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New construction is popping up all over Tucson: widening roads, new hotels and apartment complexes, and development of some of our most treasured architectural icons. At the same time, Tucson’s bicycle and pedestrian fatalities are on the rise. In recognition of the opportunities and problems, Ward 6 will be hosting a Complete Streets planning session on July 25th at 5:30 pm (see below).

In preparation for this meeting and to discuss the ramifications of some of the many development projects in the works or being proposed, we will be hosting a Complete Streets Primer at our July meeting (July 10 at 6 pm). Join us in thinking about



this topic in a broad and comprehensive way, including access to friends, neighbors, jobs, urban food production, services, resources, and entertainment in ways we can afford and that produce a lot less CO2.
We’ll present a selection of informative videos, followed by a discussion to envision building complete streets, complete neighborhoods, and a complete city in Tucson.

July 10, 6:00 pm (doors open 5:30 pm)
Ward 6, 3202 E. 1st Street

NOTE: Ward 6 no longer allows food or drink in the Community Room, so we can no longer provide refreshments at our meetings.

If you want to see what you missed, here are the videos we showed:

Sustainable Tucson Summer Potluck

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Tucson is not prepared for Climate Change, Mega-droughts, and much more. It will take a strong community where we know our neighbors and pull together to deal with what’s ahead. But many solutions exist at the local level, and the place to start is a good meal with friends and neighbors.

We know already that what we’re doing here is special: It grows (no pun intended) out of the 4,000-plus history of agriculture in our region, and we can use this local food scene to build community, build our local economy, and build a resilient future for our region. A great place to start to ensure a resilient Tucson is with a strong and resilient local food system.

Come to the June Sustainable Tucson meeting – a potluck dinner and discussion about Building Community thru Food. Find out about the new Food Resilience Network and how you can help build a healthy community in your beautiful, safe and abundant neighborhood.

This Tuesday, we will get together at the Ward 6 office (3202 E 1st St) to share a meal of family favorites and seasonal local food. And to discuss what would persuade you to want to get together with many of your neighbors to share food and fun, and build a stronger community where you live.

Bring a dish you can share. If possible, please try to feature one or more local ingredients. You can find a wide variety of delicious, seasonal local foods we grow right here in Southern Arizona at local Farmers Markets . And of course, favorite family traditions are welcome.

So regardless of your food tradition, come for the good food and community. At the

Sustainable Tucson Summer Potluck 2018

Program/potluck starts at 6:00. Doors open at 5:30. See you on the 12th.

 

P.S. – Help us keep plastic and similar products out of the local landfill — If you can, please bring your own plate, utensils, cup or glass. If you can’t (or forget), we’ll have all these supplies available, but we’re hoping to keep our trash footprint as limited as possible.

P.P.S. Space is limited, so if you use Facebook, please let us know you plan to attend thru this FB event link.

Do you eat? – Tucson’s Local Food Systems

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One of the reasons Tucson is recognized as a UN City of Gastronomy is that we have continuously grown and eaten local food for over 4000 years. We are also at the crossroads of many cultures and major climate zones, and have developed a unique culinary history. And we have dozens of local groups that are working to build a strong food system that provides delicious food, cuts down on food waste, and supports local economy, local farmers, community, and much more.

The May and June Sustainable Tucson meetings will begin to explore what we are already doing to make a vibrant and delicious local food system, and what we need to do to make Tucson more resilient and sustainable in food.

May is Movie Night. We’ll feature a wide variety of short videos on the Tucson local food scene — growing, distributing, eating, and sharing delicious local food. These shorts will feature local organizations and food heroes. Follow-up discussion will include how we can use food to build community and the local economy.

June will feature a potluck that (if you bring it) will feature a lot of locally sourced ingredients, with (planned) demonstrations of delicious food you can harvest from your own neighborhood (and yard), and presentations by local groups working to ensure food security in their communities.

Join us and prepare to share the abundance of our desert home.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018
6:00, Ward 6, 3202 E 1st St (doors open at 5:30)

Sustainable Tucson is supporting this. You can too.

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This letter begins:

“We ask Tucson Electric Power (TEP) for the following:

  • Plan for seven generations of ecological recovery.
  • Expedite the replacement of fossil fuels with clean renewable energy enriched by energy storage.
  • Start in Tucson with the Irvington H. Wilson Sundt Generating Station (IGS).”

If you want to find out more (And you really should),
then check out
<SIGN THIS LETTER>

You can sign it too.

Sustainable Water – A mirage or our future?

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At this month’s Sustainable Tucson meeting we will continue our investigation of water sustainability in Tucson.

A five person panel of water experts from academia, government, and the community will present their viewpoints about what water sustainability means in Tucson and how we can achieve that goal. There will be a moderated question session and then we will open the discussion up to the audience.

There’s nothing more important to life in the desert than water, so be sure to join us for this fascinating and essential discussion.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018
6:00 pm (Doors open at 5:30)
Ward 6, 3202 E 1st St

March General Meeting

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Sustainable Water
Part 1

Our March Sustainable Tucson meeting will feature Beyond the Mirage: The Future of Water in the West, a film by Cody Sheehy, produced by the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the Water Resources Research Center (WRRC).

As we in Tucson know all too well, “a water shortage is dogging all of the states in the Colorado River Basin. Beyond the Mirage: The Future of Water in the West reveals new technologies and challenges old ideas through interwoven stories that connect the Colorado snowpack to the bright lights of Las Vegas; presents the challenges facing and competition between the desert cities of Arizona, California, and Nevada and potential solutions being developed in Israel and China.” (IMdb)

Beyond the Mirage “is a journey deep into the … water shortage that is unfolding across the Western United States. Avoiding the mounting risk to our economic and social systems is possible, in large part by learning from countries like Israel that have already navigated successfully from water insecurity to abundance both for humans and the natural environment.”

We’re going to watch Beyond the Mirage, explore the additional footage on the Beyond the Mirage website, and discuss the film afterwards. Join us for popcorn and a thought-provoking evening.

March 13, 2018
6:00 pm (Doors open at 5:30)
Ward 6 Office, 3202 E 1st St.

SAVE the DATE: April Meeting: April 10: Panel on Water Issues


ST February Meeting: Civics 101 for Sustainable Advocacy

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Do you know what powers the Initiative gives Arizona citizens? What the City does that is different from the County? How you can speak at a public meeting?

Join us for an overview of the basic structure of the AZ governments, and how we can influence each one. The talk is designed as a factual reminder about civics and government – the stuff many of us learned in middle school but may have forgotten. Learning about the AZ government is important, as many of us didn’t grow up in AZ and have never learned how the AZ government is organized.

Follow-up discussion will review effective ways to interact with Arizona policy makers at all levels on issues of importance for our sustainable future.

Our presenter is Greer Warren, of Indivisible Southern Arizona. Greer Warren, a Tucson resident since 1988, became aware of the need for basic civics education this time last year, overhearing casual conversations about how one’s votes didn’t count, conversations rife with misinformation about how governmental systems work. She developed her Civics 101 classes because she figured it was time to try to get the information straight. Greer is also a birder and a hiker and a keen appreciator of geology and the natural world.

February 13, 2018
6 p.m. (doors open at 5:30). Ward 6 Office, 3202 E. 1st St.

Start the year right – with Friends and Action

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What delicious food would you like to share with other STers? We’re looking forward to sharing good food with you at a potluck dinner at the next Sustainable Tucson meeting on January 9.

The January Sustainable Tucson meeting will be a working potluck dinner. Our goal is to get to know one another, and to start to develop the ST working groups.

In 2018 we will continue to provide excellent information programs. But it is time make sustainability the agenda that drives public policy, the local economy, and private actions. Beginning on January 9, we are forming working groups that will:

  • Organize important meetings on ways to make Tucson more sustainable
  • Help you advocate for sustainable public policies, local businesses and private actions
  • Expand the reach of Sustainable Tucson and “get the word out” about our sustainable future
  • Help you work with your neighbors so we can all create that “village” where we work together to create the beautiful and resilient future we all seek

We are starting now, and you can help make it happen. We need your help to make it happen

Join us for a delicious potluck. Bring something to share and your own tableware. We particularly hope you will look for local ingredients, since local food is critical to creating our sustainable future. You can check out farmers markets near you thru this Edible Baja Arizona list

We know 2018 will be an exciting year. Kick it off the right way – working with friends to create our sustainable future together.

Happy New Year.

January 9 Sustainable Tucson meeting
Working potluck dinner
Ward 6 office, 3202 E 1st
Starts at 6:00 (doors open at 5:30).

Are you ready for some … Action?

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Yes, we’re all active in our community. Yes, we’re all busy. But there’s always more that needs attention — sometimes, immediate attention. The October Sustainable Tucson meeting will highlight both ideas and opportunities for action.

We will present a set of video clips featuring some exciting ways people are building sustainability in their communities, programs and projects to provoke your own ideas of what we can do here in Tucson. Among others, we will be showing some segments from a movie about Transition, a world-wide movement addressing climate disruption and economic instability through grass-roots community action. We will also show an interview with climate scientist and former UA professor Jonathan Overpeck, motivating us with a strong call to action.

Following that there will be a series of short “pitches” sharing current and urgent opportunities in our own community, opportunities for you to take your own action that night and in the days to follow.

Please join us on Tuesday, October 10.
Ward 6, 3202 E 1st St
6:00, (doors open at 5:30)

Aug 11, 2017 Jonathan Overpeck Interview

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Here’s the UA’s former Institute for the Environment  Director Jonathan Overpeck in his final interview with Metro Week. The August 11 program in which this interview was aired no longer appears on the UA’s podcast site for MetroWeek. Due to size limitations this 10 minute clip is presented in low resolution.

LowResOverpeck

 

 

Sustainable Tucson General Meeting

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Turning Principles into Action

The challenge of creating a sustainable Tucson is daunting. In a de-carbonized world we will eventually have and do nothing that requires fossil fuels. And currently everything does.

But the opportunities for a beautiful, safe, and equitable world are even greater than the difficulties. So … let’s get on with the job.

At the Sept 12 Sustainable Tucson meeting, we will ask you to think big – What would inspire you? What would make you think – “I WANT that!”

Over the summer, about 60 people developed a few Principles for Our Sustainable Community. We organized our August City Council Candidates Forum around these principles. We only covered a few areas – water, transportation, economy – and we plan to cover more areas in the future. But these are important areas that will get us started.

Your task on Sept 12 is to work together to identify ways to take these Principles and turn them into opportunities for action. We will also ask you to identify the groups that should be involved to help make them happen. At the least, these could become very interesting topics for future Sustainable Tucson meetings. They might even evolve into new coalitions that would try to make them happen. (Similar to the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection that got the County to create the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan and protect 200,000 acres of Sonoran desert.)

Do you have an INSPIRING idea for what we can do in Tucson to make sure we have sustainable water, transportation and jobs? Do you want to hear the great ideas that some of our neighbors already have? Check out some ideas at Food for Thought.

Come to the next Sustainable Tucson meeting on September 12, starting at 6pm. We will meet at St Marks Presbyterian Church, so we have room to spread out.

See you there.

Next meeting:
September 12, 6pm (doors open at 5:30)
St Marks Presbyterian Church, 3809 E 3rd St
Plenty of parking in 2nd St lot

September General Meeting – Moving Principles to Action

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Over the summer, Sustainable Tucson developed the first set of principles for our sustainable future. These formed the basis for last month’s City Council Candidates Forum. We will add to them at future, to cover other important sustainability topics.

Now it’s time to go to the next step.

Over the coming months, Sustainable Tucson will explore the opportunities to make Tucson a more resilient and sustainable community. These include:
* Sustainable reliance on renewable water
* Sustainable transportation that is climate-ready, affordable, and that connects us to what is important
* Sustainable economy that serves our people and our needs

On September 12, we will ask you to consider each of the key principles we developed over the summer and answer three questions:
* What opportunities can we have and create, if we implement these principles?
* What local resources must we have and create, in order to seize these opportunities?
* What’s next?

It is important that we also get your help to develop these ideas for future programs. We will be recruiting volunteers to help develop future programs – contact groups that are promoting the ideas, forming stakeholder panels, developing background information, and more. Please consider helping, if a topic really interests you.

Check out — Food for Thought. These are only a sample of some of the many good ideas that are currently circulating in Tucson. We will be adding more, as we go along.

Special location:
St Marks Presbyterian Church
3809 E 3rd St
Parking on 2nd Street
Program starts at 6:00
Doors open at 5:30

August Candidates Forum

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How do we Build Our Sustainable Future Together?

See the Entire Forum

Sustainable Tucson, in collaboration with Local First Arizona and others, is hosting a City Council Candidates Forum on Wednesday, August 9, titled “Building Our Sustainable Future – Together”. All candidates from the three City wards with elections have been invited.

Five candidates are confirmed, so far:
Ward 3

  • Felicia Chew (D)
  • Paul Durham (D)
  • Tom Tronsdale (D)
  • Gary Watson (I)

Ward 6

  • Mike Cease (G)
  • Steve Kozachik (D)

This free forum will be held at Changemaker High School, 1300 S Belevedere, starting at 6pm. It is open to the public. Current sponsors are: Local First Arizona, Pima County Food Alliance, Progressive Democrats of Arizona, Community Water Coalition, and Changemaker High School.

The August 9 Candidates Forum will ask the candidates to discuss their views on the City’s role in four areas:

  • Assuring renewable water that serves Tucson’s priorities
  • Climate-ready and affordable transportation
  • Relocalization and economic redevelopment, and
  • Public awareness and involvement: Making sustainability our way of life

Candidates will be asked to discuss how they see the challenges that the city faces in these areas, and what role the City government has in helping to prepare Tucson for the challenges ahead.

Sustainable Tucson is an 11 year old non-profit organization that educates Tucson on the challenges and opportunities we face in the years ahead. At recent monthly meetings, we have covered topics ranging from Building Resilience by Building Community to Community Banking to Living with Urban Wildlife. Other projects include the 7th Annual Envision Tucson Sustainable Festival this November, and Feeding Tucson, a program to promote community resilience through a strong local food system.

Forum:
6:00 to 8:30, August 9, 2017
Changemaker High School
1300 S Belevedere Ave

Doors open at 5:30

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July Workshop
What are our best opportunities for action?
What’s next? How do we get governments, businesses, financial organizations, educational institutions, and just plan folk to work together to make Tucson more sustainable and resilient?

One answer is to know what we want … and then talk “amongst ourselves” – every chance we get.

Come to the next Sustainable Tucson meeting, July 11 at Ward 6 office from 6-9pm, and help create the next step in developing “Principles for Our Sustainable Future”. Please register now, so we know how many people to plan for and can provide additional materials for next Tuesday’s meeting.

At this workshop, we will build on the principles developed at the June Sustainable Tucson meeting. These principles were developed by over 40 people in a 3 hour workshop and cover five areas – water, transportation, local jobs and businesses, green redevelopment, and financing.

At the July workshop, you will help identify overlaps and connections between these principles and then craft community-wide opportunities that the City of Tucson could help promote. (Example connection)

The results of this meeting will guide our City Council Candidates forum on August 9. The goal will be to identify 4-6 such opportunities and ask the City Council Candidates to discuss the City’s role in making Tucson more resilient and sustainable, using these opportunities as examples. These principles and connections may also be used in candidate forums for the Board of Supervisors, next year.

This should be a fun evening. You will be working with other creative and caring Tucsonans who want to make Tucson a better place for all of us. So put on your creative cap, and join in the fun. Register now.

Special June Workshop – Principles for Tucson’s Sustainability Agenda

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“If you don’t know where you’re going, any direction will do.“

The June Sustainable Tucson meeting is the first of a three-part program to begin a community dialog on what we need to do to make Tucson more sustainable and resilient.

The June meeting is a workshop to develop “Principles for Tucson’s Sustainability Agenda”. At this meeting, we will tackle five key areas (out of dozens that are possible) and identify key principles of sustainability that we need to apply in Tucson. (For example, a principle might be “we will plan to rely solely on renewable, dependable water supplies.”)

The July meeting will develop a strategy to make – having a future – a central part of the public (and private) discussions. And August will be the first example of this – a City Council Candidates’ Forum that focuses on the candidates’ views of the City’s roles in making or preventing progress toward sustainability.

If you want to get involved in the June workshop, you need to register, because seating is limited. The meeting will be from 6 to 9pm on June 13. Please use this Doodle Link <https://doodle.com/poll/xix3i2smc35czpei > to reserve your seat and to indicate which topic areas you are most interested in.

We need help to put on these programs, and the programs that follow. Please consider becoming part of the team that makes these and future programs happen.

We hope to see you Tuesday.

Living with Urban Wildlife: Ready or Not!

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May General Meeting
When: May 9, 2017 Doors open 5:30 p.m. Program begins at 6:00

You don’t have to go far in Tucson for wildlife encounters. Right in the center of the city, we’ve all seen coyotes trotting down the street, watched hawks circling gracefully overhead, and heard that distinctive rattle that brings all motion to a halt. We see bobcats lounging in the back yard, share our gardens (though not by choice) with everything from javelina to ground squirrels, and laugh at the lizards doing push-ups. We’re already living with wildlife throughout out urban area.

But changes in climate and habitat — including on-going development in once-wild areas — are bringing increasing numbers of wildlife into the city. And with the changing numbers, we are faced with the need to change our relationship with these new “neighbors.” So how can we all live together, safely and calmly, in ways that respect and protect all?

Join us to explore this question at Sustainable Tucson’s May General Meeting, “Living with Urban Wildlife: Ready or Not!” Our panelists will share insights and suggestions, looking at current conditions and looking ahead a bit at expected changes in numbers and kinds of encounters. There will be plenty of time to ask questions and share ideas.

Speakers include:
• Erin Sol, Environmental Education Program Specialist, Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation
• Sergio Avila, Conservation Research Scientist, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
• Dr. Michael Rosenzweig, Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona
• Jennie MacFarland, Bird Conservation Biologist & Tucson Bird Count Coordinator, Tucson Audubon Society

When: May 9, 2017 Doors open 5:30 p.m. Program begins at 6:00
Where: Ward 6 Office, 3202 E. 1st St. (one block east of Country Club, one block south of Speedway)

“Chasing Ice” Outdoor Film Screening

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James Balog’s “Chasing Ice” is the Emmy-winning story of one person’s mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of our changing planet. This documentary brings to light the global life force of glaciers and the alarming rate at which they’re disappearing.

Prepare for the People’s Climate March by joining the journey of a photographer trying to deliver evidence and hope to our carbon-powered planet.

What: Chasing Ice Outdoor Film Screening (watch the trailer here)
When: Thursday, April 27, 2017, 6 p.m. (Film starts at Sunset)
Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, 4831 E. 22nd Street, Tucson, AZ 85711 (map)
RSVP

Food, Water, And Traditional Knowledge In Arid Lands

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The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Southwest Folklife Alliance are screening a 15-minute documentary — produced by the College of SBS and SFA — titled “Food, Water, and Traditional Knowledge in Arid Lands.” The film emerged from the Food and Water in Arid Lands conference held at the UA this spring.

Following the free film showing — which will be held at the Loft Cinema on April 23 at 2 p.m. — a panel of community experts, including people from the film, will dicuss “Tools for policy, organizing, and action.”

Description of the film
Human beings are putting more stress on our food and water delivery systems than ever before. While some may look to emerging technologies, there is a growing acknowledgement that Traditional Knowledge and Indigenous practices hold tremendous promise for food security in times of population growth, economic inequality, and changing climates.

In this film, practitioners and teachers of Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge from the Southwestern United States and around the globe share their insights on multigenerational, community-based, and culturally-embedded models of food and water sustainability in arid lands.

These models are important for food and water security, but even more, they can also help ensure social justice, economic justice, human rights, and political autonomy across the globe.

Loft Cinema, Sunday April 23, 2:00 pm
Free Admission. Post-film Q &A
https://sbs.arizona.edu/event/film-screening-panel-food-water-and-traditional-knowledge-arid-lands

Decision Support for Uncertain Climate Futures: The Confidence Trap

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For more than 200 years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has had primary responsibility for water resource operations on most major U.S. river systems. Managing the impacts of climate variability and change is a significant challenge; projections of specific, possible threats and impacts to regional scale hydrology are still uncertain enough that explicit guidance is needed on their interpretation and use. This talk will describe new approaches to helping decision makers understand uncertainties in managing real river systems, aiming to avoid communication issues about confidence while respecting uncertainties.

Jeff Arnold is senior scientist and lead climate scientist at the USACE, where he integrates climate change considerations, including both adaptation and mitigation, into water resources applications. He co-directs the USACE National Climate Preparedness and Resilience programs and is coordinating lead author for adaptation in the Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessment.

Where
University of Arizona ENR2 building
1064 E. Lowell Street
Agnese Nelms Haury Lecture Hall, Room S107

Great Tide Rising: Toward Clarity and Moral Courage in a Time of Planetary Change

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Join us for this powerful talk with environmental advocate, philosopher, and award-winning author Kathleen Dean Moore, Ph.D as we examine our motivations and obligations to extend engaged compassionate action toward the environment.

Climate change may be an economic and technological problem. But fundamentally, it is a moral problem, and it calls for a moral response. In this talk, Dr. Moore, author of Great Tide Rising: Toward Clarity and Moral Courage in a Time of Planetary Change, and co-editor of Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril, takes on the essential questions:

Why is it wrong to wreck the world? What is our obligation to the future? What is the transformative power of moral resolve? How can clear thinking stand against the lies and illogic that batter the chances for positive change? And always this: What stories and ideas will lift people who deeply care, inspiring them to move forward with clarity and moral courage?

Where
UA Environment and Natural Resources 2 (ENR2)
1064 E. Lowell Street Tucson, AZ 85719
United States

ACC Public Comment Meeting on Distributed Solar

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June 26, 2017, 10:00 am — Arizona Corporation Commission office, 400 W. Congress Street, Room 222

This public meeting will deal with Phase 2 issues of TEP’s Rate Application. Phase 2 will address rate design for solar distributed generation and net metering tariff modifications. The Commissioners need to hear from all of us!

Public Meetings About Proposed Interstate 11- May 2 & 3

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Tuesday, May 2 — Arizona Riverpark Inn, 777 W. Cushing Street
Wednesday, May 3 — Marana Middle School, Cafeteria, 11285 W. Grier Road, Marana

The Arizona Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration are hosting public meetings to present corridor alternatives for the proposed interstate 11 between Nogales and Wickenburg.

More information and talking points will be available from Coalition for Sonoran Desert Preservation closer to the meeting date.

Sign-making Workshops — People’s Climate March – Tucson 2017

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Come one, come all. You don’t have to be artistic! We will have examples of slogans or bring your own! Bring art supplies or donate them. We will have some too.

Workshop 1
Friday, April 14, 3 pm – 7 pm
Raices Taller 222 Art Gallery and Workshop
218 E. 6th Street
Workshop 2
Thursday, April 20, 5 pm – 8 pm
Ward One Council Office (Regina Romero)
940 W. Alameda Street
Workshop 3
Monday, April 24, 5 pm – 8 pm
Brother John’s Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ
1801 N. Stone Avenue

Tucson Earth Day Festival

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Tucson Earth Day Festival

Saturday, April 22, 10:00 am-2:00 pm — Tucson Children’s Museum, 200 S. 6th Avenue

Free and open to the public, with free admission to the Museum all day
Eco-friendly exhibits and hands-on activities — for kids of all ages!

Interested exhibitors can register through April 7.
www.tucsonearthday.org

Case Studies and Cocktails with Tucson Emerging 2030 District

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Thursday, April 20, 5:30-7:00 pm — Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress Street

USGBC Arizona and the Tucson Emerging 2030 District invite you to celebrate Earth Month in Arizona with a tour and networking reception at the historic Hotel Congress.

Learn how Hotel Congress is positioning itself as a leader in energy efficiency and sustainable design through partnership with the 2030 District.

Come and find out how you can get involved.

See details and RSVP to event

Chasing Ice — Outdoor showing — film begins at dusk

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Thursday, April 13, 6:00 pm — Unitarian Universalist Church, patio, 4831 E 22nd Street
Free and open to the public

Chasing Ice is the Emmy winning story of one man’s mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of our changing planet. Patio: film begins at dusk.
www.tucsonsolidarity.org/calendar

For more information, email contact@tucsonsolidarity.org

Watch the trailer
The film will also be shown (same time & place) on April 27
RSVP