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

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

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.

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).

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

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

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.

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).

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)

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

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

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

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.

“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.

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)

2030 Districts are a national network of organizations in 15 cities in North America that are working to reduce building energy, water waste, and carbon transportation emissions by 50% by 2030.

At Sustainable Tucson’s April General Meeting, come hear the update of the Tucson Emerging 2030 District, Tucson’s new Community Partnership to transform our commercial and institutional buildings.

The Tucson Emerging 2030 District continues to evolve, and their executive committee will share their progress and expectations with Sustainable Tucson to describe how far the concept has proceeded since earlier presentations. Learn about the workshops, forums, PCC classes, and community events, which are attracting interest in this important new initiative in Tucson.

After Tres English presents a brief overview of the conditions of our quarter million aging tract homes, the second half of the April General Meeting will feature David Eisenberg, Director of the Development Center for Appropriate Technology.

David will present an overview of what people need to know to embark on the green building journey. This will include information on building codes, building science, green building materials, and reliable sources for further information. If you are interested in the subject of green retrofitting of existing residences or designing and building your own eco-house, this part will be of particular value. David will also describe the potential for green retrofitting Tucson’s vast housing stock built between 1950 and 1990.

• Ward 6, 3202 E 1st St
• Tuesday, April 11, 2017
• 6:00 pm (doors open 5:00)

Free lecture Friday evening at the TEP Unisource Building, 88 East Broadway, Tucson AZ Saturday conference at the Tucson Convention Center (details below) Tucson will be hosting a climate change conference focused on public health and climate adaptation in September, sponsored by Physicians for Social Responsibility and 35 other local and national organizations. The following […]

See the online video archive of the entire conference at nytenergyfortomorrow.com ENERGY FOR TOMORROW – BUILDING SUSTAINABLE CITIES A NEW YORK TIMES CONFERENCE IN COLLABORATION WITH RICHARD ATTIAS AND ASSOCIATES APRIL 25, 2013 THE TIMESCENTER, NEW YORK CITY   THE CONCEPT According to U.N. data, the worldwide urban population over the next 40 years will […]

Phoenix in the Climate Crosshairs by William deBuys   If cities were stocks, you’d want to short Phoenix. Of course, it’s an easy city to pick on. The nation’s 13th largest metropolitan area (nudging out Detroit) crams 4.3 million people into a low bowl in a hot desert, where horrific heat waves and windstorms visit […]

How President Obama Can Beat The Odds And Make Good On His Commitments from Edgar S. Cahn, CEO TimeBanks USA, Distinguished Professor of Law, UDC David A. Clarke School of Law In his Inaugural Address, President Obama made some commitments that seem to defy fiscal reality:   “A little girl born into the bleakest poverty […]

Eco-Health Relationship Browser EPA Sustainable and Healthy Communities (SHC) Research News Flash September 25, 2012 The EPA Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research Program is pleased to announce the launch of the Eco-Health Relationship Browser, an easy-to-use new online tool from the SHC program. The Eco-Health Relationship Browser illustrates the linkages between human health and ecosystem […]

Global Warming’s Terrifying New Math Three simple numbers that add up to global catastrophe – and that make clear who the real enemy is by Bill McKibben (350.org) This story is from the August 2nd, 2012 issue of Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719 If the pictures of those towering wildfires in Colorado haven’t convinced you, or the […]

Documents: Industry Privately Skeptical of Shale Gas Over the past six months, The New York Times reviewed thousands of pages of documents related to shale gas, including hundreds of industry e-mails, internal agency documents and reports by analysts. A selection of these documents is included here; names and identifying information have been redacted to protect […]

An audio recording of Dr. Jonathan Overpeck’s presentation at DuVal Auditorium in Tucson February 13th 2012 is now available here on the Sustainable Tucson website. To listen or download, please go to the first comment on ST February Meeting – Climate Change in Tucson and the Southwest – Dr Jonathan Overpeck.

Sustainable Tucson’s statement of support for the Occupy Wall Street movement and Occupy Tucson The mission of Sustainable Tucson is to create a community-wide network of people and organizations facilitating and accelerating Tucson’s transition to sustainability through education and collaborative action. A sustainable community embodies social justice and economic justice as well as environmental justice. […]

6 Burning Questions About the Violent Crackdowns on Occupations Around the Country By Lynn Parramore, AlterNet Posted on November 15, 2011 http://www.alternet.org/story/153083 /6_burning_questions_about_the_violent_crackdowns_ on_occupations_around_the_country Occurring without provocation, the Occupy crackdown gives the appearance of an orchestrated effort to thwart an emerging protest movement. Early morning Tuesday, in New York City, hundreds of police officers, many in riot […]

Sustainable Tucson comments on proposed Rosemont Mine Sustainable Tucson is a non-profit, grass-roots organization that builds regional resilience and sustainability through awareness raising, community engagement and public/private partnerships. We recognize the need to focus on sustainability within the Sonoran bioregion. The proposal by the Augusta Resources Corporation to develop a copper mine in the Santa […]

Buying Underwear, Along With the Whole Store By AMY CORTESE   SARANAC LAKE, N.Y.   THE residents of Saranac Lake, a picturesque town in the Adirondacks, are a hardy lot — they have to be to withstand winter temperatures that can drop to 30 below zero. But since the local Ames department store went out […]