17 november 2006
Sustainable Ypsi Group (SYPSI) Bursting with Ideas, Energy
[Written by sustainability goddess Lisa and posted with her permission!]
What a GREAT Sustainable Ypsi (SYPSI) meeting we had last night! Lots of exciting discussion!
For those who didn't attend, a summary follows.
Mich Green Energy Economy - had some discussion of Wednesday's PBS program on investment in renewable energy industries around the state. A bunch of companies were highlighted that are making solar & wind components. Could Ypsilanti attract such businesses, for example, to Exemplar? Could we start a pressure campaign on DTE to get a little bit of momentum on renewable energy sources like Consumers Power & Mackinaw Power are doing?
Mayor's 20/20 task force - Here is Mayor Schreiber's description of the Ypsilanti 2020 Task Force: "Ypsilanti 2020 will have an urgent goal: Developing, within Schreiber's first 100 days in office, at least five innovative, yet practical ideas for promoting increased economic development, more public/private partnerships, greater government efficiency, and more effective regional cooperation—all aimed at helping Ypsilanti deal quickly with its immediate budget crisis and build a more solid economic foundation." We discussed the possibility of doing research and serving as a citizen's committee on the task force promoting sustainability ideas like those in the documentary. Lisa wrote to the mayor and proposed the idea. He agreed to meet with her to discuss it. Other SYPSI folks are welcome to join Lisa to trade ideas with Mayor Schreiber, when a date is decided upon.
Local Currency - Lisa continues to be jazzed at the idea of a local currency, based on the success of Ithaca Hours. (See the attached comic that explains how it works.) Seems like the unique configuration of our upstart community might make this idea really work well in Ypsilanti. Lisa will order the "How To" booklet on Ithaca NY's local currency system. Some of the wide ranging benefits include:
HOURS expand the local money supply (and keep it in the local economy)
HOURS promote and expand local shopping, with an endless multiplier
HOURS increase the local minimum wage to $10.00, benefitting not only workers but businesses as well, who find new and loyal customers
HOURS enable shoppers to afford premium prices for locally-crafted goods and for locally-grown organic food
HOURS help start new businesses and jobs
HOURS reduce dependence on imports and transport fuels
HOURS stimulate community pride
Partnering with YpsiVotes/Business Forum - Lisa talked to Amanda Edmonds of Growing Hope & Mark Maynard of YpsiVotes.com about ideas for collaboration, possibly the local currency idea? Mark is thinking about how SYPSI might be present at the Shadow Art Fair on 12/2/06 to launch a drive for participants.
Sustainability and Entertainment - Ruben described his facinating philosophy that sustainability must involve every aspect of life, as well as every single person, reaching them with our message. He pointed out the gloom & doom tendency of environmentalists and plans to create films that associate sustainability with joy and fun. His films could be linked to our blog. He's also working on a project now with the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor. Welcome, Ruben & Juliana!
Website/Blog - it's in the "sandbox" phase, using WordPress, an open source platform. We envision all the regular attenders of Sustainable Ypsilanti having rights to post as contributors. So far, we thought of the following sections: ; a page listing all things sustainable LOCALLY including goods & services; a page for our Initiatives (Ypsilanti 20/20 task force, No-Cup Coffee, Local Currency, Partnering); Discussion of those initiatives & other sustainability gossip in the blog area; Automated letters to legislators on relevant sustainability issues; Regular weekly post on your personal actions/thoughts/worries on sustainability (like "open mike Fridays"); Links & Reading List. Theresa, Lisa & Fritz are developing a workable structure. Hope to have it running by the end of the month.
Dreaming BIG - Google Foundation is run by a guy who has local ties and an interest in sustainability. Maybe if SYPSI were to write a grant, we could get the big bucks for a project not otherwise achievable. Let's think: 25 compact flourescents for every household in Ypsi? 1000 solar arrays free to residents? A light rail system?
Posted by ypsidixit at 17 november 2006 12:31
Comments
It WAS a great meeting. Two new members showed up. The gentleman had some truly visionary, far-seeing ideas and some progressive and practical reflections about the overriding gloominess of the concept of sustainability (and many of its practitioners :) ) and he discussed how to make sustainability more like pop culture and fun.
Posted by: Laura at 17 november 2006 12:50
I would LOVE to see a local currency experiment in Ypsi!
I'm not an Ypsi resident at the moment, but I plan on returning to the area sometime next year.
As a radical decentralist, I hold a favorable opinion towards almost anything that'll promote decentralist values, especially those that happen to involve alternatives to corporate statism.
For more info. on LETS, check out my LETS page on del.icio.us. I'm gonna have to start reading some of those items myself.
Posted by: freeman at 17 november 2006 23:21
Freeman, welcome to the blog! It sounds as though you have some good ideas to contribute. Lisa had a sheet of Ypsi Bucks printed out to show at the meeting. They showed the water tower juxtaposed with the nearby bust of the Greek general D. Ypsilanti. Snappy-looking and cool.
Posted by: Laura at 17 november 2006 23:57
I really encourage everyone to go take a look at the websites www.ithacahours.org and www.ithacahours.com. They outline some of the amazing stuff that a local currency can do. Since I was summarizing, I left out some very interesting aspects in my meeting redux, such as the ability to make loans and pay wages in a local currency. With a stroke, people working for minimum wage could be making $10 per hour. Loan made in local currency could be paid to local workers & contractors -- (loans from Ithaca Hours are interest free, since the goal is not profit) and we could do the same here. Some portion of that could be cashed back in for dollars, but also that Ypsi currency could be spent with participating craftspeople, local businesses, local service providers, etc. WE can DO this, I think.
Posted by: Lisele at 18 november 2006 10:28
Yes, I think we can do this. I personally want to learn more about 1. how to guard against counterfeiting and 2. how to institute the system so that there's an incentive for the first wave of participants to do so.
I find this FAQ a good starting point, from .org site you just mentioned.
Posted by: Laura at 18 november 2006 10:36
I think applying for a grant is a great idea - there is very likely money out there to do what we want to do, it's just not ours yet!
I especially like the light rail idea, but isn't that prohibitively expensive? What about money to revitalize Riverside Park? I think if the park had more things to attract people, more people would come downtown (and stay to eat, shop, etc.) One suggestion at the Business Forum a few weeks ago was some kind of riverwalk near Michigan Avenue that would attract strollers. I also think a simple playground would attract families, especially if it had something the other playgrounds didn't. Parents will often go out of their way to take their kids to their "favorite" playground...
Posted by: OK at 20 november 2006 12:07
A climbable Smeet Frog? No, no, no *I* know, power-generating teeter-totters!!! There is actually a Brazilian ecovillage that has them, no kidding! The power could be used for ...what? Something educational, yet fun. C'mon parents, help me out here. How about powering a little rideable railroad?
Posted by: Lisele at 20 november 2006 12:40
A grant to print money. Heh. (snort!)
(Soberly) But you're right--likely there are some grant funds out there.
Lisele: I like that teeter-totter idea. I've also seen them used to pump water in Africa: check it out.
I have to say I would put such an item in a school playground, not in Riverside Park.
There wouldn't be enough kids in Riverside Park to supply a steady enough stream of power. Such a teeter-totter runs the danger of becoming something detractors could point to to say, "See? You sustainability people were wrong...so we're not gonna approve funds for your next project." Just my two cents.
But, yeah, put 'em in the schools, by all means.
Posted by: Laura at 20 november 2006 16:50
Ha ha - sorry, I don't think I read it carefully enough before posting. I was thinking more in terms of economic sustainability of the city, but I like your suggestions...
Posted by: Anonymous at 20 november 2006 19:28
I was thinking the teeter-totter would generate interest and attract more kids to come to Riverside Park, as OK suggested. If we could get it to power something, I know kids would be interested and work hard to generate enough power to make that happen -- more of a demonstration project and educational project, than something intended for practical purposes, like pumping water. But hey, if there were gardens in Riverside Park, then pumping water would be a GREAT use of teeter-totter power! Hmmmmm.
Posted by: Lisele at 21 november 2006 15:07
Lisele: Your point is well taken. It could be an educational tool.
Kid-powered energy sources are an as-yet untapped source of power, is what it boils down to. I still think some judicious kid-powered play equipment in local elementary-school playgrounds could have amazing and various results.
Posted by: Laura at 22 november 2006 01:13