(more photos below)
Last night I attended “Sustainable Suds” event, held at Lakefront Brewery (a truly values-driven brewer), and put on by the WI League of Conservation Voters. This event was a nice social – meet other like-minded citizens, meet the staff of WLCV, and take a tour of the brewery – with focus on the many sustainable efforts they make.
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For a long time, I’ve been interested in sustainability, and have tried in what ways I can, to keep my business “green” – recycling as thoroughly as possible in my home and office, delivering many of photos electronically rather than burning CDs, signing up for WE Energies’ “Energy For Tomorrow” program, printing my marketing materials on post-consumer-content recycled paper, and keeping my membership in the Greener Business Network up-to-date, for instance.
A number of years ago, I read the book “Making a Living While Making a Difference“, and I try to keep its basic tenet in mind when it comes to my behaviors – we all CAN make a difference, and every little effort DOES matter. So, if you get a bike-rack, so you can go in to town for errands, and just park once, then bike around – great! If your utility offers an option to get your electricity from sustainable methods, and you sign up – great! If you recycle your garbage, compost your organic waste, grow something of a garden (any size counts), and visit a farmers’ market on a regular basis – ALL GREAT! All of these efforts WILL make a difference – not just in your environment, but in you, and those around you. We learn by example – what examples are we setting with our behaviors? With how we treat the people by our side and the ground beneath our feet? What are we saying, through our actions, is important to us? It all matters.
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I admit to being a pretty passive environmentalist. I donate when I can afford to. I share information via social media and occasional emails. I vote with environmental voting records in mind. I get it – we have to play a long game, when it is in regards to the environment. You canNOT make short-term decisions. Your kids, their kids, and then some will have to live with the decisions we make now. So, ALWAYS, the environment.
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So, back to the topic at hand.
I went to a conservation group’s event. And I had a blast. I met nice, passionate, interesting, fun, informed, caring people. People who are in the “policy trenches”, trying to make a difference in our state, to keep it as the beautiful place it’s been, for a long while into the future. Look at this map – there is a LOT at stake. Our ability to lead a good life depends significantly on how we treat the environment – fresh air, clean water, fertile soil. It IS possible to care for the environment AND have a thriving economy – it just means not taking the easy way out. Let’s see what we can do.
(and go like the WLCV on FBook and follow them on Twitter)
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