Train Initiative Can Help Struggling Communities and the Environment

Welcome back!

I just read a blog written by real estate professional Carole Cohen about a lobbying effort to bring high speed rail to her state. I mention her profession because often some of the best cheerleaders for strong and sustainable community life are real estate agents.

Financial incentives aside, sometimes real estate agents are the most informed community advocates and when they use their marketing skills to help promote and protect the best that a community has to offer it can be beautiful! Tip: work with those kinds of agents and invite them on your PTA and fundraising committees.

Anyhow, what got my attention was a new railway initiative highlighted on her site. I lived as a student and later as a mother in two Midwestern states – Ohio and Michigan. I can’t tell you how frustrating it was to travel throughout and between those states both as a struggling college student and later as a new mom.

Without a railway system with schedules that are regular and that allow you to arrive at your destination at times other than 3 o’clock in the morning, you are stuck paying outrageous sums for airline flights that have 2 connections or choosing the environmentally unfriendly alternative of driving over state thruways.

Not to mention you end up turning off potential new residents to your state who are skilled and educated and that’s not good for many small and struggling communities.

Well now it appears Amtrak is looking at proposals from a few states. Ohio’s proposed 3′C high speed rail corridor plan (Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati) would serve among some of the most populous cities in the country currently without a high speed rail system.

I couldn’t believe it. One of the countries largest universities, Ohio State University, is in Columbus–a city which also happens to be the state’s largest and growing.

Now that I have a daughter potentially attending college next year in this region I’m really concerned about his initiative.

What better way to help struggling cities and small towns throughout Ohio and other states than to install clean, energy efficient high speed trains. Think of all the cars we can take off the road if business people and families start taking comfortable high speed trains to cities and small towns within their state or out of state.

Where I live and work we often meet with individuals who are hundreds of miles away but are able to come in to our city on the morning train for a 10:00 a.m. meeting and be home that night before 9:00 p.m. Our high speed trains provide an affordable, clean choice that enhances business life here and helps support our regional communities and towns.

Look at the Railroad News Blog widget on my sidebar for more information and support high speed rail initiatives where you live. It’s what our environment needs and will help to make our communities more sustainable.

New Urban Mom Entrepreneurs

I’d like you to meet Carrie Lauth (pictured here). Carrie is a natural living specialist and host of the popular internet radio program, Natural Moms Talk Radio. I posted about Carrie today because she’s written an exceptional business guide that I think many new urban moms will appreciate, especially if you’re thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.

As a new urbanist, I’m so thankful be living in a town that makes it easy for me and my family to access natural products and services. I’ve already posted about our farmers’ markets that help urbanites like me to feast on the best regionally grown and developed produce and products. Deciding to buy food that is grown locally is gratifying because I know its good for my family and my community.

But for many savvy new urban moms and other women the desire to live green is about more than what we eat and buy it’s about how we work.

There are many women making the transition to working in the green or “natural business” economy by creating their own businesses. Examples abound and include writers, gardeners, lactation consultants, nutritionists, event organizers, marketers, researchers, natural cosmetic consultants, home decor consultants, caterers and many other specialists and experts who are part of the growing natural business sector. If this is something you’re thinking about then I think there’s a guide that you really ought to take some time to read.

The Natural Mom Business Guide is an exceptional resource that I read in one hungry sitting. If you’re ready for a practical, step-by-step business guide for setting up your natural family living business click here.

A Movie for our Times

I’m not one to blog about movie celebrities (especially when unrelated to the topic of this blog), but there are a few actors who stand out for me because of their work and their public stance on issues of real importance, like our communities.

George Clooney is one of those individuals.  He has spoken out on the outrageous destruction of human life and communities in Darfur. And he has lent his support to various political leaders who in his opinion will make a difference (see picture at left featuring Clooney with Senator Barack Obama).

 We recently saw George Clooney’s latest movie Michael Clayton and I found myself moved by one of the simple yet meaningful messages in this film.  You can only fool yourself for so long – do the things that you know to be right and true for you – you’ll never rest otherwise.

I think the whole “green movement” is fueled by individuals doing their bit according to what they believe is the right thing to do. Every day we make decisions that are driven either by others’ opinions or what we believe to be right, according to our own moral compass.

I’m a little bit of a Pollyanna in that I think every human being has a decent moral compass. Unfortunately for some, that moral compass becomes damaged through experiences in life.  In the movie “Michael Clayton” George Clooney’s character has a somewhat damaged moral compass that is not beyond repair.

Clayton, a despondent lawyer at a large New York firm, becomes aware of the real link between a large agribusiness client his firm represents and the death of folks in a small Wisconsin community. When the lead litigator on this case has a breakdown after years of bamboozling the victims in this case Clayton is called in to use his unique talents to “fix” the situation.  Through a series of events that cause pain and intropspection, Clayton is finally moved to make the kinds of moral decisions he should have made about his life and career years ago. 

This movie is great on two levels.  First the personal one around how we choose to lead our lives.  And the second one around corporate greed and how we need to not take things at face values.  It seems on a regular basis the powers that be are finding out about the dangers of substances in our food and products that we buy for ourselves and our kids.  Don’t take anything for granted.  Keep informed, read credible news sources, compare information, talk with friends…then think about your decisions and make choices that are truly right for you.

What Happened at the Bioneers Conference?

The Bioneers Conference was an exceptional experience and coming together of some of our country’s most innovative leaders, thinkers and advocates for green, sustainable living. I took my teenaged son out of school for a couple of days to feed his interest around environmental activism and to widen my horizons around the important communitiy issues raised at this phenomenal event.

Please visit my new site New Urban Green Living for details. That site will focus on sustainable communities from a wider perspective (not just the perspective of us wise moms!). If you’re interested in how businesses, non-profit groups, citizens, students and others advance initiatives to achieve healthier sustainable living for all in our urban/suburban centers, please come on over.

More Urbanites Buying into Local Food Trend

On our Green Living page and in a previous post I discussed the positive impact on our environment of buying locally grown food. A recent feature by environment reporter Catherine Porter with the Toronto Star newspaper stated that 91 percent of people in that paper’s province (Ontario) would buy locally grown food if they could find it in the grocery store.

Those kinds of statistics haven’t gone unnoticed by green entrepreneurs and savvy urban dwellers. A non profit Toronto company has begun to certify food as “sustainable – which means it was produced in Ontario in a way that’s gentle on the environment and strict on worker and animal rights.”

The company, Local Food Plus, has certified 50 farmers and food processors in the region who abide by these ethical principles. Toronto’s largest independent grocery store, Fiesta Farms, is a large client for Local Food Plus, providing city dwellers with easy access to locally grown food.

Just last weekend my husband and I ventured out to the inner city to visit one of our all time favourite farmer’s markets – the St. Lawrence Market. It’s located close to the waterfront and is among one of the happiest places to be early on a Saturday morning. The bustle of urbanites sifting through freshly baked breads, scented basil and sage, fresh cuts of meat and all manner of locally grown fruits and vegetables was a treat for all the senses.

The Toronto Star reports that Local Food Plus can not keep up with the demand as farmers are lining up to be certified.

“The idea is not to provide consumers a one-stop shop for their 100-mile diet. LFP aims to correct some redundancies in our food system” and stop the crazy practice of shipping locally grown food overseas and importing things we grow locally (like apples) from China.

So whether you live near the countryside or in one of our continent’s great old cities, take the time to search out your local farmer’s market because what you eat can and will affect your environment.

Counter Global Warming with our Trees

I just read an article in the Toronto Star that shared an interesting fact about our trees.

“…two 32 foot trees will produce enough oxygen to supply a person’s needs for a year” (Shelly Sanders Greer, Toronto Star, September 22).

The article goes on to note that trees and shrubs, if they are planted in the right places can “significantly lower heating and cooling costs and intercept rainfall, which reduces runoff.

Our backyard has two enormous trees that are at least 32 ft. and I can vouch for their effectiveness in lowering our energy costs.  Our maples provide lots of shade and pleasant breezes in the summer that cool off the back of our home eliminating the need for air conditioning on many days.

Unfortunately it appears that quite a few new home developments are not planted with enough trees and even when  there are sufficient trees planted often times they don’t thrive because developers leave behind poor soil. If you are in a new subdivision and can relate to this kind of situation encourage your local government to put in place more rigorous standards for developers regarding soil. You can also go to your local professional nursery with a soil sample to see if they can tell you whether your soil needs some help.

For those of you who are city dwellers and live in one of those communities where you have great old trees…take care of them! Make sure you don’t have any of those pests that ravage trees. Best of all enjoy the fall…even the raking since it’s great exercise for our waists and it gives you a great reason to relax with some warm apple cider or a glass of wine after the work is done!

Buy Local – My Local Farmer’s Market

I’ve posted before about the joy and benefit of buying local (see more under the “Green Living” tab). This Saturday morning my husband and I took a short trip to our local farmers’ market.

Our suburb is surrounded by farms to the north of us (those that haven’t been gobbled up by developers). It is a real treat to be able to purchase food and products from local farmers and other businesses. The food travels less, so we pollute less and there are less preservatives…best of all we’re supporting our local economy.

Between the two of us we enjoyed a freshly made peameal bacon sandwich, an omelette, and sweet cinnamon bun (deliciously made by the folks at “Buncha Farmers” Country Store – that’s Paul from Buncha Farmers at the right). Live music was playing and we enjoyed the company of our community neighbors. It was a wonderful Saturday Morning.

The Top Ten List of Communities is Here!

As promised many moons ago, I have finally compiled the “Top Ten List of New Urban Communities” and it is ready and waiting for your review – complete with colour pictures and commentary! For those of you who are interested in what some of the developers are offering in new home/condo construction take a look at the new list under the “Top Ten Communities” menu tab above. The list features communities from all over, including Colorado, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Washington and Canada.

Please note that some of these communities are located in the suburbs and others are in the city. Since new urbanism is all about quality, affordable living that supports “green” lifestyles in communities that are walkable places designed for people and socializing (not cars!) the communities selected offer or plan to offer those very things.

Please take a look for yourself and call the appropriate contacts to better determine the suitability of these housing options for your family. At the very least you’ll get some ideas about what you’d like to find for purchase or rent in your own region or what you’d like to add, change or enhance in your own cozy community. Remember our communities are what we make them to be!

Mark Your Calendar…Green Conference

(Picture to the left is conference speaker, Judy Wick)  I just came across information about a conference that I’m now making plans to attend.  It’s called the Bioneers Conference and it is an event featuring “biological pioneers who focus on innovative biological and social strategies at the crossroads of ecology and social justice.”

Translation…a gathering of folks who are as focused on protecting the environment and the people in it as many of you are.   The added bonus, at least from my perspective, is that this event provides an opportunity to learn from those who have developed an expertise on issues close to my heart….specifically sustainable development (green housing), best practices in green living and social justice.

Many of you who manage natural living businesses would be interested in quite a few of the speakers.  One of the plenary speakers, Judy Wicks, founder of Philadelphia’s 24-year-old White Dog Cafe, is a national leader in the local, living economies movement.  Judy will be telling her story of “moving beyond responsible business practices within her company to working cooperatively with other entrepreneurs and citizens to build whole economies based on love o fnature and community.”

The event was started in California 18 years ago and this year’s event will be held there as well.  But…you don’t have to go to California to participate.  Cleveland, Detroit, Traverse City and about 20 other “Beaming Bioneers” cities will receive the satellite downlinks of more than a dozen nationally known speakers for three half days from October 19 – 21, 2007.

I actually think this might be an excellent event for my teens to attend.  Protecting the environment and taking action to address social justice issues are key components of our faith and our school curriculum (we’re Catholic and our kids attend Catholic schools.)   

If you’d like to attend and wish to see which of the conference locations would work for you visit the Bioneers website.

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