[SustainableTompkins] The Good News Is Local

[GayNicholson at aol.com]

Lots of similarities with Sustainable Tompkins and Ithaca...
   
The Good News Is Local  
Kelpie Wilson Interviews Jason Bradford  
t r u t h o u t | Interview  
Wednesday 13 September 2006  
Jason Bradford is a PhD evolutionary biologist who  studied the effects of 
climate change on cloud forests in the Andes under the  auspices of the Missouri 
Botanical Garden and other institutions. But in 2004 he  switched his focus 
from study to action by initiating a remarkable community  organizing effort in 
his new home town of Willits, California, called _Willits  Economic 
LocaLization (WELL)_ (http://www.willitseconomiclocalization.org/) .  
In a world where the global political, economic, and  environmental trends 
are so negative and frightening, efforts like WELL really  stand out. Jason is 
no slouch at spreading the word about WELL - he hosts a  radio show called The 
Reality Report, is a correspondent for Global Public  Media, and periodically 
contributes to his local newspaper - so I asked him to  answer a few questions 
about the project for Truthout readers.  
Kelpie Wilson: Jason, in a nutshell, what is  the mission of WELL?  
Jason Bradford: The official WELL mission is  to foster the creation of a 
local, sustainable economy in the Willits area by  partnering with other 
organizations to watch for opportunities and  vulnerabilities, incubate and coordinate 
projects, and facilitate dialogue,  action and education within our 
community.  
The greatest challenge we, as a species, face right  now is to create a way 
of life based on the energy flow of sunlight, not fossil  or nuclear energy, to 
do so without destroying our soils, and to enroll others  in this transition. 
We are under no illusion that Willits can tackle this alone,  but hope that 
Willits can be an inspiration to others. If we can do it here, it  is possible 
elsewhere.  
KW: How did you make the decision to switch  from a career in climate change 
and biodiversity research to this hands-on  engagement with sustainable 
living?  
Jason Bradford: I became really frustrated and  disillusioned as a 
researcher. I would sit in my office and read the flood of  data about the climate 
system, habitat loss and extinction, soil and fresh water  depletion, and the 
impending peak of global oil production. Then I would listen  to the radio or look 
at the newspaper and these issues were basically ignored,  meaning my work was 
being ignored. Why would people train and fund scientists to  do this work 
and then not pay any attention to them?  
The institutions I was associated with didn't appear  to want to examine the 
root causes of these problems either. The fact that our  financial system is 
designed to liquidate our life support system, rewarding  current returns over 
any hope for our descendants is hard to factor into the  day-to-day decisions 
a university makes, especially when more and more funding  is coming from 
corporations and endowments tied to the growth of investments.  People didn't want 
to hear what I had to say, and I felt that.  
My wife is a physician, and so I could afford to drop  out and make a switch. 
We strategically moved to a place that was relatively  small. We felt that 
social capital would be easier to build here, and the area  had a history of 
thinking about renewable energy and sustainable agriculture. It  was a bet that 
paid off.  
KW: In his Labor Day speech, President Bush  addressed our "oil addiction" 
and said that the problem is that "dependence on  foreign oil jeopardizes our 
capacity to grow." In your view, is the energy  crisis mostly about our 
dependence on foreign oil from "people who don't like  us," as the president said? Or 
is there a deeper problem?  
Jason Bradford: It is extremely important  right now to give people heartfelt 
honesty. The lies of Bush and Cheney make  them bigger threats than those 
swarthy people they like to scare us with. Cheney  said the American way of life 
is non-negotiable. In a bizarre sense that is  true. The laws of physics and 
ecology won't negotiate and can't be unilaterally  ignored. And those laws are 
telling us we need to change how we inhabit this  planet very quickly or we 
may not be around that much longer.  
I have an idea. Let's stop blaming others for our  problems. The deeper issue 
is our addiction to growth. Oil has permitted  astounding economic growth, 
and we have become dependent, both structurally and  psychologically, upon not 
just the oil but the growth process itself. Instead of  questioning our 
assumptions, we are going to war for oil and we are looking for  substitutes that are 
very dirty, like coal, tar sands, and nuclear. And while I  am in complete 
favor of developing renewable energy systems as quickly as  possible, I don't 
believe it is either possible or wise to grow our economy  using renewable 
energy.  
The problems with growth are easy to understand, but  the implications are 
hard to face. For example, I have two children, twin boys  who are seven years 
old. For now and over the next dozen years or so I'll be  happy if they grow. 
During certain phases of development growth is perfectly  good. But our economy 
is now beyond any reasonable limits, and we are making  ourselves sick with 
more growth - as a society we have obesity and cancer, and  the vital organs 
are starting to fail. Suburban sprawl, highway expansion,  military build-up, 
air pollution, climate change, and mass extinction of species  - these all stem 
from our drive to grow the economy.  
Ironically, there exists a counter movement to slow  down in life. Enjoy 
quality rather than quantity. Many are finding that the  pleasures of a beautiful 
home, neighborhood and community are rewarding enough.  Spend time building 
relationships where you are instead of traveling afar and  spending money on 
things. Less is more. Now that is truly economical.  
KW: Obviously the Bush administration is not  going to tackle the twin 
problems of peak fossil fuels and climate change in an  effective manner. But with 
the new climate change legislation in California, it  looks like action to 
address energy and climate change at the state level is  possible. Why should 
people spend their time on economic relocalization as you  are doing in Willits 
rather than work for change at the state level, for  instance?  
Jason Bradford: I wouldn't say it is an either  or proposition. If you have a 
zone of control or influence at the state level,  then by all means work 
there. But for most people, they can only reasonably feel  connected at the local 
level. I can attend city council meetings, but I am not  going to drive to 
Sacramento for a session of the legislature.  
However, what happens at the local level has a big  influence on what happens 
at the state, and vice versa. State representatives  will more likely listen 
to the consensus of the local elected officials than to  what an individual 
citizen might tell them. And cautious local officials will be  more open to 
change if the state is behind it too.  
There are just over 2000 homes in Willits. A  well-organized group of people 
can go out in a day and knock on every door. The  post office does it! Making 
personal, face-to-face connections is much more  powerful than any other form 
of communication. It will trump phone calls,  emails, newspapers and TV news.  
And guess what. As soon as the media and the  politicians realize they have 
an informed and passionate constituency, they will  begin copying those 
messages. It will become a positive feedback with the  potential for rapid social 
change.  
KW: From what I have read about WELL, I am  amazed at the boldness and scope 
of what you are doing. Can you give us short  descriptions of the half dozen 
or so most important accomplishments of the group  so far?  
Jason Bradford: First, I want to make it clear  that WELL always works in 
partnership. None of these accomplishments are ours  alone, but involve dialogue 
and cooperation with others. In fact, it is  difficult to know what is WELL 
versus some other group. We have overlapping  roles and are all in this 
together. This is about all of Willits.  
For example, the WELL Energy Group did an inventory  of how much energy is 
consumed in the Willits area. A local city councilman took  notice and asked 
what the city could do. He created an official ad hoc energy  group that 
eventually recommended that the city install photovoltaic panels to  run the city 
water systems, both treatment and sewage. The city council agreed  to this, and 
soon the city will be requesting proposals from contractors to  build this.  
An amazing group sprang out of the WELL Food Group  called the Grateful 
Gleaners. They go get fruit and vegetables that would  otherwise rot, share with 
the land owner, each other, local food banks, and  after-school snack programs. 
The Gleaners are harvesting literally tons of fruit  and giving it away.  
For the past 18 months, WELL has organized and  co-sponsored dozens of public 
forums that have raised awareness among the  population. At these events and 
following them, people talk about what really  matters and have a social 
network in which to organize action. The successful  ingredients for social change 
are: providing compelling, relevant information, a  place to build 
relationships, and an organizational structure for continuity and  administration of 
tasks.  
Ideally, what WELL wants is for our mission to be  taken up by individuals 
and other institutions. This is starting to happen. On  the individual level, 
many people are evaluating their own habits and  consumption patterns.  
More collectively, neighborhood gardens are going in.  One house may have a 
big yard, so groups of families are sharing the space and  chores. The business 
community is being enrolled through the Chamber of  Commerce, which joined 
the Business Alliance for Local, Living Economies (BALLE)  and is developing a 
Local First campaign to highlight the benefits of local  production, retail and 
ownership. The Community Development Director for the  city has used portions 
of his budget to co-sponsor events with WELL, and is open  to re-evaluating 
city plans, codes and practices. The school district has  allocated an acre of 
land at an elementary school for an organic community farm.  The local county 
social services center has set aside half an acre for a  community garden. The 
city is sponsoring the Home Energy Link Program of the  Renewable Energy 
Development Institute to do energy audits and then energy  efficiency makeovers in 
Willits homes. The Bank of Willits has approved the  Economic Localization 
Fund in which local savings dollars are used to finance  energy conservation 
projects. WELL participants are becoming mentors of high  school students for 
clubs and independent study projects. Our newsletter is now  a column in the 
local paper.  
I think we have done a great job raising community  spirits. So many positive 
changes are occurring, and each time one of these  projects gets going it 
makes it more likely someone will become motivated to  follow their own passion 
and become a leader of something else.  
KW: The community spirit is key, it seems to  me. Tell us a little about how 
the group recruits new members and sustains that  spirit.  
Jason Bradford: Initially, we set up regular  screenings of _"The End of  
Suburbia"_ (http://www.endofsuburbia.com/)  and introduced people to WELL. 
Hundreds of folks around town came  to those over several months. The numbers coming 
to the film dwindled and we  were left with many core activists. We spent 
some time formalizing how we  operate, define membership, and elect a council. 
Soon, we will be doing a  significant outreach to the community.  
This outreach is important because many people are  very supportive but can't 
regularly attend our meetings or events. They want to  be on our mailing 
list, give us donations, and sort out their support role.  Maybe they own a 
business and give us free services, for example. Or they are  going to shift their 
business practices to be more sustainable. We want to  support and promote any 
family, organization, or business that is willing to  make changes towards a 
sustainable, local economy.  
The various subgroups of WELL have split off into  projects based on the 
interests of involved community leaders. Some have felt a  dispersion of energy 
because of this, and so we encourage project groups to  report back to the 
broader WELL group periodically to review the status of their  work. By working 
closely with the WELL office, these community projects get  promotion through our 
web site and newsletter, and announcements at our public  events. We also are 
trying to fundraise for community projects, such as a paid  coordinator for a 
community garden or farm, or equipment for the gleaning club.  
Doing anything together has its joys and perils. We  can't avoid personality 
conflicts and miscommunication. I have been amazed,  however, at how well 
people negotiate interpersonal dynamics and come to  relationships with compassion 
and the ability to forgive. For the most part,  WELL participants are mature, 
caring people who have a passion for social change  and a sense of urgency. 
That passion and urgency can be a blessing and a curse,  but overall it is the 
fuel that has kept us going.  
KW: What advice do you have for people who  would like to start similar 
groups in their own communities?  
Jason Bradford: Leadership is needed from all  sorts of people. Have courage 
and resolve. I ask that those of you worried about  the future and upset by 
the direction of our country, get up and do something  about it right where you 
live. Go beyond angry protests. Begin creating  something tangible that 
realizes your dreams and draws out the aspirations of  others.  
The first rule is to know your own strengths and  weaknesses. Maybe you are a 
great organizer or strategic thinker, but a terrible  public speaker. Next, 
find some people to work with you to get started and sort  out what roles you 
are good at. The initial goal is to create a team with  internal cohesion.  
Start planning a strategy. What makes sense in your  community, and 
specifically among your social network? Is disaster preparedness  a lead-in topic? Has 
climate change attracted attention recently? How about high  energy prices or 
the unpopularity of the war? Is the local economy stagnant  and/or weighted 
towards a single, vulnerable industry? Can you connect the dots  from any of 
these topics to the need to relocalize the economy, building a more  secure and 
vibrant home? What projects can you begin that bridge the gap between  the 
current reality and your desired future?  
Then build bridges to other groups within the  community. Since we are 
dealing with issues that cut across different kinds of  formal and informal social 
organizations, be flexible enough to go down any  paths that show the least 
resistance. Maybe you will find success with a church  group, a school, local 
government or the business community.  
Most importantly of all, get started! You will have  troubles and failures. 
Things will come up that you didn't expect and aren't  prepared for. Go easy on 
yourself; don't get caught up in hindsight. Be honest  and persistent and you 
will earn respect and a following. Cultivate others to  follow their own 
passions. Each of us has the opportunity to rise to some  occasion.  

Now get moving!  
 
____________________________________
_Kelpie  Wilson_ (http://truthout.org/contactkw.php)  is the t r u t h o u t  
  environment editor. A veteran  forest protection activist and mechanical 
engineer, she is the author of _Primal Tears_ (http://www.kelpiewilson.com/) , 
an  eco-thriller novel published by North Atlantic Books.  
-------
 
----------------------------------------------------
Gay  Nicholson, Ph.D. 

607-533-7312 (home office)
607-279-6618  (cell)

1 Maple Avenue
Lansing, NY  14882
gaynicholson at aol.com

Sustainable Tompkins 
Program  Coordinator 
w_ww.sustainabletompkins.org_ (http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/) 

Southern Tier Energy$mart Communities
Regional  Coordinator
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
615 Willow  Ave., Ithaca, NY  14850
agn1 at cornell.edu