Education & Outreach

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hands holding seedling The goal of our Education & Outreach project is to develop relationships and vehicles for outreach to Sustainabiity Alliance members, policymakers, and the community at large.

Our current activities include: sending out a monthly e-mail newsletter with an events calendar, news, and ways to connect; updating our website with information about our activities and links to articles and resources; publishing sustainability-related articles and op-eds in the Durango Herald and other local media; hosting local educational and outreach events; and establishing relationships with groups in the sustainability community to leverage or coordinate efforts and create synergies.

Past activites have included: the Appleseed Series on Exploring Local Sustainability, the Four Corners Green Living Expo, Earth Day events, the Green Umbrella Networking Event (November 2007), Swadeshi Festival (through 2007), Beaming Bioneers (October 2007), and the Homegrown Food Conference.

For more information or to participate in our activities, please contact us.

Durango Green Drinks

Submitted by Elsa Jagniecki on Sat, 05/12/2012 - 10:39am

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Education & Outreach

SASCO and Local First Host Durango Green Drinks

Durango Green Drinks This Monday!

Monday, May 14, 5:30 to 7:30 at the Himalayan Kitchen

The status of LPEA-City of Durango franchise agreement that did not pass – how does this affect the progress of renewable energy in our community?

Drop by for conversation on local and international sustainability issues, including -
Bag It Durango
Sustainability beyond Durango ... Shanta Foundation volunteers will be on hand to talk about sustainability initiatives in Myanmar
Outcome of LPEA Board May election

Durango Green Drinks (DGD) happens every SECOND MONDAY from 5:30 - 7 PM at different local businesses around Durango.

SASCO in the Community in Spring, 2012

Submitted by Elsa Jagniecki on Sun, 04/29/2012 - 6:17pm

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Education & Outreach

Spring has Been Busy for SASCO in the Community

On top of our usual Durango Green Drinks (every second Monday), ongoing Bag It Campaign, and our Smart Energy Committee promoting clean energy candidates for the current La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) Board of Directors Election - we hosted our first annual Sustainable Living Film Festival with the help of many local organizations, tabled at the 4 Corners Green Living Expo and recently hosted a 350.org Globa

Occupy Sustainability?

Submitted by Elsa Jagniecki on Tue, 01/10/2012 - 10:19pm

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by Juliet Schor

This opinion piece first appeared in The Guardian on December 21, 2011.

With the recent failure of the Durban climate talks, the collapse of carbon prices in Europe, and news that emissions grew a record 6% in 2010, it's time to re-evaluate the economic approach to climate that now dominates the conversation.

The creation of carbon markets, carbon offsetting and the valuation of eco-systems are premised on the idea that marketisation and reliance on economic incentives will yield sustainable outcomes. Many environmentalists like these policies because they seem to work with, rather than against our existing economic institutions and incentives. But as market-thinking expands with eco- and carbon-footprints, an obvious question is whether economics in command has become part of the problem.

It's a conclusion one might draw from analysing the Occupy Wall Street movement. In a few short weeks a rag-tag group of under-thirties has been able to transform the global conversation about economic issues by focusing on three basic points, all of which are essential for stopping runaway climate change and ecological overshoot.

Ten Ways to Be More Sustainable in 2012

Submitted by Elsa Jagniecki on Fri, 12/30/2011 - 7:16pm

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1. Eat more seasonal and local food.

It can be tempting to eat strawberries in winter, even though they have been imported from halfway across the planet or grown in energy-intensive greenhouses, carrying a heavy ecological and social footprint and lacking in the nutrition you get from eating in-season and local fruit. But we all do it. Do some research into what is naturally grown in your area in the season, and prefer these to encourage greater local, regional and global sustainability. This way, you'll also rediscover the pleasure of meals changing with the seasons and meet the people who produce and supply local food! Visit Healthy Community Food Systems (HCFS), the Growing Partners of SW Colorado, and Turtle Lake Refuge. Check out HCFS’s Food System Tools, like the Year-Round Local Food System Calendar. The Durango Farmers Market also has extended their market season, to provide local food around the holidays and throughout the winter season as well.

New Agriculture Business Course: "Tilling the Soil of Opportunity"

Submitted by Elsa Jagniecki on Wed, 12/21/2011 - 12:55pm

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Business skills course offered to agricultural producers and Ag-related businesses this January!

Experienced and new farmers, ranchers, and agriculture related businesses are invited to attend the Leading Edge "Tilling the Soil of Opportunity" course offered by the SW Colorado Small Business Development Center.