Sustainable Saratoga January 2011 Monthly Column
By Bill Sprengnether, Co-Chair

If the community of Saratoga Springs is the sum of all the components that support life and the spirit of our region; from clean air and water, and healthy food, to positive cash flow and people leading fulfilling and productive lives; then how can we ensure a long-lived community.

In 2011, Sustainable Saratoga will begin its third year as community organization working to make Saratoga Springs a stronger and more resilient community. With over 300 members we are a growing movement that will help transition our community away from the lifestyles and paradigms of waste, over consumption, and petroleum dependence toward a community that uses its resources conservatively, is compassionate toward life, throws away less stuff, grows more food, supports local businesses and is, for many years a place where people can live fulfilling lives.  

Many economists recognize that the theory of peak oil is real and, in-fact, may have already passed.  Simply put this means that the moment in history when access to an abundant supply of cheap energy that drives our economy and our lives has come and gone.  Assuming this reality, we will need strong communities, that work together and support each other to transition ourselves into new economies and lives based on localism, creativity, less energy-intensive food production, and alternative forms of transportation. Put in this context many steps that we have taken to date appear small.  However as our society shifts, Sustainable Saratoga is working to create the discourse, educate individuals, change behaviors, and develop business networks that will be resilient during this transition. 

In the last year Sustainable Saratoga has grown and accomplished many of the goals we set one year ago, such as; organizing community gardens that provide healthy local food; developing a neighborhood energy saving program that keeps more money in our town and reduces pollution; advocating for pedestrian and bicycle transportation that makes our city more livable and reduces our oil dependence; and worked with the City and the DEC to begin inventorying our street tree infrastructure that is the first step to improving our urban forest.  Additionally Sustainable Saratoga has continued to organize speakers who have helped to educate City Residents on issues of long-term sustainability. 

In 2011 your friends and neighbors who volunteer with Sustainable Saratoga invite you to help develop lives, business practices, and ethics that follow sustainable paths. It is with all of our ideas, efforts and dreams that Saratoga Springs will mature into a strong and resilient community.
Please  join us for our public meeting that will be held on Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 7pm on the third floor of city hall.  This event will feature a discussion of each committee and the plans and opportunities for the coming year.  If you wish to provide input or suggestions on where we should focus our efforts in  2011, please submit them at; www.sustainablesaratoga.com, chair@sustainablesaratoga.com , or via Sustainable Saratoga’s Facebook group. You can also mail ideas and suggestions to: Sustainable Saratoga, PO Box 3271, Saratoga Springs, N.Y., 12866. Please include name and daytime contact information with your submission.

For more information go to www.sustainablesaratoga.com.