Politicians around the world have failed us. Copenhagen failed, our federal government has pulled the plug on the emissions trading scheme and fighting global warming has been shoved in the too hard basket. So it's up to us to save the planet or at least our little corner of it
The News and Rouse Hill community have been invited to test a DIY community environmental
program called Sustainability Street.
While the program has been running for 20 years, this is the first time people interested in
doing their bit to save the planet
will be able to use a simple DIY kit
to set up a local group.
There are Sustainability Street
groups across Australia but,
strangely, none in the Hills district.
So I'm going to start one.
Rouse Hill Town Centre has come
on board and we're going to hold
a public meeting on Saturday,
June 5 to gauge interest.
While the concept is called
Sustainability STREET, it can be a
small as a few residents in a
street, several streets, or an entire
community.
That's the great thing about it.
It can be anything we
want it to be.
The politicians have failed us,
Copenhagen was a disaster and
all our elected representatives
seem to want to do is save their
jobs by not doing anything that
might harm the economy.
What they don't seem to realise
is there won't be an economy left
if we don't do something.
So, adopting the mantra, ``If it is to be it's to me'', I'm doing something.
The News and Rouse Hill Town
Centre will host a community
meeting on Saturday, June 5 and
we invite everyone along.
It will be a chance for Rouse Hill
and neighbouring residents to
find out about Sustainability
Street and join our fight to save
the planet one street at a time.
Drive around areas like Blacktown and Penrith and you may notice street signs with the words
``Sustainability Street - It's a village out there'' below.
That's how it started for me. I saw the signs and wondered what they meant.
A quick Google search answered my question, raised a lot more and set me on a quest.I wanted to promote the idea of people taking control of the eco footprint rather than wait for poll-driven, economy fearing politicians to do something on a large scale.
A story on a local Sustainability Street group seemed like the best way to promote the idea. and encourage other residents to form their own.
I couldn't believe that in the Hills local government area there were none. The nearest group I could find was in Winston Hills.
I spoke to Sustainability Street Institute president Frank
Fitzgerald-Ryan and was invited to trial the new DIY Sustainability Street program.
It's like Weightwatchers, without the cost - and you can eat as much chocolate as you like.
Members of the community get together to support each other in their efforts to live more sustainably, and to swap ideas.
There are no presidents, secretaries and no antagonists.
The Vox Bandicoot people call it ``communiversity'' because it's about the community teaching
and learning from one another.
The June 5 town meeting will talk about how Sustainability Street works and invite
expressions of interest in joining
the group.
Keep watching our blog for updates on the Sustainability Street project and feel free to let us know what you think.
We hope to see you at Rouse Hill on June 5.
Remember: '`If everyone swept outside their door, the whole city would be clean'' - urban proverb
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