You may begin hearing this term soon as our Town Board and Planning Commission look into the future and meet some of the challenges that are on the horizon for all municipalities. Many local governments across Wisconsin have already adopted the eco-municipality guide laid out in The Natural Step for Communities: How Cities and Towns Can Change to Sustainable Practices by Sarah James and Torbjorn Lahti. This book explains why sustainable practices are necessary from an economic standpoint and gives many examples of residents, businesses and municipal managers improving their communities and their environment at the same time.
The Natural Step for Communities explains what an eco-municipality does to continually improve conditions for living in the community. Eco-municipalities, by definition, are committed to the four basic principles of The Natural Step, which was actually first described by a medical doctor. These are the basic things that must be continually done by any community to assure that future generations will be able to meet their own needs:
- Reduce our wasteful dependence on fossil fuels and other substances extracted from underground.
- Reduce our wasteful dependence on toxic and unnatural substances that accumulate in our environment
- Reduce our encroachment on nature and natural habitats
- Meet basic human needs fairly and efficiently.
The authors of The Natural Step for Communities lay out a process that every community can use to begin moving toward a healthier future. Here’s a good relevant example:
In order to remain viable, communities have to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and other substances extracted from underground. With gas and oil prices projected to stay very high, actions that reduce our wasteful use of fossil fuels will also cut our future costs very quickly. One of the easiest things we can do to begin making our operations more sustainable is an assessment of all our energy use to find out where the most cost-efficient reductions can be made. The Natural Step process is used over and over to keep us moving toward our vision of a sustainable community.
The best way to learn more about eco-municipalities and sustainable practices is to be in a local study circle of The Natural Step for Communities. The book is available from most libraries and bookstores. On November 12th, 7:00 p.m. at the Appleton Public Library, there will be an orientation session for anyone interested in taking part in a study circle. For more information please contact Leslie Taylor at 920-739-7307 or ltaylor@sustainfv.org. We may be able to have our own Grand Chute study circles meet at the Town Hall or at Bubolz Nature Preserve!
