WinterSong
Thanks to everyone who joined us at the benefit for Sustainable Shawnee and Habitat for Humanity. A great time was had by all. Special thanks to Traci and Damion Westbrook, Donna Schoenkopf, Jo and Kenneth Davis and all the folks at Habitat for Humanity.December 17, 2010
Local group weighs in on sustainability
James Coburn
The Edmond Sun
EDMOND — Edmond Police on duty responded three times Thursday night at the Edmond Library to restrain loud, vocal arguments at the Sustainable Edmond meeting. Some people laughed after Officer Jeff Morefield said the meeting was disturbing members of the QRP Suicide Prevention and Intervention Course at the library, sponsored by Edmond Exchange Club.
“I’m serious,” Morefield said. “People are here trying to learn. And this is a library.”
More than once, some people were asked to leave the meeting by Sustainable Edmond member Benton Howell for what was cited as out-of-order disruption during personal introductions. Howell served as moderator for the evening.
Howell was asked to define sustainability. People may have different definitions, said Howell, an engineer with Boeing.
“Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable — to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” Howell said.
For the complete article, visit http://www.edmondsun.com/local/x1168756877/Local-group-weighs-in-on-sustainability
Editorial: A lost chance
By Journal Record Staff
Posted: 12:24 PM Thursday, December 9, 2010
Edmond city leaders gave in too easily Monday night to a few disruptive residents.
The city planned a sustainability conference well in advance and publicized the discussion topics. The Edmond Sun, on at least two occasions, ran a short item inviting public input. The city’s statement was clear: “The Edmond Sustainability Plan will include subjects such as water conservation, land use and transportation planning, green jobs, waste management, energy consumption, parks and green space, public and alternative transportation, green infrastructure, building retrofits, alternative fuels, education programs and more.”
The impetus for the Sustainability Plan was nearly $1 million available to the city as part of the Recovery Act. City staff members drafted a plan that would use the money to pay for CNG conversion kits for city vehicles, energy-saving devices for city facilities and water wells, and some energy-efficiency training and supplies for building inspectors. The rest was tagged for a Sustainability Plan the residents would help create.
All of that is noble. It’s federal money coming to the local economy in a recession to help the city become more environmentally friendly, and the public had a chance to provide ideas Monday night. At least they were supposed to.
The effort was thwarted by a couple of guests with half-baked conspiracy theories who were outspoken enough to derail a positive, orderly meeting. They were concerned that Edmond’s Sustainability Plan fell under the purview of the United Nations’ Agenda 21.
More here:
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