Recently a blog post from Des Moines Juice Staff Writer Brianne Sanchez made me rethink what local holiday shopping means to me. While one could emphasize the benefits of purchasing items produced in a 150 mile radius, I realized local shopping meant more than buying an ‘Iowa Made Product.’
Archives for November 2010
Pilot Project Becomes First in Iowa to Participate
November 23, 2010 by 1 Comment
The Green & Main Pilot Project joins more than 150 projects from 34 states as well as from Canada, Iceland, and Spain as part of an international pilot project program to evaluate the new Sustainable Sites Initiative™ (SITES™) rating system. SITES is testing the nation’s first rating system for green landscape design, construction, and maintenance. Green & Main will be the first SITES project in the state of Iowa.
Sustainability and Vision in the Greater Des Moines Region, Part 2
November 22, 2010 by Leave a Comment
The trick—to reference my blog post of November 13th—is not to be overwhelmed by the enormity of any task. As a friend once said to me years ago, ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.’
Collective visions are tough to come by, particularly in the face of competing needs, cultural and social commitments, economic infrastructures and layers of political policies. The facilitator of the meeting—a focus group on sustainability and the Des Moines region that was hosted by the Greater Des Moines Partnership—began with all things positive as the group members jumped in to the conversation, which flowed without pause.
Sustainability and Vision in the Greater Des Moines Region, Part 1
November 17, 2010 by 2 Comments
On Tuesday afternoon (yesterday) I attended a focus group on sustainability and the Des Moines region that was hosted by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. A wide variety of interested people were in attendance, from a regional mayor to small- and medium-sized business owners, architects, city planners and those interested in what green space meant for this region and its inhabitants.
Today’s the Day to Act
November 13, 2010 by 1 Comment
One of the astounding aspects of the green and sustainability communities is the depth and breadth of its diversity. It’s also one of those things that can make it difficult to jump in, to find something to do so as to feel that you have made a difference.
