With its third formal meeting scheduled for this Saturday, Jan. 5, Sustainable Wallingford is just one of a larger network of similar groups under Sustainable Communities ALL Over Puget Sound" (SCALLOPS), which started in Ballard in 2003.
"People were asking, 'When is a real, sustainable Wallingford going to happen?'" said Cathy Tuttle, a 25-year Wallingford resident. Tuttle has worked as a city planner for the last seven years and spent most of 2007 studying sustainability in Lund, Sweden. "These kinds of changes don't happen overnight, though. It's a one-step-at-a-time process."
Education and dialogue
In reaction to the Iraq War, a small group of Ballard residents formed to explore new methods to decrease local dependency on foreign oil. As more neighbors gathered to discuss the issue, Sustainable Ballard's efforts diversified, inspiring other neighborhoods to form groups of their own. Now, more than 40 groups across Western Washington exist, each sharing the same passion for a sustainable future.
In Wallingford, longtime residents Rick Turner and his wife, Diane, felt a similar notion, as the two began screening movies each Friday night in the basement of the Keystone Church. Showing films that shared common themes of social justice, Turner's group took on the name "Meaningful Movies" and became the foundation of Sustainable Wallingford in its current shape.
While Tuttle admits the word "sustainable" can be problematic and difficult to define, Sustainable Wallingford has already arrived at a number of methods through its research, using Sustainable Ballard's work as a blueprint.
While some have simply taken to foot rather than automobile, others have retrofit solar-energy sources to their homes and changed insulation materials.
For Tuttle, who has a doctorate in city planning, the first step toward sustainability is in education and dialogue.
"'Sustainability' is such a buzz word," said Tuttle, who rides her bicycle more than 50 miles each week as a means of adopting a more sustainable lifestyle. "We've broken its meaning down to three different steps: education, participation and celebration. We are working with one planet, so we must live within our means and live with grace."
Addressing issues locally
During Sustainable Wallingford's last meeting on Dec. 1, the group of 12 members combined their ideas and concentrated their efforts into smaller groups (or "guilds") that will address specific issues such as transportation, energy saving, the arts, food, gardening and waste resources.
The group is currently working with local businesses, the Wallingford Chamber of Commerce, the Wallingford Community Council and Seattle Tilth to explore more sustainability options such as reducing waste, conserving water, retrofitting buildings and further educating the local population.
"To truly achieve economic, social and individual sustainability, it has to start in the communities and at the individual level," Tuttle said. "The goal of sustainability is constantly shifting and changing, so staying conscious is crucial."
The Saturday, Jan. 5, meeting will serve as another forum for residents to express their ideas and concerns, with a number of guests expected to attend for an open discussion, including representatives from Seattle Tilth.
The meeting will also serve as a preliminary gathering before Tuttle and two others will head to Port Townsend on Jan. 13 for a regional SCALLOPS workshop.
"In our lifetime, we are definitely going to see some changes to the earth," Tuttle said. "We've got the tools and the technology, but we need to look locally and think regionally."
For more information on Sustainable Wallingford and SCALLOPS, visit scallops.sustainableballard.org.[[In-content Ad]]