Sustainablility advocates, natural systems people check in here.

[Dover]

Is there enough interest here at DU to form a Sustainability DU Group?

I'm wondering if a place where we could toss around ideas for a new sustainable "paradigm" is needed at DU? I'm thinking about subjects ranging from natural living, building, communities, and natural systems discussions that include a political component, to energy saving tips, permaculture, etc., and sharing of personal experiences with various materials and steps toward sustainability.

[MuseRider]

1. There are little bits

of that here and there. I think it would be a great group and would be immediately applicable for me. Let me know if this gets going or if you need any help. I don't think there is one like that yet but there might be under a different name. :shrug:

I will be back tonight. I will check back in and you can count on my vote as one who would join it.

[amerikat]

2. I'm interested

Could be a very interesting and helpfull group.

[dcfirefighter]

3. Yeah

I'm interested in sustainable agriculture (more specifically my garden), building materials, transport, urban design, and most of all sustainable economics.

[cprise]

4. I wouldn't stuff sustainability into a ghetto.

I think it is better discussed in a more general-interest forum like this one so that more people are exposed to the ideaas and join in.

[glitch]

5. check me in. nt

[MountainLaurel]

6. One group you might check out

Because it often deals with sustainability and eco-friendly living is:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=255

[Dover]

7. Thanks. Hmmm.........I wasn't aware of this group.

Anybody here have any opinions about the possiblity of using this forum for sustainable issues?

[midnight armadillo]

9. I'm all for it

go for it. What do you want to talk about? :-)

I posted in the gardening group a few weeks ago about an adventure with planting blueberry bushes on top of a mound of rotting wood & turkey shit. I got the idea from a permaculture book. I could just as easily have posted that here since it was more an exercise in trying out some permaculture ideas than a gardening chore.

[Coastie for Truth]

8. Most of the Sustainability Materials are at:

1.

2.

with a lot of the same appenders and discussions.

I check both sites fairly regularly. I am wondering if a third group would make it too granular.

I will probably become a "regular" as long as there is room for "Deffeyes-Hawken-Lovins-Ovshinsky Optimists" who know the difference between Rifkin Free Energy, Gibbs Free Energy, and Helmholtz Free Energy.

[IrateCitizen]

10. No, there is only room for "doom-and-gloomers", no "optimists"

What on earth do you want -- for me to come to these forums and actually feel somewhat hopeful for the future??? No thank you, I'll continue to dwell in my world of darkness and despair.... ;-)

[Coastie for Truth]

12. Sustainable Energy - Solar Energy Trade Show in SF - week of 10/18/04

There was a great "Sustainable Energy - Solar Energy" Trade Show and Technical Conference in San Francisco (Embarcadero Hyatt) the week of 10/18.

Got to chat with a lot of old friends from my PV days. Great to see how far the science and technology has come since "my days" -- and how much costs and prices have dropped -- and how PV has "commercial respectability" -- and Staebler-Wronski has been "solved" (degradation due to dopant migration in the photodiode semiconductor layers).

Only sad thing -- those guys all look so much older, grayer, heavier.

[Dover]

11. Would never have thought of looking in Peak Oil for sustainable issues

Well, I'm not sure what to do. It does seem that sustainability issues are being discussed in various diverse areas. And I suppose that's a good thing. Don't know how consolidating the issue would affect that integration/overlap into other areas, or even if there's enough interest in this singular/yet broad issue to keep a forum going with some momentum. In other words, does this topic need a home of it's own, or is it one of those that is best left to wander from home to home?

[BamaGirl]

14. Personally, I'd like to see a separate group

just for convenience sake. Now I hit E&E, Peak Oil, Gardening, C&B, and occasionally the Economic Activism group. It would be nice if all these separate conversations were grouped in one place lol. :D

[pstans]

13. That would cool

[Dover]

15. Okay, well how about some help with a mission statement.

I'm due to leave for vacation in a couple of days, so it would be nice to submit it by then, or perhaps someone here would volunteer to take over that duty and make that application to Skinner. Or we can just wait until I return in a week..or TWO.

It would also be helpful if those who have checked in here will inform other DUers in the appropriate threads about this,
and invite them to join us.

Ideally, if it weren't for my own time constraints, I'd like to leave this post up a bit longer and hopefully attract some more people before we go forward, just so we can see if there really is enough interest to sustain (pun!) us as a separate group.
My own motives and interest in this subject is to have a place to discuss ways, both political and practically tangible within our individual and communnal lives, to bring about these changes.

It sure seems like it is a grassroots movement with momentum despite the politics. I'm guessing there are some truly knowledgeable people in all areas of this movement here at DU that could keep us informed and perhaps consult with individuals about materials and steps in this direction. Also a place to share individual experiences, learning as we go.