For this inaugural posting of thinkGreenfirst, I was asked to write a column. I am no writer but I am passionate about how we view and respond to the world around us. And I am happy to report that the greater Toledo community is also waking up to the opportunities and urgency of living more sustainably.

What is sustainability anyway? You have probably heard many versions of being “green,” or stewardship, environmental responsibility or “tree hugging.” Sustainability simply encompasses living, working and making decisions with three principles in mind: economic prosperity, environmental stewardship and social progress. Sometimes called the 3Ps (prosperity, planet, people) or 3Es (economic, environmental, equity), sustainability is about providing a better quality of life for everyone, now and for generations to come.

So how do you live sustainably? The first step is becoming aware of the need for action.

We are living in unprecedented times. The population of our planet is expected to quadruple by 2050 – from 2.1 billion people in 1945 to over 9 billion by 2050. You might think that most of those folks live far away – and you would be correct as India and China are where more than half the world’s current population resides. But, as we have seen with the latest financial situation, we live in a very connected world. With the strides that many developing countries are making, world resources are and will be affected.

The oil-based energy that fuels our world is of limited supply – even though television commercials reassure us about the vast energy supplies in the U.S. that can fuel 160 million homes for 60 years. 60 years? That is an eye-blink when we think of our children and grandchildren!

And, we have the prospect of a warming world with ever-rising CO2 concentrations and all the associated consequences, which really is not disputed anymore. While there are many sources of CO2 – including cows and melting tundra – shouldn’t we do everything we can to limit our fossil fuel combustion emissions while also saving money and conserving that limited supply?

The second step is to figure out what you can do. You might be surprised at what power each of us have and the resources that are available to us right here in Toledo!
Here are the basics for learning what you can do:

• Save energy – insulate your home (I work for Owens Corning, check out www.insulateandsave.com), use compact fluorescent light bulbs, drive and maintain your car to save gasoline and much more
• Conserve materials and resources – choose products with less packaging, local products that don’t consume energy with a lot of transportation, recycled products or those that can be recycled, conserve water, and remember the 3Rs – “reduce, reuse, recycle”
• Encourage and support policy – recycling programs, green building standards and enhanced public transportation.
• Calculate your carbon footprint – find out what your impact is

Help is available. Our Lucas County commissioners passed a green resolution in 2004 and Mayor Carty Finkbeiner signed on with more than 900 other community leaders for the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. From these beginnings have started new organizations like LEWAS (Lake Erie West Alliance for Sustainability) www.LEWAS.org , North West Ohio Green Building Council (NWOGBC) www.nwogbc.org and Toledo Choose Local www.toledochooselocal.com , and reinforced the activities of organizations such as the Sierra Club and many others. Check out the LE WAS website for more information (www.lewas.org).

We can make this learning fun. Green Drinks is a monthly get together for everyone interested in learning and living more sustainably. Join the next one via www.greendrinks.org.

You don’t have to move to Portland, Oregon to live in a sustainable community – we are building one right here in Toledo. Stay tuned for more developments and information as Green First brings you news about sustainability in our own community.