Natural Step in Monona

“Sustainable development…meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” World Commission on Environment and Development.

Along with about 25 or so other Mononans, I attended a ‘Natural Step’ kickoff event at the Community center last evening. Kudos to Monona residents Heather Gates, Molly Crossen, and Christine Whelley for organizing this seminal event. Bryant Moroder of SustainDane and Lisa MacKinnon of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin gave presentations as did several local officials form ‘eco-communities’, including the mayors of Bayfield and Washburn.

Boiled to the bare essence, sustainability generally and the Natural Step mean taking the environmental impact of your actions into account in all decision-making. An environmental assessment should become a reflexive, natural part of evaluating projects, programs, and policies.

Eight Wisconsin local governments have adopted ‘sustainable community’ policies – Madison, but also Marshfield, Johnson Creek, Bayfield, Washburn, Ashland, Douglas County, and the town of Bayfield. However, the Natural Step or sustainability effort is not limited just to governmental action. The idea, in part, is make it a collaborative community effort with particular emphasis on reducing the use of fossil fuels and reducing the use chemicals that accumulate in the environment.

For more information on the Monona Natural Step contact Heather Gates at hgates@midplains.net, Molly Crossen at mollyops@tds.net, or Chris Whelley at chriswhelley@hotmail.com