ST in the News

As Spring in Tompkins County coaxes us back to our favorite gardens, farmers markets, and parks, Sustainable Tompkins is waiting to fertilize new growth and new ideas with our 12th round of the Neighborhood Mini-Grants Program! Applications are due June 1, 2011.

As we look around our community, recent projects supported by Neighborhood Mini-Grants are blossoming into opportunities for independent, healthy living. At West Village Gone Green, a multitude of seeds and transplants are making their way into a new community garden. At Beverly J. Martin Elementary School, first graders are sowing the seeds that will lead to a harvest for BJM’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program as well as the Nutritious Cooking Club. The Danby Land Bank is building a portable chicken house to raise broilers. And, at Ithaca Biodiesel, new volunteers, strong partnerships, and increased outreach initiatives have even the youngest volunteers smiling (Photo, left, courtesy of Ithaca Biodiesel).

Sustainable Tompkins is honored to play a role in nurturing the creativity and innovation of community members seeking to build a more just and sustainable society. If your organization has an idea to increase community sustainability, improve quality of life, or long-term health and well-being for residents of Tompkins County, please apply! Neighborhood Mini-Grants are awards of $150-$750, provided to Tompkins County community groups, non-profit organizations, civic groups and schools. Read the rest of this entry »

Sustainable Tompkins talks with David Brancaccio, Host of ‘Fixing the Future” and Shira Golding of Share Tompkins and Shirari Industries.

We are excited to introduce our new series of Sustainable Tompkins Podcasts, undertaken by board member Alex Colket. Over the past few months, Alex has been sitting down with local and national leaders in the sustainability movement.

David Brancaccio:

During the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, David Brancaccio, Host and Senior Editor of NOW on PBS and Host of ‘Fixing the Future’ visited Ithaca. In this podcast, Alex sits down with Brancaccio to ask him about his work, especially in the context of what is happening here in Ithaca. We were flattered to hear David say “We absolutely could have set the film here in Ithaca…it’s all right here.” We agree.  You can listen to rest of their conversation here.

Shira Golding:

The creative force behind Share Tompkins, FracAttack and Shirari Industries sat down to talk with Sustainable Tompkins about how she envisions and lives out positive ways to create change in our world. Shira offered an upbeat yet practical approach to change, stating: “The whole idea of creating positive alternatives…is really important because …it’s very easy to get bogged down by all the problems in the world, whether it’s environmental or social justice, and be always fighting against tings. It’s more gratifying and fun to work for things.” Listen in on the rest of their conversation here.

We have many more exciting guests planned down the road, so please check back often!  Sustainable Tompkins podcasts are available on the Sustainable Tompkins website, through RSSFeed and on iTunes (search ‘Sustainable Tompkins’). Interviews with Scott Wiggins, owner of La Tourelle Resort and Spa, and Jemila Sequeira, coordinator of the Whole Community Project at Cornell Cooperative Extension, are newly available.

Tompkins Weekly, May 2, 2011.  By Eric Banford.

A full house gathered at Cinemapolis on April 27th for the film “The Economics of Happiness,” a project of the International Society for Ecology and Culture (ISEC). The film delves into the current world economy, the general unhappiness it spawns, and potential solutions being explored around the world. Following the film, Sustainable Tompkins hosted a panel discussion with local community leaders who talked about self-provisioning, gardens, sharing, labor, cooperatives, and local investment as vehicles for a more sustainable and happy local economy.

Kristen Elizabeth Steele, who grew up in Ithaca and now works with ISEC, introduced the film. “We keep coming back to the psychological cost of globalization. We’re familiar with the environmental and economic costs, but it’s important to realize that the economic system that we live under actually can foster a sense of well-being, or it can completely undermine it. That is the core message of the film. Our goals is to bring together thriving local initiatives like the one’s represented here, to come together, and to use this momentum to create policy change. Without that overarching supportive structure, these local initiatives will only be stop-gap measures.” She ended by emphasizing that, “We really want to change the world here,” to much applause from the audience. Read the rest of this entry »

Tuesday March 29, 2011, 5:30 – 7:30pm

La Tourelle Resort 1150 Danby Road, Ithaca, NY 14850

Join us in celebration of Sustainable Tompkins Neighborhood Mini-Grants Program.  Enjoy an evening of inspiring conversation, hors d’oeuvres from local providers, wines from Sheldrake Point and a chance to win a luxury stay at La Tourelle! We’ll hear from Neighborhood Mini-Grant awardees who are implementing these grants to build a more sustainable community here in Tompkins County. Read the rest of this entry »

Mad Max or the Jetsons? Getting Around in Tompkins County as Oil Prices Climb Higher

Monday, March 14, 2011 from 6:00-7:15 pm,   Sixth Floor, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell

If only all “fixes” were this simple! When you purchase our organic, locally crafted chocolates, 100% of the proceeds support Sustainable Tompkins’s mission and programs. Do some good for the planet while treating yourself (or your Valentine!) to our dark chocolate, dark chocolate with cherries, milk chocolate, milk chocolate with hazelnuts ($2.50 each) and organic hot cocoa mix ($10). Shaped like sail boats and castles, our chocolates make a unique gift. Chocolates are available for purchase Monday- Thursday from 10am-5pm at our 109 S. Albany Street office. Or, arrange a pick-up time by emailing: Nicole@SustainableTompkins.org.

Or, pick up your chocolates at Ithaca College!  Chocolates are available on campus at Mac’s General Store in Phillips Hall.

You and your organization can support Sustainable Tompkins by selling our chocolates.  They are available by the case for retail sale.  Contact us at the email above for more details.

Last August, we moved into our current office space at 109 S. Albany St. The building already has many green features, and owner Taitem Engineering is working with Snug Planet to continue the upgrades! Following attic insulation and air-sealing, Snug Planet performed a blower door test to measure the degree to which our space is airtight.  This test is considered the most effective way of measuring air leakage in small buildings and residential homes.

Image: The blower door test apparatus is installed in at the 109 S. Albany building.  The fan is installed in the back door off the kitchen.

By installing an apparatus akin to a giant exhaust fan, Snug Planet staff identified the location of air leaks as air flowed quickly through the building. Using an infrared scanner, we could see the different temperatures zones on our walls – we could “see” the leaks! Read the rest of this entry »

This January, Sustainable Tompkins awarded Neighborhood Mini-Grants to six diverse community projects.  Our Mini-Grant program is designed to support initiatives of Tompkins County residents and small organizations with “seed money” to make their neighborhoods and communities more sustainable. In our tenth (!) round of grants, we are honored to support:

• Sciencenter’s  Sustainable Water – The Filtered Way exhibit.  Read the rest of this entry »

Since 2004, Sustainable Tompkins has provided leadership and support to the local sustainability movement while expanding our capacity to serve our community.  With a new office and and increased staff, we are excited to launch our first membership program! We’re committed to building a more sustainable community and we need your support and engagement to do so! Members of Sustainable Tompkins are building a community of people who support one another in living sustainably and innovating solutions.  We value connecting people with the resources they need to lead more sustainable lives, and our member benefits are designed with this in mind:

Read the rest of this entry »