MISSION
To make Pacific Grove a model of transition to sustainability through innovative, active, local solutions that
enhance community.
VISION FOR PACIFIC GROVE
So let's imagine Pacific Grove as having transitioned to a sustainable community, a place where
residents eat locally
grown food and shop locally for their daily needs. Parks are surrounded with edible landscapes.
An open-air market bustling with people buying fruits, veggies and local crafts offers a place to
find fresh items grown close to home.
See the complete vision.
Sustainable Pacific Grove is working to foster actions by all who live in
Pacific Grove, that will help us to become more self reliant as individuals
and as a community. At this time the following are areas that need attention
and action;
TRANSITION NETWORK
WATER
FOOD
WASTE
BUY LOCAL
BUY & PLAN SMART
ENERGY
TRANSPORT
Below are links to pages that tell what has been done and what work needs to be
done in PG.
We need more people to join with us to help
develop the plans that will lead to sustainable solutions!
TRANSITION to SUSTAINABILITY
Transition Towns is a worldwide movement, started in England. The goal of the movement is
to help towns become sustainable in all the ways that it is possible. A criteria pattern
has been setup thru
which a municipally can become a "Transition Town". ( PG already meets many of the criteria.
We will be working to help the city meet the rest.)
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There is now a draft
Transition Plan for Monterey County.
It is intended as a basis for discussion with sustainability groups within Monterey County.
It is hoped that, through community discussion, we can come to agreement about our goals and
how to achieve them during the upcoming transition time.
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NEW:
Here are the lists of
transitions orientated projects
developed in January, 2010 by SPG from the "Action Plan for a Sustainable Monterey County".
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To learn more about this movement check out the links below;
Here is a good overview of the Transition Town movement.
This video clip is an interview of Jennifer Gray, a pioneer in the Transition Initiative
in the UK and cofounder of
Transition US.
( The PG Library does have a copy of the Transition Handbook.)
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From Dave Ewoldt, in his words, what his blog is about:
"As a systems thinker, this extends to examining and finding systemic solutions to the global crises I call the Triumvirate of collapse--Peak Oil, catastrophic climate destabilization, and corporatism."
and
"The posts you'll find on the Natural Systems blog, or the majority of them anyway, will deal with the natural systems perspective on creating a sustainable future based on ecological wisdom and social justice."
So, this blog will look at many aspects of what happens as we experience the transition process;
naturalsystems.blogspot.com
SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT
in
PACIFIC GROVE
The SPG Position Paper
on water conservation and development in and for PG.
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A Proposal for Rediscovering Our Local Watershed
SPG has proposed that the
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
have a display about how the PG watershed can supply more water than is now available,
develop a model rain catchment system
to demostrate what can be easily done, plus more.
NEW:
As we have begun gathering material for the Museum display we have found many links and much information
that relates to water and how we use it.
Look here at some to that material.
(This is just a start, more is coming.)
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Stormwater Study for PG
With a grant from the Packard Foundation the City of PG funded an engineering study of how to recover and store
stormwater that falls on the city for use watering some city parks and lands.
Here are extracts from the report, online, as well as the complete report inPDF
Ad Hoc Alternative Water Source Committee Report
In December of 2009 the Ad Hoc Alternative Water Source Committee submitted a report to the Pacific Grove City Council.
That report discusses many of the alternate sources of water that Pacific Grove has and makes suggestions of how
these sources might be utilized.
Here is the Report.
FOOD
Here is a list of near by farms doing
Community Supported Argiculture.
Get your really fresh food this way.
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In Sierra Magazine (May/June, 2009, p31) are two lists of foods taken from the
Shoppers Guide to Pesticides. One list tells which foods are most likely to be
pesticide free and the other the
least likely to have pesticide residue.
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Here is a list of
plants that have been grown
in the PG climate.
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SPG supports the PG Farmers market.
It happens every Monday on Lighthouse Avenue in downtown Pacific Grove, 4 to 7 PM.
A link to a list of
Monterey County farmers markets.
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Take a look at this old victory garden book from the war years
( World War I that is, published 1918)!
War Vegetable Gardening and the Home Storage of Vegetables
Most all the info is still right on for us today. ( courtesy of Sharon Lloyd )
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WASTE
Take a look at the 20 minute video of "
The Story of Stuff", showing where THINGS in our life come from and
where they end up.
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In
Utne Reader ( Mar-Apr, 09, p 73)
there is a story listing listing easy to grow plants to clean the indoor air. The story came from
Radish Magazine. Take a look.
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SPG and Surfriders fostered the passage of the ordinance
to ban styrofoam
that was passed by the PG City Council.
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When medicines of any type go into the sewage system the downstream
processing does not remove them from the water.
For the safe way .
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Stop the delivery of unwanted phone books.
Stop the delivery of unwanted phone books.
Opt Out at
Yellow Pages Goes Green org.
This is a grassroots organization that is trying to help stop the nonsense of delivering an unsolicited telephone books to people that do not want one and asking all people interested in opting out to please tell family, friends, and co-workers about our program.
LOCAL BUYING
To see certified green businesses in Pacific Grove, or even in Monterey County,
start at the SPG page on
Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program.
When you buy local, you spend less on transport and you help our community grow
and be even more vibrant,
learn more.
SMART BUYING
Good Guide .
provides the world's largest and most reliable source of information on the health,
environmental, and social impacts of the products ( over 70,000) in your home.
Sierra Club Green Home
is dedicated to helping you create a more sustainable home environment.
For merchants in PG who carry the
green/sustainable brands .
ENERGY
( If this is your passion, help SPG develop a plan. )
This book (
Sustainable Energy - without the hot air an excerpt
) could give you some ideas about what needs to be done, and what not to do. It is available online
or in paper form.
Resolving to save money? And the planet? Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs promise a win-win.
This website tells which bulbs last longer, are more efficient, and are
lower in mercury and so safer, plus other information.
TRANSPORT
( If this is your passion, help SPG develop a plan. )
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Transportation in PG
A paper the outlines some of the issues for Pacific Grove as we consider changes in our
transportation options in PG.
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Transportation in SF Bay Area
A description of what the Metropolitan Transportation Commission is working
toward in the SF Bay area as
transportation options for the SF Bay Area.
Why not stimulate a similiar program in the Monterey Bay Area?
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Auto Energy Efficiency
In Feb, 09, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released a list of the
10 best and worst cars from their energy efficient point of view.
See the
ACEEE press release and the lists of "
greenest" and "
meanest" cars of the year on the ACEEE's
greenercars.org Web site.
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Election Q&A for
Senate Candidates
Surrider Foundation - Monterey Chapter
asked the questions. See the candidates answers.
PG Styrofoam Form
To report a PG merchant using a styrofoam container,
fill out this form.
Similar form for the City of Monterey.
The Greenest Building
This is really the greenest Building in PG.
from Paul Hawken
We not not alone
in working for the Transition.
See this 6 minute video by Paul. There are many many more people working for the change that is needed.
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Here is one of the clearest and strongest statements of what is happening to
our earth right now,
in less than 3 pages.
A New Source of Product Info
Source of information on
over 70000 products,
looking at the health, environmental, and social impacts of the products in your home.
WE ARE
Sustainable Pacific Grove (SPG) is a grass-roots, volunteer group undertaking
projects to
help Pacific Grove become more self-reliant and sustainable. In
response to concerns about the end of cheap oil, climate change,
economic uncertainty, and resource limitations, Pacific Grove residents have come together to
prepare locally.
Implementation of the Urban Environmental Accords and the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.
Sustainable Pacific Grove is pleased that the
City Council of Pacific Grove unanimously adopted these important first steps, and will
work with the City in their implementation.
See the
"The United Nations Urban Environmental Accords".
See the
"The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement".
Site map.
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