On September 16th, approximately fifty Monona-area residents attended The Natural Step Monona’s Sustainable Future event and learned from a variety of sources how to work toward becoming environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable .

At the Monona Community Center, attendees gathered information from the Monona Community Gardens, myfairlakes.com, and the Monona Farmers’ Market. They perused materials from the Sustainability Section of the Monona Public Library, and were able to order rain barrels from Sustain Dane and sign up for renewable energy with MPower. At the Focus on Energy display attendees used arm strength to compare the amount of energy needed to power a compact fluorescent light bulb against that of an incandescent bulb. Comforting those who felt like “98-pound weaklings,” Renewable Energy Program Coordinator Emily Hickey said, “Nobody over the age of ten can ever get the incandescent bulb to light up.”

The first presentation of the evening was by Katie Ross of Seventh Generation Energy Systems. She explained the four “system conditions” of The Natural Step’s framework for sustainability in science-based terms, and then simplified them in a delightful physical description that had the entire audience readily repeating her moves. “The system conditions in interpretive dance,” Alder Bob Miller joked.

Anna Haines from UW-Stevens Point spoke about her city’s planning process to become an eco-municipality, sharing the positive results as well as the challenges.

The twenty-minute video The Story of Stuff was enthusiastically received. An eye-opening look at the dark side of consumption, it nevertheless uses creativity and humor to make its points. (It is available to view online at www.storyofstuff.com.)

Heather Gates of The Natural Step Monona encouraged attendees to sign up for a study circle on The Natural Step, the “most important thing we ask you to do for Monona.” Many accepted that invitation, signing up for the Sunday evening and Thursday evening study circles which started this week.  

“This is an outstanding community effort that I am excited about,” said Monona resident Fred Gluck, who plans on participating in a study circle. “It is a great opportunity for the community to come together and deal with the problem of an endangered environment. It’s a problem that affects us here in Monona and around the world.”

The evening ended with the drawing for the Sustainable Future door prize, won by Gluck’s wife, Stacey. Local businesses and members of The Natural Step Monona donated a cornucopia of items worth more than $267.00. A second door prize was created with donations brought to the event. Donors were: Rutabaga Paddlesports, Dianné Aldrich of 4Pillars4Health (Pilates and body work), Willy Street Coop, Crema Café, Monona Farmers’ Market, myfairlakes.com, Ace Lakeside, Trek Bikes, SR Bag Ladies, Shaklee Distributor Sally Buffat, Heather Gates, and Penny DePaola.