The mission of the Sustainability Committee is to guide and assist Monona’s government, residents and businesses in becoming a community that meets the needs of the present without compromising the resources available for future generations. Its vision is that Monona will share a culture that embraces, is vested in, and uses best practices for sustainable living.
Monona Water Conservation Challenge
Thank you to all who have submitted an application for Monona's 2012 Water Conservation Challenge. Those participating in the Water Challenge will not only save money, but could win some too!
Energ!ze Monona
Spark your inner energy geek and help Monona become energy independent.
This fall and winter, you and your neighbors can learn about various issues surrounding energy, and then discuss ideas for ways Monona can work towards becoming more energy independent. Energ!ze Monona is a series of six free community forums that are part of the City of Monona’s outreach efforts around its “25x25 Plan,” a plan to generate 25 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2025. The plan came from Monona’s participation in the Energy Independent Communities program of the state Office of Energy Independence.
The Energ!ze Monona events will be held from 6:30 to 8:00 pm in the Main Hall of the Community Center. The final event is focused on children and families and is at the Monona Public Library on a Saturday afternoon. Refreshments will be provided.
Each interactive Energ!ze Monona event will offer a short presentation on an energy topic. Attendees will then be asked to share their thoughts and ideas in group discussion, relating the information to Monona’s challenges and opportunities, and considering key actions for moving our city toward ever greater energy independence.
Wednesday, December 7: “Taking the Renewable Energy Initiative” with Satya Rhodes-Conway, Center on Wisconsin Strategy, and Michael Vickerman of RENEW Wisconson. This presentation will focus on ways municipalities can help facilitate residents’ move to renewable energy. The energy industry and government policy are strongly oriented towards large-scale generation at big (mostly fossil fuel) plants, and recent reversals on renewable energy policy at the state level have made moving to renewable energy more difficult, but communities and individuals are increasingly interested in generating power on a smaller, more local scale. What’s possible? What can communities do to support and encourage this kind of distributed generation? We’ll talk about different policies that are being tried in Wisconsin and beyond, and how can citizens and the city work together for change.
Wednesday, January 25: “The Energy-Water Nexus” with Jeff Ripp, Water Conservation Coordinator of the Public Service Commission; and a Representative from Focus on Energy – Clean lakes and clean drinking water were the top two community issues for Monona residents, as learned from the research conducted with The Natural Step Monona and the UW-Madison Nelson Institute in spring. With water availability and quality being critical for community security and health, increasing the understanding of the little-known, yet dramatic connections between water and energy will help citizens and the city work together to address the conservation of both.
Saturday, February 18: “Family Fun Featuring The Natural Step Framework” with members of The Natural Step Monona and area educators -- This event will engage families through a fun, hands-on, art creation discussion. While learning about energy and sustainability, children and adults will work together to make art in response to specific questions, such as, “What would Monona look like if we didn’t use gasoline?” “What does a “green Monona” mean to you?” Materials for drawing, painting, stamping, and collage will be provided, and the resulting art exhibited at the Monona Public Library.
Monona Honored as one of Wisconsin's First 25x25 Cities
Green Tuesdays & Thursdays Films & Lecture Series Expands to Eight Locations
Starting in September 2011, the Green Tuesdays & Thursdays Films & Lecture series grows to include Edgewood College, Madison College (MATC), and Sustainable Atwood in the roster of organizations offering people the opportunity to enjoy free films and lectures on sustainability. The new members join their community partners in Monona, Cross Plains, Middleton, Mt. Horeb, and Oregon, in presenting a mix of films, presentations from experts, and thoughtful, facilitated discussion about ways to live more sustainably.
Having more locations and partners means more people can attend Green Tuesdays & Thursdays in their own neighborhoods. “The information gives participants practical knowledge that helps them change behaviors to more sustainable ones,” says Heather Gates, of The Natural Step Monona, the nonprofit organization that started the program in 2008. “But probably more important are the conversations. People who have a chance to share hopes, obstacles, and strategies with their neighbors become better equipped to make change happen in their own backyards and in their communities.”
Green Tuesdays are held in Cross Plains, Monona, Oregon, and Mt. Horeb. Green Thursdays are held in Middleton and the three new Madison locations. Each program is on a set date on the calendar: first Tuesday of the month in Cross Plains, first Thursday of the month in Middleton, etc.
The programs have attracted nearly 1,100 attendees. Concerned citizens have enjoyed learning about and exchanging ideas on global topics such as climate change, consumption footprints, reducing energy use and energy bills, composting and vermiculture, sustainable gardening, and how to winterize a home, and local topics, such as Dane County’s groundwater, green travel in Wisconsin, and the Focus on Energy program.
The new partners are eager to share the film and lecture series with their communities. “We’re excited to join forces to get these important films out to our friends and neighbors,” says Terry Ross, coordinator for Sustainable Atwood, where Green Thursdays will move around the neighborhood. “We are fortunate to have several venues willing to share spaces with us, such as Sector 67, the Barrymore Theater, Hawthorne Library, and Accipiter Properties.”
The program is sponsored by The Natural Step Monona, in collaboration with community partners Oregon Working to Live Sustainably (OWLS), Mount Horeb Area Sustainability Network, RGPL Green Tuesdays (Cross Plains), the City of Middleton Sustainability Committee, Edgewood College, Madison College, and Sustainable Atwood, and planning partner the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. Green Tuesdays & Thursdays is supported by grants from the Dane County Environmental Council and the Madison Gas & Electric Foundation, and with in-kind donations from Whole Foods Market and Willy Street Co-op.
This season, each feature film will be paired with a three- to four-minute short film showing a Wisconsin story of climate change. The “shorts” are from Climate Wisconsin, a program of the Educational Communications Board (ECB).
Sustainability Committee Draft Minutes 1/19/12
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