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In 2007 the City of Homer
created a Global Warming Task Force. As this group developed the Climate
Action Plan for Homer, a group of citizens got together to put on a
Sustainability Forum to share information about what the Task Force was learning
and what ordinary citizens could do to make a difference too. Much of the
information you will find on this web page comes from the Climate Action
Plan. What started
out as a weekend forum on sustainability has become a movement to make Homer a
more resilient community.
 In these
changing times it is very apparent that we need to have a positive focus on what
we can do in our own community. Sustainable Homer is dedicated to being
the resource for information and available programs that can help people
make a difference. Sustainable Homer has hosted speakers on a variety of
topics from peak oil to permaculture and collaborated on forums concerning
energy and conservation to promoting local foods.
Everyone
can participate. Sustainable Homer is
more like a network than an organization. Sign up for the
UPdate e-newsletter to find out what Homer is doing this week. Call or e-mail
with other ways you would like to join in, programs you would like to see, with questions about how you can implement more
sustainable practices, or with ideas about how Homer can grow sustainably.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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We are not alone! There are many other organizations in
the state working in the same direction. Check it out!
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Recent
Events:
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KBRR
Climate Adaptation Workshop
A huge thanks again to Dave Ellington for manning the Sustainable
Homer booth and updating us on the latest in the construction of
Homer's first net zero energy home. Thanks as well to Neil
Wagner for sharing information on permaculture. And of
course, thanks to Kachemack Bay Research Reserve for bringing in
such wonderful presenters on how climate change is effecting our
local area.
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Our Mission...
To enhance the long-term quality
of life for citizens of the Homer area by promoting a healthy
natural environment, a prosperous economy, and an equitable
community.
Our Goal…
To increase public awareness of the effects of
the climate change and other issues affecting the development of
the Lower Kenai Peninsula while addressing what residents can do to be
proactive in working towards a sustainable community.
Our Approach…
To
network the business, political and private community together to find
realistic solutions.
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HEA Energy
and Conservation Fair
A huge thanks to Dave Ellington for manning the Sustainable
Homer booth and sharing his knowledge on building
super-insulated homes with remote wall construction, wall
trusses, and other techniques. Check out the stories in the Homer
News and the Homer
Tribune.
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Shaping
Our Future
Homer's human mosaic creates a message from
our community that went all the way to Copenhagen for the
climate summit!
Check out this video
To learn more about actions around the world,
check out 350.org
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 Voices
for the Ocean
Was a huge success!
(Thanks to all the amazing participation and coordination)
Check out more pictures
and videos of the event. And to see just how far the
news of this event reached, check out some of the news
sources that picked up the story. Homer went
worldwide!
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TEDx
Homer
A
huge thank you to Kat Haber and the Kachemak Bay Campus for
making this possible! One comment was: "That
was really great last night, thanks so much for helping
organize it- we hesitated to drive all the way (32 miles R/T)
from the N. Fork on our newly "mudded" road but this
morning the excitement of those films/ideas still holds
us." Find out more for yourself about TEDx
and check out their amazing presenters online..
Coming
again this summer on Friday, August 20, 2010!
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Alaska
Solar Tour
This
year on May 15th!
WHAT
A SUCCESS! Thanks to all the
sites who opened their homes and businesses for all to
see!
Check
out the pod cast story on Radio
Realty,
or
story in the Homer
News
or
n the Homer
Tribune
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Sustainable Homer got its start in June of 2007 when Donna Maltz
organized the first meeting to share and exchange
information and ideas with a diverse group of individuals
selected from different sectors of the community. Donna, owner
of the Fresh Sourdough Express Bakery & Café, has been
active in sustainable business practices since the 70’s. When
she began pursuing certification to be the first Green
Restaurant in Alaska, she found there was a lot more support and
new sources of information available for living in a healthier,
cleaner community with viable income solutions. Sustainable
Homer has continued to grow in numbers and enthusiasm since that
first meeting .
Six months earlier, Mayor Hornaday had the foresight to pull a
team of educated Homer citizens together to form the Global
Warming Task Force. After months of research and weekly
meetings, these twelve dedicated individuals put together a
landmark document, The Climate Action Plan, which is
intended to outline different ways the City of Homer can reduce
their carbon footprint. The Climate Action Plan presents
calculated solutions to substantially reduce energy use,
increase efficiency, and save the City money.
http://www.ci.homer.ak.us/CLPL.pdf
The first Sustainability Forum was a cooperative event put
together by Sustainable Homer, Alaska Marine Conservation
Council, and the Global Warming Task Force in Sept of
2007. The Forum brought out a packed house of community
participants to see Deborah Williams from Alaska Conservation
Solutions, Bernie Carl from China Hot Springs, and a panel of
speakers covering topics from sustainable food production to
waste management. The following day even more participants
came to the first public presentation of the Task Force’s
draft Climate Action
Plan to listen and give input. With the astounding
support and donations from the community, a banquet of locally
grown food was prepared and served at the end of the day at the
Fresh Sourdough Express. The Climate Action Plan
was officially adopted by our City Council December 14th.
Since this event, Sustainable Homer has been adopted by the
Chamber of Commerce as a subcommittee of the Economic
Development Committee and collaborates with local environmental
organizations, youth/educational groups, and the arts community
to bring the conversation of sustainability to the
forefront. Speakers have come to present on a variety of
topics from peak oil to permaculture. Stay tuned to what
is coming up next!
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Poster by local student artist Kristen Tonga for
the Sept. 2007 Sustainability Forum
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Alan Parks and the
Global Warming Task Force Presentation |
Deborah Williams
presenting |
.JPG)
Donna and Kevin
Maltz and the Fresh Sourdough Express Bakery
and Cafe, the first certified Green Restaurant in
Alaska
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The supportive crowd at
Islands and Ocean Visitor Center |
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