As the city’s Equity Office says, “Austin has a long history of systemic racism and racial inequity that continues today.” That’s why we apply an equity lens to everyday reporting, writing stories that investigate the intersection of equity and the outdoors, climate change, and even the food that we eat.
The Austin American Statesman’s Read More »
The Comprehensive Plan provides broad-level guidance on how Austin will grow and develop into the future and contains "the council’s policies for growth, developm
Hello, Folks
Two events coming up that I hope you’ll consider and chat up/forward on to freinds/associates:
Hi again everyone!
A guest post from Sierra Club Intern, Michelle, is below!
Hi everyone, I’m Brittany Dawn McAllister, and I’ve recently signed on to do Student Outreach with the Lonestar Chapter of the Sierra Club.
With the Day of the Dead just around the corner, it’s the time of year to remember friends and family members who have died. That’s why we’ve decided to hold a demonstration at City Hall on Thursday at noon, wearing black, to recognize those who have died from complications related to living around the City of Austin’s coal plant.
Water Supply and Demand – Questioning the Billion Dollar Boondoggle
How can children learn and grow to their full potential when the food pictured here is what we feed them in schools? They simply can’t.
This fall, the Child Nutrition Act is up for reauthorization. This Act provides the governance for several child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program. The National School Lunch Program supplies 30 million school children with lunch every school day. For many of these children, the meals they receive at school provide the majority of their nutrition during the school year.
The upcoming reauthorization process provides the opportunity to make postive changes for both children and the environment. The guidelines in the Child Nutrition Act can be amended to include firm guidelines for healthy, nutritious food for our children rather than the aptly named and all too available junk food. The already-created-but-never-funded Farm to Schools Programs can also, finally, receive funding to purchase food produced locally, thus reducing carbon emissions caused by transportation and ensuring children have access to produce while it is still tasty and full of nutrients.
Austin EcoNetwork subscribers and partners just gained a formal voice at the table with the inclusion of our very own Chief Inspiration Officer Brandi Clark being invited to serve on City of Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell’s Community Cabinet.
Yesterday’s Statesman’s blog (http://budurl.com/bcmayorcabinet) and today’s print edition featured the announcement of this Cabinet. The blog cites Mark Nathan, Leffingwell’s chief of staff, as saying that the mayor will want to know what issues and projects the group members are working on.
THEN to NOW
Austin EcoNetwork has been around for over six years but we have only recently become a website. In case you aren’t familiar, here’s a very short history:
In 2003 I wrote a letter inviting dozens of environmental community leaders to a meeting to explore what we could do to collectively be more successful as sustainability advocates by communicating, cooperating, and collaborating more.
Approximately 45 of Austin’s leading nonprofit, government, business, and community leaders participated in that initial meeting held at Casa de Luz.