Definitions:
Sea-change: “a profound or notable transformation”
Enterprise: “A project or undertaking, typically one that is difficult or requires effort.” Oxford American Dictionary
Sea-Plan: “a plan for the sustainable management of energy, infrastructure and critical resources”.
Overview:
We need a basket to hold all the ideas to sustain our way of life. The SEA-Plan is the Sustainable Enterprises Action Plan. We are facing major changes and now is the time to find ways to reduce waste, keep dollars in our community and create jobs. SEA-Plans can be adopted by any community and made to fit.
Now is the time to ask these questions:
What are we doing today that will survive? What activities are hardy and resistant to disasters? What are we doing that can adapt to coming changes in energy prices and availability? What is durable? What is affordable now and for our children? What keeps money from leaving town? What brings money into our town? What makes new and higher paying jobs? What will encourage our children to stay and live in our town? What reduces waste and inefficiency? What can we do to strengthen our relations with our neighbors in the region? How can we work smarter, not harder? How can our educators train a new generation of students to deal with change? How do we make ourselves more secure?
Four P’s in the pod:
We have four important tools at our disposal for a sustainable future. They include:
Partnerships. How can we work with others for common goals?
Practices. What can citizens do to help themselves and others?
Policies. What laws and procedures make the most sense?
Programs. How can we get more from taxpayer supported programs?
Themes:
* The Sea-Plan is not just a government program. It’s a combination of individual practices, public policies and partnerships with many groups.
* Part of our job as policy makers is to pay attention to the winds of change. Voters will judge us harshly if we fail to plan ahead for difficult times.
* The City of Springfield has a stake in seeing that our way of life continues and improves, so it makes sense that we should assume a leadership role.
* Every community has similar interests and if others adopted Sea-plans of their own, we could create new priorities for the Legislature instead of always fighting to keep what we have.
* Our national and state governments have left issues of a sustainable economy to the cities to debate and resolve. If and when these levels of government decide to take an interest in these matters, we will have a head start.
Updated 8.19.07
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