Planning for the Future: The Sustainability Movement in Sauk County

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Planning for the Future The Sustainability
Movement in Sauk County
Jenny Erickson, Sauk County UW-Extension
Community Development Educator January 30, 2008
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The Great Hall at Oxford University
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Sustainability Finding ways we can meet
the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own
needs.
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Ecological Footprint Quiz

• www.earthday.net/footprint

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Funnel of Converging Trends
Deteriorating Living Systems
James and Lahti, 2007
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Acres of Developed Land
NRCS.GOV
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What Are We Losing?
NRCS.GOV
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US Average Corn Yield Per Year (1900-2005)
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US Population Growth
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Sweden

• Imported 100 of oil in 1970s
• 1973 Arab Oil Embargo
• Realized that dependence on oil had negative
  repercussions
• 2005 made a pledge to eliminate dependence on
  fossil fuels by 2020

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Priority 1 Heating

• Worked to reduce oil in heating in 1973
• Restructured heating infrastructure for
  residential, commercial and industrial buildings
• 2006 heat with only 4 fossil fuels
• Use wood waste, methane from garbage and heat
  pumps

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Sundsvall Hospital Snow Cooling Experiment
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This train runs on biogas created from a mixture
of slaughterhouse waste, human waste and seized
alcohol.
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A Vision for Sweden

• We can secure our supply of energy, strengthen
  our economy and promote the development of sound
  growth driven by technology and environment, with
  new business opportunities for Swedish industry.

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In 2006, Wisconsin spent almost 19.5 billion on
energy - a new record
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• Taking the Lead in
• Sauk County

There is a movement in Sauk County thinking and
working on long term planning.
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Sustainable Sauk

• Aldo Leopold Foundation was awarded Greenest
  Building on the Planet

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City of Baraboo

• Adopted the Natural Step model as a guide to
  policies, practices, programs, services and
  development on October 2007.
• New public safety building will have a green
  component.
• Teel plastics is reusing cooling water

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The Natural Step

• A framework for decision making
• Will this decision work to eliminate
  concentrations of substances extracted from the
  earth?
• Will this decision work to eliminate hazardous
  substances produced by society?
• Will this decision work to eliminate the
  communities encroachment on nature?
• Will this decision work to meet human needs
  fairly and efficiently?

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Kalahari Saves with Solar

• The Kalahari recently completed the installation
  of 180 solar panels that will heat 60 percent of
  the hot water used at the water park resort. This
  and other energy saving projects are estimated to
  save about 400,000 a year in utility costs.

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• Travel Green Wisconsin is a voluntary program
  that reviews, certifies, and recognizes tourism
  businesses that have made a commitment to
  continuously improve their operations in order to
  reduce their environmental impact.

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UW Baraboo/Sauk County
Living and Learning Center
A green residence hall/conference facility will
enhance the environmental themes that Baraboo and
Sauk County have been developing as part of their
overall plans to advance the region.
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Sauk County Health Care Center
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED) Certification A rating system that
promotes a whole-building approach to
sustainability by recognizing performance in
sustainable site development, water savings,
energy efficiency, materials selection and
indoor environmental quality.
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Thinking Beyond 2008

• Sustain Sauk
• Judy Spring, Coordinator(spring_judy2004_at_yahoo.co
  m)

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Questions?
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World Energy Use