On June 30, 2020, Orange Chatham Interfaith Creation Care and Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle hosted an online discussion on sustainable communities. The discussion centered on how we can use principles of sustainability to foster environmental justice and the wellbeing of all. Click this link to view the video of the discussion.
The featured speaker was Melissa McCullough. Melissa earned a Masters of Environmental Management from Duke University School of the Environment. She is the Associate National Program Director of the EPA Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research Program, but will not be speaking on behalf of the EPA. Melissa is also locally active as a member of the Chapel Hill Planning Commission, Vice-Chair of the Orange County Climate Council and the Sierra Club Orange Chatham Group, and Chair of the Orange County Climate Coalition.
The webcast was convened by Jesuit-trained Bob Weickert, who retired after 30 years with IBM, Chair of St. Thomas More (STM) Environmental Stewardship Committee and the STM Community Garden. Co-host Lynn Lyle is president of Interfaith Creation Care of the Triangle, former school counselor, and former development officer with the NCSU College of Education.
An Opening Reflection was offered by Sarah Ogletree, MDiv, Wake Forest University School of Divinity, and Program Coordinator, NC Interfaith Power & Light.
A panel of local thinkers and doers responded from their different perspectives:
- Delores Bailey, Executive Director, EmPOWERment, Inc., Chapel Hill, whose mission is to empower individuals and communities to achieve their destiny through community organizing, affordable housing, and grassroots economic development.
- Emily Barrett, Sustainability Manager, Town of Cary, since 2010 (will not be speaking for the Town of Cary). M.S., Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Public Health, UNC-Chapel Hill.
- Damon Seils, Carrboro Town Council; Board member, Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization; member, Chapel Hill Public Transit Committee.
- Jarred White, Program Coordinator for the Rural Faith Community Organizing Initiative with the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA, MDiv, Duke Divinity School.
The panel was facilitated by Kathy Kaufman, retired EPA air quality policy analyst, who is active in local and state climate advisory boards and community organizations.
Resources for further study
The Overview of the UN Sustainability Goals Report. The overview is a series of easy-to-read graphic summaries, with a full report for folks who feel like delving.
A Roadmap for Natural Capitalism. A 2007 Harvard Business Review article, which is a follow up to the 1999 book Natural Capitalism.
Drawdown Communities. Project DRAWDOWN encourages community action to work together to advance climate solutions.
