Are you a Keeper? We are...

A Riverkeeper, that is. If you are passionate about green building, then you're probably passionate about water conservation and quality. If you're passionate about water conservation and quality, then you probably look at the St. Johns River and worry about what will happen to that incredible natural resource in light of the 'water wars' occuring in both Florida and Georgia. If you worry about the St. Johns, then you probably should be part of Riverkeeper.

Jimmy Orth, Executive Director of St. Johns Riverkeeper, recently wrote a back page article for Folio Weekly and, as always, articulated the need for water conservation so much better than I can. With that, his words:

After reading my last Backpage article, a friend sent an e-mail to me bemoaning the fact that I had made her feel hopeless and helpless thanks to my pessimistic forecast for Florida’s environmental future. Despite my sincere regret for leaving her feeling this way, I realized just how important the point that I was trying to make really is. There are still reasons to be optimistic, but we can’t expect to just make small changes, if we are to create a sustainable future for Florida. How many times have you heard that “every little bit helps”? Do a Blackle (more energy-efficient Google page) search for this phrase, and you will see what I mean. Community leaders, politicians, and environmentalists (including me) have been baited into the trap of telling people what they want to hear and avoiding the harsh reality that doing only a little bit may only be buying us a little bit of time. In my opinion, this is one of the reasons that “going green” is now trendy. If I can be "green", cool, and clear my conscience by simply buying a hip organic t-shirt or taking a cloth bag to the grocery store, then I am all over it. Yes, the small things are important, but only if they are a part of sweeping lifestyle and cultural changes. The time for a paradigm shift is now. We have to reestablish our relationship with the natural world and fully integrate an environmental consciousness and ethic into every aspect of our lives and the decisions that we make. If we don’t, the bulk of the decisions we make will continue to be contrary to our own best long-term interests and those of the planet.

Even though this may sound daunting and leave readers feeling overwhelmed, there is still hope and good reason to pull our selves up by the boot straps and get to work. Now, is the time and the opportunity to rev up that ol’ American can-do attitude, celebrate our entrepreneurial spirit, and embrace our American ingenuity and eagerness to take on and overcome challenges. This is our chance to forge a new future for our state that will result in a healthier environment, more stable economy and a better quality of life. This is the time to reconnect with Mother Nature and the environment upon which we depend for our own survival and quality of life. This is our opportunity to celebrate and preserve the natural history, beauty, and richness of the great state of Florida.

First of all, as I mentioned before, we must reconnect with the natural world. We must understand and accept our role in this complex global system and start listening for and recognizing the heartbeat of our planet, once again. We can do this by learning, exploring and getting to know our surroundings – the flora, fauna, waters, lands, and of course, our fellow human beings. Develop and cultivate your sense of place. Rekindle and nurture the relationship with the natural world around you. What we don’t know we won’t love, we won’t respect, and we won’t feel a sense of responsibility to care for. We have to understand the interdependence of all living things and the importance of maintaining the ecological balance of the world in which we live. The best way to do this is by experiencing and learning about it firsthand. Get in that canoe or kayak. Get on that bicycle. Go for a hike. Sign up for an educational Riverkeeper boat trip.

Secondly, simply be conscious. The outdoor clothing company, Patagonia, calls it leading an examined life. So often, we just don’t think about the consequences of our actions. What is the impact of the fertilizers that run off of my lawn? Where did my food come from and how was it produced? By simply being more conscious, observant, and aware, you will inevitably make more responsible decisions. To get you started, I would suggest that you visit the American Public Media website (http://sustainability.publicradio.org ) and play the Consumer Consequences game. It’s pretty cool and will at least get you thinking about whether or not you are living a sustainable lifestyle. Once you are more aware, you will then recognize the chain of events and ripples that emanate from our actions and will be more prepared to minimize your ecological footprint.

Next, we have to be open to new and old ideas. We must be willing to embrace those concepts and technologies that will enable us to plan our communities, build our homes and office buildings, restructure our organizations, and live our lives in a much more sustainable manner. For instance, New Urbanism planning principles, Low Impact Development techniques, and LEED certified buildings provide opportunities for us to dramatically reduce the impact of our built environment. The technologies and know-how are there that will allow us to create more efficient, more resourceful, and more earth-compatible communities. The only thing missing is the will to do so.

Get involved. Use your voice and your vote. We all need to become more engaged in our communities. Attend public meetings where decisions are made that have an impact on environmental policy and regulations. Elect candidates who support the environment. Communicate frequently with your elected officials and let them know what is important to you. Help start a community garden in your neighborhood or recycling program at your office.

Make more informed decisions. Information is one of the most critical components to an effective democracy and free market system. There are a number of great resources available online that can help you make greener choices. Consumer Reports has a site about “products for a better planet,” www.Greenerchoices.org. Co-op America (www.coopamerica.org ) has a Green Business Directory and information about social investing and green energy. St. Johns Riverkeeper (www.stjohnsriverkeeper.org) provides tips for protecting the river, information about Low Impact Development techniques, and “river friendly” yard practices. The local nonprofit, Green Team Project (www.greenteamproject.org), helps individuals and businesses “save money by becoming environmentally-friendly in their everyday practices.” The League of Conservation Voters (www.lcv.org) is an independent nonprofit organization that provides environmental scorecards for national and state legislators. After all, if we want to go green, we will have to vote green.

Finally, we must be willing to walk the walk. Follow-through is essential. It may be difficult at times to find environmentally-friendly products, services, or even political candidates, but we must attempt to, and we must demand that those choices are available. Start out by reaching for the low-hanging fruit (such as installing a low-flow showerhead or compact fluorescent light bulb or using a cloth shopping bag). Then, work on further greening up your everyday life by identifying ways to minimize your ecological footprint and establishing a plan for achieving your goals. What is it going to take to make your home more energy efficient? Could you better plan your shopping for the week so that it requires fewer trips by car? Can you fix that old appliance or could you get a used one on craigslist.com? Plan ahead, think through your options and the environmental impacts of each, and make wise decisions. Hey, you might just find that you’ll also save some money, and you will be helping to create a more sustainable Florida in the process.

If you have come to the conclusion that this is just some idealistic tree-hugger rant, consider that much of what I am proposing may actually be just old-fashioned conservative American values. This is about conserving resources, being frugal and not wasteful, prudently preparing and planning for the future, having a deep-rooted connection to the land, using only what you need, and respecting and being good stewards of God’s creation. This is about recognizing that we have gotten off track and need to get back to the basics, back to our roots. This is baseball and apple pie. The New York Times columnist, Thomas Friedman, refers to it as “green patriotism” and proclaims green to be “the new red, white, and blue.” However, he also recognizes that while “green has hit Main Street….it’s still less than a new way of life.” As Friedman says, “Green has to become part of America’s DNA.” Well, what are we waiting for? Yes, we may have our work cut out for us. However, our sustainable future is within our grasp if everyone will just get started by doing a little bit, with the willingness and commitment to do a whole lot more.

-Jimmy Orth, Executive Director St. John's Riverkeeper

Thanks to Folio Weekly for providing Jimmy the opportunity to share this vital message.

Lastly, we at Breaking Ground are proud to be Keepers and hope to expand our own water conservation initiatives to complement what the Riverkeeper is doing. Keep an eye out for news of our most recent incentive for our employees to conserve water... I may be hitting you up for suggestions and out-of-the-box ideas on how I can take advantage of this incentive AND make a huge dent in our potable water use.

Until then, visit the Riverkeeper's webpage and blog, and consider including them in your annual contributions.

They need you and the river needs you!