Sustain Dane, by Ann Seheerer

In 1998, about 100 community members from Madison, Wisconsin heard Torbjorn Lahti, the father of the eco-municipality movement in Sweden, speak about The Natural Step framework for sustainable community development. These citizens learned how communities large and small had gathered around a common framework, The Natural Step, to move towards social, environmental and economic sustainability. Enthusiastic, inspired, and motivated, these community members started a local movement of their own and called it Sustain Dane (for Dane County). These are the contrasting stories that came to frame Sustain Dane’s work.

Empire’s development story: Community development is based upon bringing business and industry to communities to strengthen the local economy and the tax base. Thus, the measurement of progress in a community is founded on the principle that those who have the most win.

Deconstruction: Typically, development in communities focuses on economic development, which encourages recruiting large corporations to settle in their communities. These corporations appear to be attractive because they have succeeded in the economic end game which was derived from their ability to establish power structures over their stakeholders (i.e. consumer, employees, regulatory agencies, etc.) and achieve “economies of scale”. Communities sell their land to corporations and turnover local control from local politicians to distant corporations. In manufacturing processes, corporations tend to systematically increase concentrations of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust and concentrations of substances produced by society, degrade nature by physical means, and subject people to conditions that systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs. The corporation may leave the community at any time and often pits community members against each other in the midst of picking up the pieces of unmet revenue sharing with the community, polluted land and water and destitute families left behind by the corporation. There is no long term thinking in this type of community development.

Earth Community development story: The new story of sustainable community development depends on a consideration of the social, ecological, and economic aspects of community. It also depends on a common language or framework that can guide a diversity of interests. Sustain Dane believes that The Natural Step framework for sustainable development offers a scientifically sound approach to guide communities towards sustainability.

Sustain Dane carries forward our message through a variety of community education and collaboration efforts. We believe deeply in the power of education and community connection to foster social change. Sustain Dane is an enthusiastic affiliate/organizer of the Northwest Earth Institute discussion course program and we organize study circles based on the book “The Natural Step for Communities.”

Sustain Dane has partnered with the City of Madison, University of Wisconsin, major energy utilities, and several local non-profits, centers of faith, and businesses to hold speakers events, implement community projects, and promote local campaigns. Sustain Dane has positively changed the local conversation and provides a space to create a new story of a sustainable community based on The Natural Step framework.

Written by Ann Seheerer, after the Navigating the Great Turning Gathering in Columbus, late March 2007.