After a wonderful summer of weekly Sunday morning meetings we’re at the beginning of our “regular season.” This year’s theme, “Sustainable Living” will, I hope, spur our creative juices and lead us to imaginative responses to the challenges of living lighter on the planet and encourage the spread of behaviors that protect and conserve resources. Given the size and scope of the environmental problems we face it is clear that there is much to do and it is important that we each find avenues for participation. I am taking a three pronged approach to advance sustainable living: raising consciousness, challenging the status quo, and promoting remediating actions.

A great challenge for anyone looking to press an agenda for change is the widespread and deeply rooted habits we have adopted that contribute to the mess we’re in. We’ll need to take a hard look at how we are living and at the consequences of our lifestyles on the world around us and upon ourselves. We cannot afford to be timid or defeated in this time of great need. Although facing the extent of the problems square on may be distressing let’s use our distress for the good and let necessity become the mother of our inventiveness.

Having glimpses of awareness is a good start, but it is too easy to fall back into the routines we have lived with so long, too easy to let go of the big picture while we drive around, fly to distant places, shop endlessly and fill our trash cans. We’ll need a sustained sensibility about how our daily routines affect the world around us—a sensibility that transcends our ingrained habits and persistently reminds us to fight against the pull of the easy and familiar.

And, to be at all successful, we’ll need to develop some better habits to replace the old ones. One way to get started on this front is to participate in our October 17th Sustainable Living event that begins at 3:00 PM on the Science Barge—a vessel owned and operated by Groundworks for education and support of ecologically helpful actions. The barge is docked on the Hudson River in Yonkers and promises to be a great venue for our event.

The program includes:

• A tour of the Science Barge
• Presentation on getting involved with your community to promote sustainable living
• Information about ecologically helpful projects that Ethical Societies can adopt to engage members and others in the community
• Special program and activities for children

It is my hope and expectation that participants will come away with the ideas, resources and commitment they’ll need to embark upon meaningful long-term projects in support of sustainable living. The day promises to be an excellent use of your time, talent and treasure. ECSW will be the main sponsor and we have invited other Societies from the region to participate in planning and attending the event. I hope you join us for what promises to be an exciting and informative event!