by Tom Braford
As I mentioned last month, our commitment is to build networks of Negative Carbon Reconciliation and Regeneration Ecovillages (NCRREV) and Green Business Parks that make it possible for average St Louisans to go from a double digit 23.5 MT average carbon footprint to subzero now, along with about 150 close neighbors and as many as 50 co-workers at each community.
It will take lots of innovation and green technology as well as neighborly cooperation. Since we are committed to creating diverse communities, there is much reconciliation work to be done.
I came to this conclusion a few years ago after attending one of the reconciliation conferences hosted by the Dred Scott Foundation, which was created by a brilliantly insightful living St Louis treasure, Lynne Jackson, who is a great, great granddaughter of Harriet and Dred Scott.
These conferences have been focused on reconciling the families that were initially on opposite sides of major civil rights cases, starting with the Dred and Harriet Scott cases.
Great progress has been made there, but the deaths of Michael Brown that resulted in the founding of the Black Lives Matter movement and of George Floyd and others have pointed to the need for broader reconciliation.
Of course, the recent dire warnings and real time examples of climate change are demonstrating that human beings of all stripes must now also reconcile our lifestyles with nature. Otherwise, any progress in racial and economic reconciliation we accomplish will quickly be washed away.
So, it is obvious that we must come together through shared diverse leadership, across all those lines that separate us. Therefore, we are negotiating with a number of talented and committed African American owned and operated enterprises in St Louis and beyond who share our vision for green, united community. I will introduce some of them next time in an article I am calling “The Second R is for Regeneration” because this is an area that they are already engaged in.
We invite you to reach out if you would like to join our next virtual gathering to learn more.
Contact us at:
braford@sbcglobal.net
www.ArizmendiEcovillage.com