Responses from "What do you need from the Coalition?" Green Convene Winter 2009

This is a summary of the responses we received from the Green Convene Winter 2009 participants on February 21st, 2009. If you have suggestions add them to this post as a response.

**Please remember that while it is our goal to be able to meet these needs we are not going to be able to do so immediately.**

----

What do you need from the Coalition?

• Unifying force to bring us together multiple interest groups
• GC to be the coalition backing particular agendas with force to encourage/support legislation.

GC General
• Website with all information--> local food, etc.
• Information Clearinghouse for GC community
• Collate and provide access to resources
• Disseminator of information
• Coordinator of where public speakers are needed
• Education w/n Green Convene: Past lessons in Louisville; Sustainability 101, etc.

GC Action Center (e.g. www.nrdc.org/action)
• Promote the broad diversity of options from which and on which individuals can select actions
• Advocacy, connecting whole city, broad based.
• political pressure, political organization
• Provide leadership & advocacy on legislative changes

GC Contacts
• Create one large contact list
• Contact list circulated from our group - and email forum closed to group

GC Forum
• Online GC community forum
• Provide a hub for networking between constituent groups
• Spreadsheet with issues & activities and email of the other groups
• Volunteer support for individual group activities
• Learning from others

GC Experts
• Have "expert" contact info available to GC coalition
• Provide "volunteer" consultants to different groups
• Pull info/expertise from other GC-type movements in other cities/towns
• Info about financing green movements/programs

Feedback Loops
• Response from Coalition regarding our recommendations
• Email updates from the green convene
• Match up/be in touch with other like coalitions in other cities

GC accountability/transparency
• Individual Group accountability
• Sustainlane benchmarking
• Lead by example and always share information

GC Public Outreach
• Public outreach/marketing of individual groups' activities/issues
• Experts educating public on "real" stats about climate change, true costs, carbon footprints, recycling, etc.
• GC to be the face of Louisville's green movement to the public
• Buy-in/support from community
• Outreach to nonactive citizens
• Groups not currently part of general environmental groups
• Education and public outreach will help in every area by expanding knowledge and teaching people how to reduce their environmental impact.
• Develop an "Intro to Sustainability" for all appointmented or elected officials in Metro Louisville - require/mandate it.
• Mandate all elected/appointed gov't officials to complete sustanability course
• Have influence - give concrete examples when an opportunity is available
• Shift in media coverage toward more full information - furthest reach
• Convincing/sexy images for densification
• Base reallignment at Fort Knox - many people = opportunity

Focus area-specific outreach- Connect to the broader community
• Raise awareness that the status quo of conventional agriculture is not healthy. Pouring chemicals and using altered seeds is poisoning us.
• Organic gardening programs in all schools.
• Explain how downstream pollution impacts other communities and how it indirectly impacts Louisville to educate people on Beargrass Creek and water stream problems.
• Educate people on how climate change impacts peoples' personal finances - energy bills
• Educate people on better and more efficient usage of land that also impacts them personally.
• One building (re-used adaptively, LEED certified, etc.) leads to education and inspiration
• Host "car free" demonstration
• Public education for public health


Green Convene Structure
• GC rep. at important orgs, committees, etc. like Louisville Metrocouncil meetings, GLI
• Creation of Working Groups/Action Teams (Ag, Transp, etc.)
• More comprehensive mission statement from Green Convene
• 501c3 status if not attained yet
• the development of a statement/position that will underlie our work
• Develop Facebook page
• A tool to initiate effect (Action site, benchmarks?)

Key emails for gatekeepers

Post GreenThumbNate 5/13/2009 at 9:39 pm
Let's face it--we're information saturated. Yet key communication isn't broad and fast enough on a greengrass roots level. I would like to see someone (on the GC board?) collect and distribute the contact info of the gatekeepers of various influential groups in town, gatekeepers who can pass along a broadcast email or stop it if it isn't germane to the individual group in the eyes of the gatekeeper. Thus, the greenconvene key email list of gatekeepers can be the switchboard for interlocking ideas. As new groups arise, this list grows. All of which would fold into social media too (ie facebook, ...).

Just a rough idea to flesh out before pursuing.

Nate

Copied from: https://greenconvene.forumotion.net/coalition-building-f24/key-emails-for-gatekeepers-t178.htm