In the spring of 2009, DeWitt County Development Council unveiled a unique and comprehensive plan to be the first county in the world to demonstrate how an existing community can reduce its carbon footprint to as close to zero as possible.
With the new GreenSphere Global initiative, DeWitt County is setting the standard for community level redevelopment in the emerging world of carbon reduction. Reducing carbon emissions, encouraging economic development and improving the quality of life for members of the community will accomplish this redevelopment. Ruth Stauffer, of the DeWitt County Development Council states,”Our efforts can put DeWitt County in a most favorable marketing position moving into the 21st century and become a model for communities throughout the world.”
While recognizing the economic benefits of the unique energy resources available within its borders, local government and business leaders met this past year to discuss avenues of economic and social development in the county. “The rare combination of having existing Green energy sources of nuclear, methane, and wind gives DeWitt County an
advantage,” according to Ms Stauffer. The committee focused on how to capitalize on the county’s three energy sources, each with low carbon emissions.
As a result of these discussions the Greensphere Global initiative will offer community based education of reduce/reuse/recycle projects, help research solar and biotechnology applications, promote ways to “green” existing businesses, integrate green industrial parks and help develop incentives and look to obtain or fund awards for renewable building. “This means our county is poised to attract the new green collar industries.”
The one thing that is certain is change. The world is moving forward, DeWitt county needs to move with it at the very least, if we can be ahead of the change, all the better. The world as we have known it for generations is changing from living in a carbon open society toward the new standard of living in a carbon constrained society. This change will be gradual and difficult in many ways. The most significant of these changes to most will be the cost. Nothing is free and change on the scale that is necessary to move to this new way of living will be very expensive.
We have two choices, to be ahead of the curve and have a hand in how the change is made thus benefiting from change or behind the curve and be forced to accept changes that others dictate. Either way things are going to change. The question is on what side of that change do we want to be?
What does all this mean?
