Sustainability Action Network

About Us

The Sustainability Action Mission is to bring awareness of the global crisis caused by climate change, energy vulnerability and economic instability to communities in the Kansas River bioregion, and the tools needed to re-skill and re-localize our economy and create a more socially just and ecologically sustainable world.

To reduce society’s collective carbon footprint, Sustainability Action Network strives mainly for institutional change in policies and programs. While incremental personal lifestyle changes help, they of themselves are too slow. As such, we advance ecological sustainability on several fronts of Energy-Ecology-Economy, simultaneously and methodically.

Our national officials fail to address this crisis, instead pursuing counter-productive and unsustainable economic expansion. Our communities must create the solutions for human and ecological survival. We embrace the Permaculture ethic of care for the earth, for people and for community, equality of life, conservation, and limits to growth.  As much as we are able, our organizational actions honor and respect all species and all peoples.

Our Vision:  Ecological sustainability means living in a way that is mindful of consequences for the future.  We envision a community built around livelihood strategies that protect the commons of clean air, soil and water; deliver efficient, affordable, clean and renewable energy; prioritize local food systems; and promote biological diversity so that future generations of people and other species can also satisfy their basic needs.

In this context, “development” will mean improving the quality of life for all people in the Lawrence and Kansas City areas, fostering social justice in the distribution of available resources and opportunities, and fortifying our local economy toward the goal of mutual self-sufficiency.  Social relationships are equally important to ecological sustainability; the society we advance will be built on mutual aid, trust, equity, and participatory democracy.

We envision the formation of an informational network, sponsorship of educational seminars and workshops, and community social and political activities.  We envision planning to rebuild local community infrastructures including community supported agriculture, manufacture of basic commodities, renewable energy projects, resource utilization and environmental protection.  We engage our local and state government representatives in formulating policies and legislation that may foster sustainable practices and lifestyle