Welcome to the Online Presence of the SLC

Economist Paul Romer, in a different context, stated, “A Crisis is a Terrible thing to Waste.”  Within the next 50 years – our culture will be bearing fully the brunt and repercussions of multiple crisis: Climate Change, Resource Depletion (Peak Oil), Human Population Growth and Species Extinction.  The Sustainable Living Coalition was founded by a group of passionate, dedicated and concerned people as a direct and POSITIVE response to the aforementioned problems. 

Welcome to the new online presence of the Sustainable Living Coalition.  A goal for this web is to provide another avenue for sharing the sublime and profound knowledge of the SLC's educational offerings.  We are working to further expand our influence beyond the community of Fairfield and residents of SE Iowa.  We hope to reach citizens of the greater Midwest Region and provide inspiration that has BOTH national AND global significance.

The SLC works to share many possible visions for humanity – it provides training as we transition from a global industrial empire to an earth centered community. Truly this is the greatest challenge ever faced by our collective civilization.

One of the SLC’s best assets are our engaged, enthusiastic and visionary supporters. They recognize -- to paraphrase and take a bit of liberty with Buckminster Fuller – that we can bring about change by creating “something new” which renders what currently exists -- obsolete.

The “something new” that is being created via the SLC and activists everywhere -- is going to provide the resilience which will allow communities around the world to flourish in radically new ways during the upcoming period of global ecological decline.

The word “sustainability” has become rather slippery in recent times. Its presence in our everyday language is ubiquitous and the word evokes a different connotative meaning amongst different people.

Imagine a circle of people standing around an art sculpture. No one person, from a single vantage point can completely describe the sculpture. Yet, if each individual were to describe, from their perspective on the circle, what they see of the sculpture -- a rather accurate composite description could be created. If each person offered their own perspective -- a shared vision would eventually emerge….
Remove the sculpture from the center of the imaginary circle and replace it with "the concept of sustainability."  In your mind, repeat the activity and try to wrap yourself around what sustainability is.

The vision of sustainability for our communities is not one that will be sharp and crystal clear. Rather, the image will be much like that of a mosaic. A mosaic whose image paradoxically becomes clearer the further away one is from it.

Even in their unfinished state -- the facilities of the SLC provide a rich, nurturing, learning and educational environment.

The long term vision for education programs includes, but is not limited to:

• Up to 50 students being enrolled in Summer Internship Programs
  
• Two Permaculture Design Certification Courses per Season with up to 35 Students each
  
• A full year-round Permaculture Intensive
  
• Weekend Introductory Permaculture Courses

The Sustainable Living Coalition campus is a living laboratory that is used to test and promote experiments in community sustainability. It is a laboratory where we will invent and incubate alternative, cooperative, viable experimental community models. Models that will reconcile economics with ecology. Models that transform, nurture and heal. Models that will restore relationships between people and the community of life which we are a part. Community models that will one day replace prohibitive law with restorative law. Models that offer members cradle to grave security – meaning members will not have to face problems alone nor will they ever have to fear their neighbors. The SLC will generate profound and immeasurable community wealth.

Sustainability is a vast frontier for our culture to discover. Implicit is the need for urgency, inventiveness, creativity and importantly courage in order to uncover new ways of doing business and making livings. It means reconciling economic and ecological models in a manner that doesn’t encourage or reward the externalization of biological or social costs. It requires finding ways to live off of current solar income within our bioregion.

It is imperative that we – both as individuals and communities -- imagine, create and advocate ways to live fulfilling lives rooted in the abundant flows of our earth’s natural systems.

In commUnity,

frank cicel

P.S.  Many, many hours were contributed toward the creation of this website! A very special thank you is extended to Ben Stallings of Interdependent Web and Briggs Shore -- who both gave generously of their time and talents to create this space.