Trends in energy, food and economics have a lot of people thinking local. Many are coming to believe that affluence and epic use of resources as we know it is not sustainable. Others are making healthier, more peaceful lifestyle choices regardless of the trends. Four Eugene neighborhoods are planning bike tours to show model locations all around town where people are making far better use of assets on site to decrease their ecological footprints. Soil, sun and rainfall are available to most residential locations and many people are putting them to work. Others are going beyond the natural resources and creating non conventional households and collaborating with neighbors for mutual assistance.

The bike tours will have a look at grass to garden, reclaiming space from automobiles, rain water catchment, active and passive solar design, cooperation between neighbors, and more. Tours are set for River Road- July 26, Friendly - August 9, Amazon - August 23 and Whiteaker - in September.

The tours, organized by the respective neighborhood associations and organizations, show there is increasing interest in greening the neighborhoods by those organizations. There is a new committee within the Neighborhood Leaders Council [an independent group composed of neighborhood leaders] with members from ten different neighborhoods that is in the process of creating a new look to neighborhood organizations as activist on the ground and doing hands on projects in the neighborhoods for the environment, local food production and to build community. Several neighborhoods have set up eco/green committees. The neighborhood organizations offer wonderful and timely opportunities to build community close to home with many positive benefits. To connect with your neighborhood organization, call the Neighborhood Program office at 682-6243 or check
www.eugene-or.gov/portal/server.pt?space=CommunityPage&control=SetCommun...

Community self-reliance starts with neighborhood conversations. What better way to meet neighbors than as you bike along, learn, and converse about new ways to green your neighborhood, starting at home!

For more on each of these bike tours, please visit the 'upcoming events' section of Post Carbon Eugene.

See you real soon!...

Jan, and 'Sundog'