our future……

“I believe that he who sows Utopia will reap reality” – Carlo Petrini founder of the slowfood movement

The idea of this page is to Inspire and Fortify us us for what a future vision for Carlisle could look like.

Northumbria University architecture department students came to Carlisle on the invitation of the Aquaponics project C.A.R.P. and worked on some designs for a potential urban farm within the city. Here are some of their ideas:

post flood community

Download here: Carlisle Exhibition

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James Delaney, Friend of Sustainable Carlisle, founder of Blockworks envisaged a sustainable city for Disney ……

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See our Pinterest page: https://in.pinterest.com/carpfoodhub/sustainable-carlisle/

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Also We are looking at Jem Bendel’s 3 x R’s …

i.Resilience – what is it that we most want to keep  ii.Relinquishment – what is it that we most want to let go of iii.Restoration – What can we bring back

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 Here’s 101 ways you can practice sustainability — as inspired by Sustainable Carlisle

  1. REDUCE. (Reusing and recycling is good but eliminating waste or material consumption all together is often approximately 100–5000 times better in the long run.)

  2. Share your sustainable choices and values with others. This is a fight that needs all the momentum we can muster.

  3. Cultivate infinite resources (ones that grow exponentially the more seeds and sprouts of them there are) like creativity, gratitude, love, and empathy.

  4. Use electricity minimally. Remember when you waited for the sun to shine to charge your phone?

  5. Use water consciously. All water is part of the same system, which means all water is connected to the Eden and every other pristine water source.

  6. Check in with friends to see how they are really doing.

  7. Ask for help when you need it. We must first take care of ourselves before we can take care of anyone or anything else.

  8. Listen to people with perspectives that are different than your own.

  9. Read books written by people who offer a lens into the world you would otherwise never look through.

  10. Eat less meat. Especially beef. It’s outrageously bad for global systems.

  11. Break unhealthy addictions. Replace them with better ones.

  12. Reduce the amount of plastic you use.

  13. Buy from ethically and environmentally responsible companies.

    B-corps are a great place to start!

  14. Compost. Aka get yourself some pet Worms

  15. Call your family more. Send them silly photos or reminders of things you have done together.

  16. Eat seasonally.

  17. Invite your friends to do 30-day challenges with you. Ideas include: Going Vegan, sugar-free, eating only package free foods, not buying anything but food for a month, no texting for a month, etc. Often these challenges serve as a fun way to educate others through conversations that arise and confidence in living your values.

  18. Commit to shopping at charity shops (as much as you can) Clothing companies use a ton of resources to produce and are often very socially irresponsible.

  19. Host a clothing exchange with friends.

  20. Use Freecycle or Give and take stalls or other services that let you buy things from your neighbors. It’s good for your wallet and the environment.

  21. Start conversations with strangers. Or simply flash ’em a smile.

  22. Remind your friends why you think they’re awesome. Encourage them to be the best versions of themselves.

  23. Host documentary nights.

  24. Host Jacob’s Join meal where everyone brings a homemade or seasonal dish.

  25. Support your community gardens by buying, growing, or volunteering there.

  26. Make dinner with your friends and family rather than going to restaurants.

  27. Be vulnerable.

  28. Replace all dead light bulbs with LED — The “investment” will more than pay for itself because of how long they last.

  29. Be conscious of power you use — turn off your computer completely and don’t leave electronics plugged in. This mindfulness goes further than the amount of energy saved, it makes this way of eco-conscious thinking a habit.

  30. Grow your own herb garden.

  31. Buy food in bulk.

  32. Make your own “milk” with coconuts, hemp, oats, rice, flax seeds, or almonds. It can take <10 minutes and avoids a large portion of the negative environmental impacts or buying milk or “milk” substitutes.

  33. Better yet, go full force vegan — for the animals but also for the environment!

  34. Take shorter and colder showers — heating water takes a lot of energy.

  35. Rebel again grass lawns! Water them minimally or better yet plant wild grasses or succulents.

  36. Buy things that tell a story you believe in. They might be more expensive but they’ll likely last longer and allow you to vote with your cash.

  37. Avoid all bottled water and bottled drinks in general. Fun DIY Idea: Make your own gatorade (oranges+sugar+salt) It’s less sugary, has less chemicals, & creates less waste!

  38. Support greener sources of energy — Wind, solar, biomass, geothermal

  39. Keep using your solar chargers.

  40. Drive Less. Carpool or drive fuel efficient vehicles.

  41. Start a cycle gang or consider cycling instead of driving. It’s good for you good for the environment.

  42. Start a socially conscious book club and create a safe space for discussing critical issues.

  43. Bring your own bags to the grocery store.

  44. Refuse to use styrofoam or tin foil for takeout. Instead, bring your own to-go containers or share large portions.

  45. Use a wooden toothbrush as a daily reminder to avoid plastic. Let’s avoid creating more plastic islands in the ocean.

  46. Avoid things with “unsustainable” palm oil. There likely isn’t such a thing as sustainable palm oil so basically eat less processed food.

  47. Consult www.ethicalconsumer.org to learn more about responsible consuming and an easy to use guide on what to buy.

  48. Use bars of shampoo rather than bigger, heavier bottles and local soap.

  49. Eat local honey.

  50. Propagate plants.

  51. Go to your local farmers market.

  52. If you can Don’t Fly or at least Minimize air travel, especially when it comes to short flights (takeoff and landing use the most fuel and also are the easiest flights to swap for alternatives). Whenever possible take a bus, train, or boat!

  53. Donate to Parks or conservation organizations.

  54. Explore your national, and local parks.

  55. Read books about feminism, racism, war, peace, royalty, poverty, and life in other galaxies.

  56. Learn how to ask people hard questions.

  57. Spend less time in front of a screen.

  58. Challenge yourself and friends to detach from your phones by leaving them in a different room and never bringing them into your bedroom.

  59. Spend time at your local library. Bring a friend to browse with.

  60. Support local and community businesses.

  61. Google less (those databases actually use a ton of energy). Instead, use more books or your imagination.

  62. Engage in community events. Make new friends.

  63. Educate yourself about indigenous populations.

  64. Share something you’ve learned with your family and friends → What culture left the biggest impressions? What foods did you try? Who did you meet? What did you learn?

  65. Give what you have — time, money, or an ear — to support causes you believe in.

  66. Intentionally surround yourself with people that foster positive thinking. Find people you can genuinely relate to.

  67. Surround yourself with people that challenge you in constructive ways.

  68. Participate in an Action at Home project — a river or beach cleanup, trail or park maintenance, or homeless shelter.

  69. You don’t need to leave home to get involved in international issues. Find organizations that work abroad in your area.

  70. Step out of your normal circles to have conversations with people who are different than you. Listen with an open mind and challenge your beliefs (otherwise how else can you expect others to do this?)

  71. Live in a housing coop. You might be surprised what options exist in your community.

  72. Make a citizen’s arrest.

  73. Spend time with refugees or other immigrants to better understand what their lives look like.

  74. Ignite more spontaneous dance parties.

  75. Snail mail a friend or even get yourself a proper pen pal. www.postcrossing.com

  76. Host “Family dinners” and make it a routine to cook with friends weekly.

  77. Kiss — err, thank a farmer.

  78. Understand the geography of marginalized people in your own community. Find out demographic information about different neighborhoods, visit different neighborhoods, including racial and socio-economic classes. Find out what groups are active in these areas and how you can get involved.

  79. VOTE! Especially in local elections.

  80. Join a CSA. Better still, share it with a friend and then cook together.

  81. Understand your local recycling programs — and how to reduce or repurpose as much as possible.

  82. Start your own composting system for you, your neighbors, your building, or your campus.

  83. Recognize how you vote with your fork and every purchase you make. Consumerism is what drives our economy, our jobs, and our societies. You are a critical part of this system and determining how it grows!!

  84. Use your social media for good — share educational articles or personal stories about how you are involved in sustainable efforts.

  85. Find an ‘accountability partner’ to serve as a support system.

  86. Keep your problem solving attitude. Don’t stop creating projects that matter.

  87. Remember the Ospreys.

  88. Join or start a food waste gleaning effort in your community.

  89. Resist all the product marketing- easily make your own toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, etc.

  90. Buy the “ugly” produce to avoid it getting thrown away.

  91. Repair rather than replace as much as you can. Wabi Sabi is cool

  92. Be an active participant in local and regional governance policies. Call and email your local councillors.

  93. Educate yourself how different levels of politics work. Go to city planning meetings, local Republican or Democratic meetings, or city council meetings.

  94. Influence change within your circles- work, friends, family.

  95. Pick up trash when you go hiking and remind others not to litter.

  96. Spend responsibly. Use a budget. Save money so you can use your money for the things you really value.

  97. Stretch the lifespans of your technology as long as you can — buying new phones, computers, tablets, etc. requires mining a lot of heavy metals and are hard to properly recycle.

  98. Give gifts that are experiences not things you buy.

  99. Calculate your carbon footprint to learn more about what changes will have the biggest impact.

  100. Share this list with friends.

  101. Find other ways you can be happy — naturally. And spread the love

    We believe in the art of expanding possibilities. Consume less. Create more.