June 17 Weekly News Brief

We're so excited to be returning to the Arbor Glen Outreach Center this Friday to continue engaging youth as sustainability leaders in their community! If you missed our last update on our work with youth in West Charlotte neighborhoods, read our blog.

Good news! Innovative environmental sustainability projects are coming to Charlotte! At the June 10 Environment Committee meeting of Charlotte City Council, Rob Phocas from Neighborhood & Business Services explained a variety of innovative environmental programs that the City is planning for both its own operations and the entire community. The committee's approved Environment Focus Area Plan includes "very aggressive and aspirational goals", according to Mr. Phocas. To read more about this plan and its goals, read our blog.

Congratulations to Davidson, NC for renewing its Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community status! Davidson is one of 42 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Communities. We're excited that Davidson is being formally recognized for creating a more bike friendly community!

We are pleased to announce that Pinckney Marketing has joined our partner network at the Gold level! Learn more about how your organization can benefit from a partnership with Sustain Charlotte!

Local residents like you play a critical role in ensuring we have the resources to carry out our work in the community to inspire choices that lead to a to a healthier and more vibrant community for generations to come! Help us do more by becoming a Sustain Charlotte member today for as little as $3/month -- that's one cup of coffee! Click to learn how easily you can support our mission and your community via membership:

How zoning reveals our deeper cultural values:

In his review of Zoned in the USA, David Walters writes, "zoning regulations are not just dull technical tools to control land use and development. They are 'culturally loaded constructs' that illustrate many aspects of our political and cultural ideologies. They tell a lot about who we are and why we think the way we do, especially compared with very different attitudes and land development regulations in other Western democracies...By far the most dominant land use category in U.S. zoning codes is detached, single-family housing. This reflects the common belief that this is the 'best' category". While Charlotte still has a long way to go to overcome our car-dependent pattern of living, it's great to see new development in Charlotte that is compact, mixed-use, and accessible by walking, biking and transit. To read more, visit PlanCharlotte.

A new study finds that Americans grossly underestimate the food they throw away:

"Americans perceive themselves as wasting little," said study leader and director of the Food System Sustainability & Public Health Program at CLF, Roni Neff in a statement. "But in reality, we are wasting substantial quantities." According to Mother Jones, "the average American family wastes between $1,365 to $2,275 worth of food and beverages annually. We waste so much, in fact, that New York City's Sanitation Department wants to require restaurants, catering companies, grocery stores, and others to start composting all of their wasted food by July 1". Wouldn't it be great to see the City of Charlotte take similar action and require large companies and grocery stores to compost in an effort to reduce our City's waste? To read more, visit Mother Jones.

Each month we feature a Sustain Charlotte supporter to give you a glimpse of who supports our work in your community. To become a supporting member, click here.

A little bit about Sustain Charlotte member Bill Staton...

Where do you live?
In a cul de sac at the end of Hartmill Court, very near Reformed Theological Seminary at the corner of Sharon View and Carmel Road. We call our 1 acre Staton's Nature Preserve because we're surrounded by forest and animals, especially two pairs of hawks.

Are you working right now?
Sure am. I'm only 68. Why retire? What would I retire into? I see no purpose to it because I love what we do -- help clients do well with their finances and integrate their money into their lifestyle. I'm owner of Staton Financial Advisors LLC, a registered investment advisory.

What do you like to do for fun?
Walk our dog Bianca, play tennis at least three times weekly; travel, especially to remote places like the jungle in Suriname and more recently four isolated camps in Botswana, wildlife photography, teaching basic financial skills at the county jail and Charlotte Rescue Mission.

Why do you support Sustain Charlotte?
The name says it all. I've lived here since 1971 and can't think of any place I'd rather live with Mary, my wife. We both volunteer for lots of things, all to help Charlotte keep on getting better and better.

Do you need to retire your bicycle tires? Mecklenburg County’s Bicycle Tire and Inner-Tube Recycling Pilot Program is designed to divert bicycle tires and bicycle inner-tubes from the landfill. People are encouraged to deposit used bicycle tires and inner-tubes into collection containers located at the participating Charlotte bike shops listed below. A special thanks to Waste Management and Boquete Mountain Coffee for their generous donations to aid in the collection and transportation of the collected materials. Click here to learn more.

Participating Bike Shops:
Queen City Bicycles - 128 E. Park Ave.
BikeSource - 4301-A Park Rd.
Bicycle Sport - 2916 Selwyn Ave.
Uptown Cycles - 1432 W. Morehead St.
Inside Out Sports - 1514 S. Church St. #102

Are you interested in giving a presentation at the 2015 NC Bike Summit in Charlotte this October? The call for papers is now open! Click here for instructions and to learn more. Sustain Charlotte is the local host for this 4th annual North Carolina Bicycle Summit, which will be hosted in Charlotte October 15-17, 2015!

July 7

Green Drinks Charlotte + Sustain Charlotte Monthly Mixer
6:00pm - 7:30pm @ The Liberty, 1812 South Blvd, Charlotte. Join us for an informal and fun evening of conversation and networking. Our Monthly Mixers provide an opportunity where you can learn more about us, our partners, and meet others interested in local sustainability! You'll hear from our Silver Partner, Greffen Systems, and also have a chance to register for our 2015 Race to the Beach commute challenge! Click here to read more and to RSVP.

June 24

Sierra Club Meeting
6:30pm - 8:30pm @ Mahlon Adams Pavilion at Freedom Park, 2435 Cumberland Ave, Charlotte. The program is free and open to the public and you do not have to be a member to attend. Click here for more information.