Eco-tip: Sustainability outreach focuses on SMART goals
George Doran was the first to say goals should be “SMART.” His mnemonic acronym for goals, in the November 1981 issue of Management Review, said goals should be specific, measurable, assignable, realistic and time-related.
While various adjustments have slightly changed the acronym since then — the last three words are now more commonly “attainable, relevant and timely” — the application of Doran’s wisdom has broadened from business management to a variety of other areas.
This clear thinking about achievement of goals was one of the factors making an environmental outreach campaign stand out from other grant applications when Camarillo Public Library Director Mandy Nasr proposed the “Cam I Am Sustainable” initiative.
For the initiative, which features a series of workshop-oriented programs to be presented at the library through partnerships with important people and organizations, the city of Camarillo was awarded a $17,325 grant by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under a program administered in California by the State Librarian.
The workshops are all practical, interesting and oriented toward building environmental awareness through encouraging small changes in people’s lives.
“Asking people to go vegan or to literally get to zero waste just turns them off,” Nasr told me. “Instead, we are starting with fun and engaging small activities meant to spur more actions.”
On Saturday, the scheduled presenter was Anne-Marie Bonneau, author of "The Zero-Waste Chef Cookbook," who planned to share cooking and kitchen management tips for a successful and sustainable home and planet. In congruence with Nasr’s statement, Bonneau’s online promotional pitch for her cookbook explains why she thinks zero waste is an intention rather than a rule.
“While one person eliminating all their waste is great, if thousands of people do 20% better it will have a much bigger impact on the planet,” Bonneau wrote.
Many of Bonneau’s tips are simple and save money. For example, she recommends eliminating plastic wrap by simply inverting a plate over leftovers. She has recipes for items others might discard, such as making Mexican hot chocolate bread pudding out of a loaf of bread no longer fresh enough to be delicious by itself. She focuses on cooking with scraps, fermenting foods and using up not only ingredients, but also leftovers.
People attending or hearing about Bonneau’s presentation will receive additional environmental education if they become interested in her ongoing work, including her online blog, at zerowastechef.com.
A December guest post on the blog by Brigitte Gemme, a chef with a similar spirit, particularly addressed those who hate to cook. Gemme's essay makes a clever case against the packaged, prepared foods steadily gaining popularity due to convenience and taste — usually sweet or salty. As she notes, these foods sometimes sacrifice more important considerations such as health and opportunities for family-building collaboration. Starting with a message like Gemme’s would probably turn off many people who could be better reached after being drawn in by a cooking workshop at a public library.
Each month, from January to June, the “Cam I am Sustainable” series will focus on select topics such as composting, upcycling, food waste prevention, water conservation and solar energy. Events are open to non-Camarillo residents as well.
Additional dates, some not yet listed on the library’s website at camarillolibrary.org, include events below. Most are at the library at 4101 Las Posas Road, but some are off-site and/or require advance registration, so check the library's site for specifics:
Jan. 22: Upcycling with kidSTREAM, for children age 5-12. Bring an empty cereal box to be decorated and upcycled into a mask. kidSTREAM will demonstrate how taking care of our planet builds creative thinking skills, relationship skills and leadership qualities.
Feb. 8: Composting 101 with “queen of compost” Camila Guzman, who will discuss how you can get started from home, including a demonstration with real materials.
Feb. 12: Plant-Based Cooking at kidSTREAM, for kids age 7-12. Local chefs will present a plant-based cooking demonstration at the kidSTREAM facility at 3100 Ponderosa Drive.
March 9: Why is sustainability Important? Local leaders will give a talk about who they are, what they do and why sustainability matters in our community.
April 17: Upcycling with Recyle2Riches, for young adults. Recycle2Riches founder Ashleigh Dawson will demonstrate how teens can turn old T-shirts into market bags.
David Goldstein, an environmental resource analyst with the Ventura County Public Works Agency, can be reached at 805-658-4312 or david.goldstein@ventura.org.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Eco-tip: Sustainability outreach focuses on SMART goals
