Step It Up in Blacksburg: History and Summary by Dave Roper

History and Summary:

As the result of a $95,000 electronics-recycling grant from the EPA to Blacksburg and the Virginia Tech YMCA, a very active Sustainable Blacksburg organization was created ( http://www.sustainableblacksburg.org). I am a member of its Steering Committee setting up its structure. A Sustainable Blacksburg week was held in August 2006 with many events that were well attended.

I (age 71 retired physics professor at Virginia Tech) and a 24-year-old engineer, Aaron Barr, worked together to get Blacksburg to join Cool Cities in September to November 2006, when the Town of Blacksburg Council voted 6-1 to join Cool Cities. Although the Mayor was the lone vote against Cool Cities, he quickly got on board and established an excellent Mayor's Task Force on Climate Protection and Sustainability. A detailed inventory of the Town's and the community's GWG emissions is underway utilizing expertise and student work at Virginia Tech.

So, Step It Up was a natural, but not-so-spectacular, addition to those previous activities. We had bad weather on 14 April and troubles finding a suitable location because of other events in town. However, we had about 45 people brave the weather to attend a rally inside the VT YMCA Thrift Shop with hybrid, biodiesel and electric vehicles on display outside. Several interesting and informative talks were given:

L. David Roper, Cool Cities organizer (about Global Warming in general)
Maria Bowling, vice chair of the NRV group of the Sierra Club (read Bill McKibben's message and represented the Sierra Club)
Richard Rich, political science professor at Virginia Tech (about federal actions needed and the politics involved)
Rebekah Paulson, local recycling organizer (about local recycling efforts)
Karen Cairns, environmental educator (about the Partnership for a Green City initiative in Louisville KY as a model)
Susan Anderson, Blacksburg Town Council member (about the efforts of the Town of Blacksburg to reduce GWG)
After the movie An Inconvenient Truth at the Lyric Theatre, Don Langrehr, Blacksburg Town Council member, wrapped up the Step It Up rally.

All of these events had a large effect on the citizens of the Town of Blacksburg. There is much interest in sustainability and Global Warming mitigation here spanning the Virginia Tech and business community.

I am now enhancing that interest by driving a small electric pickup all over town ( http://www.roperld.com/science/ZAPXebraPKRoper.htm). I have taught courses about hybrid vehicles for the VT YMCA Open University ( http://www.charityadvantage.com/vtymcaorg/springgreen.asp) and will teach a course about plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles in the fall. The VT YMCA Open University regularly has courses about green living. This Saturday the VT YMCA sponsored a New River Valley Green Home Tour and Seminar ( http://www.vtymca.org/NRVGreenHomeTour.asp).

Interest is building at Virginia Tech in making its buildings and activities more energy efficient.

A biodiesel initiative is getting underway between Blacksburg, Virginia Tech and the City of Roanoke. A biodiesel cooperative in Blacksburg is working to make biodiesel available to citizens.

Strategies used to attract media, get supporters, secure permits, diffuse opposition:

A large and successful effort was made in the run up to the Cool Cities vote to get many Blacksburg citizens to attend three Town Council meetings and to get many volunteers to help organize the Cool Cities press conference after the vote. The Roanoke Times newspaper was very helpful by printing several articles and editorials about Cool Cities for Blacksburg.

Some challenges in the organizing experience and lessons learned:

Since Step It Up was the third major event in Blacksburg in nine months time, it was difficult to get a large amount of interest generated in the event, because so much was already going on relative to Global-Warming mitigation. However, we wanted to be a part of the national effort, and are pleased that we made a good showing.

Relationships and alliances developed while organizing this action:

Many of us in Blacksburg now have a better knowledge of others in the community who have similar interests. Especially important was getting the academics and the local business people together.

Dave Roper