A few years ago Seoul, Korea launched the “One Less Nuclear Power Plant” campaign in response to the disaster at Fukushima, climate change, and nationwide blackouts. The campaign was so successful that Seoul is now working on decommissioning its second plant by placing solar on every roof and energy efficiencies in every building. This has put them on the map as one of the most innovative cities in the world and an obvious choice as host for the ICLEI 2015 World Congress event “Sustainable Solutions for an Urban Future”, which I was extremely lucky to attend.
Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon via satellite, along with the mayors of over forty cities on stage at the event.
Over the course of a week, city mayors across the globe presented sustainable projects happening in their cities, promoting the idea that major change will not come from a national level but from the work of cities, the greatest contributor to carbon emissions. An underlying theme of the event was the importance of bottom-up planning and the power of civil society.
During one of his speeches, Seoul’s Mayor Park turned off the lights in the gigantic hall of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, where the event was being hosted. The room was glowing with solar powered paper lanterns made by the Energy Guardian Angels Corps, a group of 10,000 Korean schoolchildren set out to document and reduce energy consumption by 10% at their schools and homes.
That’s when the idea hit! Imagine a block party-style event in the Beltline Solar District to engage the surrounding community in a discussion about sustainability in Detroit as a means for economic growth, energy security and environmental stewardship. Participants will make solar sun jars, creating a temporary installation in a large vacant space (see picture below and use your imagination to populate it was lanterns, people, and good times). As day turns to night, a “Take Back the Light” march will ensue, creating a beautiful visual and a special memory of walking down the street with family, friends, and solar sun jars lighting our way. The lanterns will be taken home as a constant source of free light, even during blackouts, offering a bright reminder that the sun shines on everyone, freely and equally, and we need to rethink how it is distributed.
The Beltline, the location of the event, is an aging industrial corridor that could greatly benefit from a new economy, and what better than renewables? It would bring local jobs for residents and the stabilization of a blighted neighborhood. Detroit has the workforce and a strong history of makers and doers, meaning that the ingenuity that led Detroit into the 20th century could once again led Detroit into the 21st century. But we need to start somewhere.
We have to anticipate the future to change it, so let’s invest time into nurturing our children (the future) and harvest their natural hope and curiosity for a better tomorrow.