Twenty-six imaginative, spirited people gather together in Santa Fe, New Mexico, each month with a clearly defined committment: to take concrete actions, large and small, to live more lightly on this earth (i.e., to use less resources and pollute less). They are using some innovative tools to achieve their goals.

This group, which formed in 1996 (of which I am a member), grew slowly and organically out of a series of much smaller meetings dating back to 1991. Various combinations of friends wondered, with some urgency, what to do about the state of the planet. The news seemed to be getting steadily worse: global warming, pollution, acid rain, degraded natural systems, and on and on. Unflinchingly, we looked at the part we played in the over-consumption (so common in rich countries) which feeds these problems.

We called ourselves "Sustainable Presence," set our upper limit at 30 members, and defined our vision:

• To take personal responsibility to make changes in our private lives which benefit the environment and conserve resources, ultimately enriching the Santa Fe area.
• To create a presence in the community which might inspire others to launch their own experiments in sustainable living.
• Within our group, to share knowledge and resources, to learn new skills, and to nurture trust and effective communication.
• To form our own cooperative loan fund to facilitate major purchases which could make a real difference in an individual's energy and resource use.
• To have a hell of a good time doing all of the above.

Most but not all Sustainable Presence members are participating. Each person joins the coop for a full share ($70) or a half share ($35). This amount is deposited each month into a group account. Whenever the balance grows to $3,000, we throw names into a hat of those who are ready to put the money to use. (A whole share award is $3,000, a half share $1,500.) Members are awarded a loan only once. Over roughly three and a half years, every member will get back either $1,500 or $3,000 - exactly what he or she put into the fund.
Here are some examples from our list of acceptable items on which to spend the loan money:

• Insulation for walls or roof to reduce winter energy use;
• rainwater storage systems (from 1,000 to 12,000 gallons);
• native plants, shrubs, grasses;
• resource saving appliances such as energy-efficient refrigerators, washing machines, and compact flourescent light bulbs;
• solar panels;
• composting and low flush toilets;
• modification of autos and trucks to accept propane fuel, (less polluting than gasoline); and
• electric auto-conversion kit for small cars (imagine using no gasoline!).

Loan recipients become borrowers from the Sustainable Presence community. They make their purchase within three months, spend the entire loan on sustainables (including labor for installation) and give an accounting to the group of how the money was spent. The borrower simply continues to make payments each month, as before, with no interest. As one member put it, "I had a budget for everything else but purchases to make my home more efficient and sustainable. Now it's so easy and fun to save with the group."

Receiving an interest-free loan of $1,500 or $3,000 from one's friends is thrilling, and results in serious bonding. Since we meet at different homes each month, we can admire tanks full of rainwater, peer into energy-saving, state-of-the-art refrigerators that shear megabucks off the electric bill, and see what it's really like to live with compact flourescent bulbs. As more members receive their loans, we hope to ride in an electric vehicle and make deposits into our friends' composting toilets.

I was the first to receive a Sustainable Presence loan ($1,500). With the money, I installed a low-tech roofwater-harvesting system.

But make no mistake: consumptive habits die hard, and we admit we're far from being successful at accomplishing perfect "sustainability," whatever that is. At least we're going in the right direction.

An extremely satisfying activity of the group is improving the lands we inhabit. Most of us live in semi-rural settings. Once a season, we assemble at the home of whoever needs help, and enhance the earth by planting native grass seed or tree seedlings, mulching, preparing soil for a vegetable garden, creating erosion control on slopes, etc. People learn valuable skills that can be applied on their own land or taught to others. Possible future group projects include training in mediation, and starting a skill, tool and resource bank (to increase the interconnections among members which make us stronger).

In between our potluck meetings, we support each other in many ways - providing dinners for a week to parents of a new baby, attending a member's art opening, pitching in to help someone move, and so on. Being there for each other breaks down the sense of isolation so pervasive in our individualistic society.

So what does all this add up to? Hopefully, a powerful antidote to frustration and despair, in the face of enormous problems. Even if you're an urban renter, you could craft a similar plan for creating sustainability and mutual support in your community. Don't be surprised, though, if you find yourself swept up in the momentum of grassroots movement toward the goals we all long for.

Carole Tashel writes  Crosswinds' Natural Garden column (where this article originally appeared in January/February '97) and admits this whole experience has turned her into an optimist. I spotted the article when it was reprinted in the Winter 1997 issue of the  Permaculture Drylands Journaland Carole graciously permitted me to make it available here in the hopes of turning more of us into optimists. Many thanks to both her and the  PD Journal.