Updates, and the Pros and Cons of Sustainability

I really wanted some new photos to go with my next post, but words will have to do as my camera fell by the wayside in terms of functionability.

There have been some updates at tent city such as eight new shanties that were built by a church group out of Hamilton in one day. They are cozy little homesteads and are just in time for the upcoming cold weather. Not only that, there were about seven wood-burning stoves that were donated as well. 

Minister Steve and I have been running errands every Tuesday such as picking up donations, and purchasing lumber to build structures for the camp. The next project is to build a community center for everyone to enjoy.

Minister Steve drives an old school bus which is perfect for picking up the aggregate donations and supplies he needs for the camp. Being that the holidays are coming up, donations are being called in left and right. It's amazing what the holiday season can do to a person.....I just wish people would use that frame of mind every day and not just because it's the "giving season". I don't like that trend.

I have been looking into windmills for the camp, but it's very hard to find one that fits the camp's needs. From the research I've done, it seems that the wind speed in Lakewood doesn't climb over 28 mph very often which is the needed speed for a windmill we were looking into. Juan, one of the camp's residents, has purchased a solar panel kit from Harbor Freight which gives some electricity for things such as charging cell phones. Not too far away, my university (Georgian Court) has just installed there own solar panels, 816 of them to be exact, to remain committed to sustainability. This shows that it doesn't matter if you're a university or a resident living in a homeless camp, sustainability is key in all areas of life.

On the other hand, Minister Steve brought up a good point. These sustainable practices are all well and good, but what happens when we deplete our resources so much so, that even the materials for creating things such as batteries and inverters aren't available anymore? That means no more solar panels. There needs to be something more organic in mind for creating a more sustainable future, and I believe it goes beyond the "go green" trend and cutting-edge technology that is being implemented today.