ALL THINGS CONNECT
Notes from Joe Hyer, local business owner, Alpine Experience,
and Olympia City Council Member

All things connect, and nothing happens that is meaningless.   I read this in some obscure novel years ago and wrote it down, hoping that it might eventually have meaning for me.  And be it operating a business or governing a municipality- it is only by exploring the concepts of balanced stewardship, also known as sustainability, that this statement begins to ring true.

The City of Olympia is proud to partner with Peter Donaldson, Sightline Institute and Harlequin Productions to bring Leonardo da Vinci and the New Renaissance Project to our community.

Are we indeed experiencing a ‘New Renaissance’ as the flourishing of knowledge and culture did some five hundred years ago, when Leonardo began his work?  Is the absence of solutions and support for community problems at the national level forcing local governments to become the innovators, creators, and revolutionaries that the Italian city-states were so long ago? 

It may take a century or more to answer that question, as it is always impossible to know an Age when you are living inside it.  But there are clues, if we choose to spot them.  In both local government and small business, concepts of a triple bottom line are becoming mainstream, as we look at the culture and environmental impacts and benefits of an action in addition to the more traditional fiscal approach.  If indeed all things connect, we are finally seeing those connections, and acting upon them.

We are questioning basic principles that have stood for centuries, by re-examining and redefining our concepts of ‘waste’.  As resources become more and more scarce, we can afford to ‘waste’ nothing- hence our community’s action of adopting a Zero Waste Vision for our future.

We are recognizing, as a community, that violence and war are inherently contradictory to a sustainable future, and that promoting peace, at all levels, is a key element in community vitality.

At some point, this flourishing of new ideas and concepts, this fusion in which all things truly DO connect, will reach a tipping point, and we will be in the midst of a New Renaissance.  The most critical aspect of reaching and then going beyond this tipping point lies in taking these grand ideas and turning them into local actions for positive change.  Ideas without actions are just that- but ideas we act upon do change things, and that is the start of a renaissance.

I hope you enjoy the show, and we look forward to seeing you again at the New Renaissance Forum, right here at Harlequin Productions on Sunday, February 11. Bring your business partner, your office mates, a member of your local school board, your teenager.  The future is ours and it’s happening in Olympia.

- Joe Hyer

Choosing new directions grants us enormous opportunities—and the awesome responsibility—to shape our future. At Sightline Institute, we think about tomorrow and come up with ways to shape a healthier future for the region.

Sightline measures what matters—the health of our families, our communities, our air, water, and climate—so that we can take advantage of change, make good decisions, and help propel our region towards a “New Renaissance” of sustainable prosperity. Change is inevitable, but the direction we're headed is up to us. Find out more and subscribe on the sightline website.

Sightline Institute is an independent, not-for-profit research and communication center—a think tank—based in Seattle. Our mission is to bring about a healthy, lasting prosperity in this place we call home. Sightline's core commitment is to a sustainable future defined by strong communities, fair markets, and responsible stewardship.

Our work shifts the Northwest’s momentum towards a New Renaissance in several ways:

Fix what's broken. At Sightline we believe that what gets measured gets fixed. Our annual Cascadia Scorecard is an index of seven key trends—health, economy, population, energy, sprawl, forests, and pollution—that tells us where we're headed and what we need to change. You can learn more about the Cascadia scorecard at the website.

Keep what’s good. Sightline spotlights the many triumphs of sustainability inside and outside Cascadia. Our website and publications are resources for people making a real difference, from educators to policymakers. We provide tools such as maps and graphics, free pdfs of our books, and an online news service that distills the news to the most important trends facing the region. We also highlight smart solutions to the Northwest’s most challenging problems and tell the stories of the people who are implementing them.

Lead the way. Each of us believes in sustainable solutions. We all want healthy food, healthy families, and thriving natural places. These are the things we value the most. Who will choose what direction we go and where our future will take us? With research and practical vision, Sightline enables northwesterners to make the best decisions that will shape our tomorrows.  

Join the New Renaissance! Subscribe to a better Northwest with Sightline.

Learn more at these links!
Interview with Peter Donaldson
Learn more about Leonardo
New Renaissance Forum
20 Questions for the New Renaissance
Sightline Institute Statement, Subscribe!
City of Olympia Statement by Joe Hyer
School Workshops
College Seminars
Peter’s Book List
Peter Donaldson Bio
Buy Tickets