These past four months, we have discussed ways in which we can wisely use our resources so Blacksburg can be a sustainable, special place. Sustainability assumes that resources are finite and must be used wisely in order to meet our needs while making sure future generations can meet their own needs. This includes decreasing our water use; reducing our transportation footprint; using secondhand sources and repairing our things instead of throwing them out; eating sustainably and reducing our food waste; using sustainable practices in our yard; and buying smarter. Another way to wisely use our resources is to Utilize Shared Community Resources. Sharing knowledge, skills, time, and resources – this all makes a community stronger and more sustainable.
Benefits of Utilizing Shared Community Resources
Using and supporting shared community resources can benefit us, our community, and our environment. Take, for example, a library. Checking out a book from the library instead of purchasing a new book at the store saves money; decreases the amount of resources used in production; and when we donate used books to the library we are helping our community.
Maybe you’re not much of a reader but you do need to get around town. Using a car- or bike- share definitely saves money; biking instead of driving decreases our carbon footprint; and these services offer a mode of transportation to those who cannot afford to purchase their own bike or car.
There are also shared community resources that help you keep your “stuff” functioning for as long as it can. This ties back to last week’s action – Reuse or Repair Something You Already Have Instead of Buying New. There are so many people in our community with so many different skills who are open to sharing their knowledge and time. These resources are vital to our community and we are excited to share some of them with you as the week goes on.
Learn More!
Throughout the week we are going to share specific community resources that we can utilize to make Blacksburg a more sustainable place to live. We encourage you to follow us on Facebook to keep up with the discussion. And please visit our booth at the Steppin’ Out Festival August 6th & 7th. We are building a directory of shared community resources for our website and we need your help! Come share your favorite resource so we make sure none are left out.
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