Vermont’s First Sustainable Living Expo To Showcase Innovation, Interactive

Workshops, diverse exhibits and festival performances – only $2 to attend!

The Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN) and the Acorn Energy Co-op present Vermont’s first Sustainable Living Expo (www.acornvt.org/sle2014) on Saturday, March 29 at Middlebury Union High School (MUHS) from 9 AM to 4 PM.

The Expo will feature over 70 exhibits and 40 workshops and demos, a video festival, live music and local foods. The admission fee is $2 for adults, students, and children over 12; $1 for children under 12, and $5 for families.

The 40 workshops are thematically organized around the following tracks:

• Food and Farming
• Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy
• Transport and the Digital Economy
• Home and Gardening
• Health and Well-Being
• Nature and Wilderness

The keynote will be given by Kathryn Blume, who will speak on “Radical Sustainability: A Fierce and Spunky Revolution.” She is a writer, environmental activist and award-winning solo performer who has toured her original work to over 50 cities in the US, Canada, and Europe. Kathryn co-founded the Lysistrata Project, the first worldwide theatrical event for peace, and is co-founder and Executive Director of the community sustainability game Vermontivate!

Other notable presenters include:

Bruce Seifer led the City of Burlington’s Economic Development efforts for three decades, providing technical assistance to 4,000 businesses and numerous non-profits. He will offer a workshop and community discussion on “Where will the jobs come from?” based on his new book, Sustainable Communities, about how we can create sustainable jobs and develop a more durable economy in Vermont.

Peg Elmer, veteran land-use planner and policymaker will share her thoughts about the Resilient Vermont Project and how to strengthen the resilience of our communities in the face of climate change in her workshop titled “It Takes A Village to Gain a Resilient Future.”

David Bollier will introduce his new book, Thinking like a Commoner, in a workshop and community discussion. He argues his case for taking charge of our real-life commons – our public lands, our water, our public airwaves, our digital commons and local civic assets. David calls the commons “a parallel
economy and social order that … affirms that another world is possible that we can build now.”

The video festival features thought leaders from the scientific and design community presenting their ideas about the next great chapter in the human story.

The Sustainable Living Expo is made possible by support from our sponsors.

Sustainers:

• Addison County Transit Resources
• Efficiency Vermont
• The Lintilhac Foundation
• National Bank of Middlebury
• Cooperative Insurance
• Green Mountain Power Innovation Center
• Middlebury College
• VBT Bicycling and Walking Vacations

Supporters:

• Cabot Creamery
• Vermont Coffee Company
• SunCommon
• Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

Media:

• Addison Independent
• Front Porch Forum
• FarmFresh Radio
• Green Living Journal

For more information on the Sustainable Living Expo, go to http://acornvt.org/sle2014.