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Philipstown "Local Yokels" Hopes Small Actions will Yield Big Results
Non-organization looking to make local difference in lives and environment
by Mike Turton
There's an organization in Philipstown that isn't really an organization. Nor does it aspire to become one as it grows up. It's a non-organization that simply wants to produce results that will benefit individual lives, the local environment, and by extension - the earth.
Local Yokels for the Earth is an informal group whose early efforts are showing great promise for positive environmental change in Philipstown. With little fanfare, "Local Yokels" recently offered composters for sale through the Cold Spring Farmers' Market. On one Saturday alone, 125 composters were distributed to Philipstown residents.
"Imagine. One hundred and twenty five households in Philipstown are now composting that weren't doing it before" said Ellyn Rosenthal, a member of Local Yokels. Of course, because Local Yokels is a non-organization she has no title. "Isn't that great?" she asked, referring both to her lack of title - and the results of the composter project. Rosenthal is one of the group's founding non-members and an active participant.
The seed for Local Yokels was planted about three years ago when Rosenthal and other local residents heard Bill McKibben, author of End of Nature, speak at a conference hosted by The Hudson Highlands Land Trust. During his talk, McGibbon stated that he felt powerful environmental action would take place mainly at the local level in the years ahead. The comment struck home with the audience, a number of whom soon met over coffee to determine what, if anything, they should do as a result of McKibben's declaration.
Local Yokels will not be accused of unrealistic expectations. Their first decision as a non-group was to determine that they were not ready to undertake "powerful environmental action." Instead, they looked inward in order to get their own environmental lives in order before going public. "We realized we needed to change our own lives before 'preaching' to anyone else. We did a lot of soul searching," Rosenthal stated.
The Local Yokels looked to the Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI) - a "real" organization that, according to its website, has spent 14 years "motivating individuals to examine and transform personal values and habits, accept responsibility for the Earth, and act on that commitment." The fledgling Yokels picked up on one of NWEI's curriculum options, "Voluntary Simplicity" which encourages greater awareness and conscious decision-making about daily life - and how it affects the environment. A notice in the PCN&R produced 40 responses from people who wanted to get involved. A nerve had apparently been struck. Local Yokels met and began thinking in terms of basic, everyday decisions in their own lives that would have a favorable environmental impact such as using fewer disposable items; fixing a computer rather than discarding it; using the library rather than buying new books; exploring Hudson Valley's natural areas as a vacation instead of flying to the Caribbean and making miles-per-gallon a bigger factor when buying a new vehicle. They began to see state of the environment as a byproduct of individual habits.
Local Yokels first public venture came about as a result of pursuing NWEI's "Sense of Place" curriculum which challenges participants to really get to know their own community. The Yokels got a table at the Cold Spring Farmers' Market early this spring, with the hope that their small action might create a large outcome. They asked market-goers if they might consider composting. Many people said they had been thinking about it for some time. Thought turned to action. When 125 composters were distributed, it must have surprised even the most optimistic of the Yokels.
A great opening act but where does this non-organization hope to go from there? In September, Local Yokels for the Earth will again set up a table at the Cold Spring Farmers' Market and ask shoppers to start thinking about their "carbon footprint" and how they can reduce it. A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide. As part of that effort The Yokels hope to distribute Compact Florescent Light bulbs (CFL) light bulbs to demonstrate one practical way that individuals can reduce their carbon footprint.
Later this fall, The Yokels will again be at the Farmers' Market to help residents think about how they can "button up their houses" for winter in order to save on energy costs and consumption.
Anyone interested in learning more about the Yokel's carbon footprint initiative or joining this non-organization can contact Shasta Crombie at (845) 265-7898. Ms. CrombieVardy also has no title.
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