After I picked up KurtyD and Dingman in Washington, D.C., yesterday, our first stop was Blacksburg, Virginia.
We went there to see Virginia Tech, a huge science and research university, and to visit my sister, Rachel, who is an environmental science major there.
Rachel chatted with me about her experience living in a small town. Blacksburg is in the unique position of being a small town with a large migratory student population. Although she lives in a smal, rural environment, she’s been able to be very locally involved in green initiatives. At her local (fair-trade and home-roasted!) coffee shop (which is also her part-time place of employment), she talks about what it means to be an activist doing big things in a small town.
She’s involved in an environmentalist organization at the university, with whom she recently visited a nearby town devastated by destructive coal mining practices. She just joined a co-op food store and is a conscientious organic and local shopper. She gets to live surrounded by some of the most gorgeous scenery on earth while still being able to make a difference in policy and day-to-day practices in the larger world. She can talk your ear off about implementing recycling and clean energy plans in small business, and she’s got a plan for doing just that at her coffee shop.
Big things are happening in small towns all over America – what’s happening in yours?
Jolie O’Dell and Rachel Kistler on Big Things in Small Towns: Blacksburg, Virginia from Jolie O’Dell on Vimeo.
For more information on the Climate Action Commitment Rachel talks about, click the link! You can also check out the Virginia Tech Recycling Blog, the city’s Sustainability Program, or browse through environmental news in Blacksburg.