The Wake

It was all smiles and positive thinking at the first annual Northland Bioneers Conference, held at Minneapolis Community and Technical College over the weekend of October 20-22. A newly annual three-day interactive presentation, the conference is dedicated to spreading knowledge about the environment, health, social justice and holistic spirituality.

I arrived on the second day of the Northland Bioneers Conference open-minded but three-and-a-half hours late. The majority of patrons were already in small workshops learning about the various aspects of environmentalism, sustainable living and social change. Glancing at the schedule, I quickly glided through the main room, past booths representing different biofuel, organic food and environmentalist groups and up three floors to the classrooms.

I was immediately struck by the friendliness of the events staff and audience. The usually people attending events that support any sort of activism or environmentalism consistently prove to be the most positive, driven and seemingly happy people I have ever met. This is not happiness through delusion either, nor empty and unrealistic idealism. These are people dedicated to a positive approach toward affecting change in the world. These people are high on their own drive, their own need to try to do something. It is easy to become swept up in it. The entire weekend was shaped around new approaches to sustainable living that are simple and logical. The “why not?” mentality of the event as a whole was so convincing coming out that one has the impression that changing the world isn’t out of the question.

The event’s plates, cups and paper were made out of compostable materials like corn synthesized by Eureka Recycling of Minneapolis. The organization had a pledge to make the conference a zero percent trash event. Bioneers would leave MCTC in the same symbiotic relationship it came to it in. Speaking with two representatives from Eureka, I brought up the ghastly rumor that recycling isn’t profitable and therefore should be abandoned. They scoffed at the idea and told me that they have been profitable for over 20 years and that since they are a non-profit organization, all profits are put back into the community. Eureka’s mission statement is, “To demonstrate that waste is preventable, not inevitable.”

This is a refreshing stance considering America ranks number one as the biggest waste producer annually. Recycled paper has become a global economy to the extent that it is foolish on a business level not to invest in it. Ignoring recycling, I learned, is foolish. I asked Eureka what consumers can do to help the efforts of recycling. They told me that people should try to buy things in bulk and compost anything organic. By doing this you will not only help the earth, but also give yourself a base for a productive garden.

Sunday’s Energy, a business specializing in biodiesel fuel, also discussed their participation in the sustainability effort. From the group’s founder I learned that running biofuel in a diesel engine can get you up to 60 miles per gallon, a decision that makes amazing sense in lieu of the staggering gas prices.

Aveda, a cosmetics company which uses completely organic materials, was at the conference as well. Aveda, along with a number of other equally important and innovative organizations, is committed to helping the world in a progressive and straightforward manner.

To learn more about any of the groups present at the Northland Bioneers Conference or to become a bioneer yourself (as I soon am going to become), visit their website at . When it really comes down to it, why not?