Common Place: A Philosophy.

The theme for the 2013 Earth Day Festival is “Common Place,” inspired by Wendell Berry’s quote “The Earth is what we all have in common.”

In a world with so many opportunities to segregate, differentiate and argue, it can be refreshing to have a common place, where we can leave all that behind. This could be a physical location or a mental state. A gathering place or finding common ground. Common places provide an opportunity for interaction and conversation.

Taking a look at the bigger picture, as this quote reminds us that every human, plant, animal, mineral and speck of sand have one thing in common: the Earth, our home. The place from which we were born and the place where we will eventually return. This is a powerful place to start a conversation or inspire an action.

A common place is useful in building consensus and focusing on issues and outcomes that impact the wider community. It provides a shared identity, shared risk, shared investment, shared responsibility.

Common places are fragile – they often rely on stakeholder stewardship. Examples of the Tragedy of the Commons – depletion of shared resources when people act in their own self-interest rather than with consideration for long-term sustainability – are all too common.

Just like these two boys working on a model at the 2011 Festival, we have an impact on our environment whether it’s deliberate or not.

For many years, the Earth Day Festival has been held in beautiful Forest Park, one of the best places in the region to demonstrate the power of the commons. Forest Park and the cultural institutions within are an incredible “common place” for St. Louisians. It is one of the few places that people from all over the area congregate to learn, socialize and recreate. Since most of the attractions are free, experiences in the Park are truly open and accessible for all. In addition, the park is the way it is today because of some unprecedented partnerships and the willingness of St. Louis City and County residents to jointly contribute tax funding to provide these institutions with the support they need to provide top-notch programs and services while remaining free to the public.

Let’s come together to celebrate a commitment to action.

Finally, common place can also be interpreted to mean normal, routine. During a several-month planning process, the St. Louis Earth Day Board of Directors and staff articulated the Vision Statement for the organization: Engaged people and organizations make everyday sustainability real and permanent for St. Louis. We see a future for St. Louis that involves sustainability as something so ingrained it is barely noticed, common place.

From these different yet reinforcing perspectives, we have identified a theme that we hope will inspire a new way of thinking. As the 2013 Earth Day approaches, we challenge you to seek out the common places in your life, and share them with others. Remind yourself of the bigger picture and feel a meaningful connection to the world around you. Protect common places, build consensus and make sustainable actions an everyday occurrence – common place!