News Release
Santa Barbara, CA. May 11, 2005
Contact: linda (NoSpam) forthefuture.org

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BEAUTY IS AS BEAUTY DOES: THE MARRIAGE OF VISUAL APPEAL AND SUSTAINABILITY

Tuesday, June 14th, 7pm
Faulkner Gallery at the downtown Santa Barbara Public Library

As part of its Sustainable Small Cities project, Santa Barbara think tank For the Future will present a panel discussion of “BEAUTY IS AS BEAUTY DOES: THE MARRIAGE OF VISUAL APPEAL AND SUSTAINABILITY” on Tuesday, June 14th at 7pm in the Faulkner Gallery at the downtown Santa Barbara Public Library. Co-sponsors include The Sustainability Project, the Santa Barbara Permaculture Guild, the Santa Barbara Organic Garden Club and the International Association for Ecotherapy.

Speakers will include landscape architect Owen Dell, permaculture designer Larry Santoyo, LivinGreen’s Ellen Strickland, evolutionary psychologist Dr. Peggy La Cerra and landscape and architecture designer Carlene Ramus.  The moderator will be Linda Buzzell-Saltzman, MA, MFT, Fellow at For the Future, founder of the International Association for Ecotherapy and co-founder of Santa Barbara Organic Garden Club.

They will discuss the fact that although beauty has been a core community value in Santa Barbara throughout our history, superficial "prettiness" may no longer be enough.  For  Santa Barbara to be a truly viable city in the future, beauty must find a way to combine with sustainability.  True beauty can't be just skin deep -- a lovely surface covering a toxic essence -- but must also provide a depth of spirit and natural good health for people and our environment.

So by this new definition:

• ... a bright green, highly manicured lawn soaked in imported water and drenched in toxics that flow into our creeks and the ocean isn't really beautiful...

• ... a gorgeous plate of artistically-presented food full of toxics isn't beautiful ...

• ... hairdos, manicures or face lifts aren't beautiful if they harm the client or the professional who works on her...

• ... a mansionized architectural masterpiece isn't beautiful if it uses nonsustainable woods, poisons the house's inhabitants or workmen, covers over every inch of plantable land on the property, becomes an energy-hog or sends a tear-down to the landfill...

Beauty is not only an aesthetic value, but a quality of experience that we need just as we need clean air and water.  Panelists will discuss how  Santa Barbara can become a truly, deep-down beautiful city that is also sustainable.

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