by melissa tucker

I pull up to a bright, wordless, mosaic wall and search the awnings for large signs advertising this as Jim Bell’s space.  My eyes finally land on a small hand-painted sign, swinging in the Ocean Beach breeze, revealing that I’ve come to the right place.  To tell the truth, I am at once both doubtful of and pleasantly surprised by the appearance and grassroots feel of the home-office of the man leading a San Diego economic sustainability class I am attending.  I’ve heard so much about him from the press.  Upon entering the skylight-lit living area, I notice the environmentally-friendly kitchen, complete with compost and recycling bins, organic ingredients, and directions for communal use.  Bulletin boards in the hallway announce upcoming local social justice events, political band performances, protests and marches, organic retailers.  Books stuffed into not enough bookshelves are covered in titles that demand my attention and pique my interest—books on the greenhouse effect, SDG&E, and a host of other provocative topics.  I don’t know why I am surprised when I meet Mr. Bell—clad in shorts, sandals, and a t-shirt.  No tie?  Not even a polo shirt?  This doesn’t fit my preconceived notion of a man of such accolades and professional distinction.  The surroundings, his casual appearance, the laid-back, friendly feel of the class and its arrangement aren’t what I expect.  And neither is his presentation.   

If you are scratching your head, snapping your fingers, or biting your lip with that far-off look in your eye trying to recall where you may have heard Jim Bell’s name, think back to the mayoral ballot the last two voting rounds.  Ahhh, yes.  There, along with Dick Murphy and Ron Roberts, Mr. Bell was vying for your vote.  Though he hasn’t won yet, his outcomes have been impressive.  With a mere $6,000 budget, zero television or radio ads, and publicity literature reaching only 15% of the population, he received 19,000 votes, securing 8% of the overall vote.  Mr. Bell's budget was a fraction of the funds available to other front-running candidates.  Yet his radical, and sensible, plan for restructuring San Diego spending and development according to environmental principals garnered significant attention and support.  Mr. Bell has also run for City Council. 

Mr. Bell's political ambitions are driven more by a strong sense of responsibility to care for the earth and use his knowledge for common economic good, than a desire to hold a governmental position.  “If I never win an office, that is not the point to me.  I just want to help the economy.  If I can do that through [Ron] Roberts or [Dick] Murphy, I’m fine with that,” said Mr. Bell.  This sincerity of mission and commitment to his ideals are evident in his seminars, books, literature, and personal encounters.  After a recent phone conversation, in which I was reminded again of his patience and willingness to clearly communicate his intricate vision, I was even more convinced that Mr. Bell has no agenda but the one he boldly and consistently proclaims: “I’m…learning as much as I can about how our planet’s life support system works and how we work as human creatures.  My goal is to use this knowledge to raise the general level of consciousness… Ultimately, it’s all about consciousness.  If enough of us become conscious enough, soon enough, all good is possible.”  Raising consciousness has become a full-time job for Bell.  He is an internationally renowned expert on sustainable life development and is currently Director of the Ecological Life Systems Institute and the San Diego Center for Appropriate Technology.  Yearly, he lectures to numerous groups worldwide and locally. Yet he makes time to stay involved with San Diego and statewide groups I Love a Clean San Diego, Environmental Health Coalition, San Diego Ecology Center, and the California Association of Cooperatives. 

Recently, Mr. Bell’s 40-plus years of experience in construction and design served the Ocean Beach community immensely, as he headed the ecological design for the revolutionary new store, the Ocean Beach People’s Food Cooperative.  The store runs almost exclusively on solar power and requires no air conditioning.  Among his many projects, he designed and developed a self-contained, prototype wastewater recycling plant in Tijuana, Mexico that converts sewage into irrigation water and compost.  The compound's once desolate land is now a flourishing, green wildlife preserve.  

Mr. Bell’s honors are numerous - Society of Energy Engineer’s Environmental Professional of the year, a “Beyond War” awardee, and City of San Diego Water Conservation Design Awardee - but perhaps one of his greatest accomplishments is capturing the interest of current mayoral run-off candidates, Ron Roberts and Dick Murphy.  Each has sought for his endorsement rather aggressively, but Bell is not particular with his vote.  He has submitted a proposal to both, presenting six principles he expects to see enacted immediately.  These include: 

In the past, Mr. Bell endorsed Mr. Murphy, based on signed promises to follow certain guidelines in planning. However, Mr. Murphy did not keep his promises. Mr. Bell's primary concern is imply that the future mayor assumes responsibility and serious leadership regarding San Diego's precarious future.  According to Mr. Bell, “Our region’s economic practices are undercutting the ecological resource foundation that makes the creation of a sustainable future possible.”

Jim Bell

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introduction

america's most vulnerable city?

the long range plan

column: just enough

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