Pratt's Creatures

When neighbors work closely together in a smart and structured way, there is no such thing as a "done deal" -- no matter what any politician or developer tells you. From 1999 to 2005, pretty much every waking moment of my life was spent challenging a subsidiary of the largest cement company in the world. St. Lawrence Cement spent $58 million in Hudson, N.Y. -- a town of just 7,500 people -- on a campaign to build one of the largest coal-burning plants in the country.

This battle to define the future of one small American town is featured in a new documentary called Two Square Miles. The one-hour version begins airing on PBS stations across the U.S. on Nov. 28 (find out when it's playing in your area). It's also available on DVD in a far more nuanced 93-minute "director's cut."

Making change in small communities is far more complex and challenging than anything I ever did for big-name magazines. Local life tests your abstract ideas (and ideals) against more tangible realities. In a small town, you immediately see the consequences of your actions -- and have to live with them.

First there was a proposal to build a hazardous-waste processing plant on the Hudson River, a stone's throw from my house. Next came the epic cement-plant battle. While these battles were raging, I also helped with several tumultuous political campaigns, in which land-use planning issues were front and center.

So I've cofounded a new organization, The Granger Group. I've also been busy touring with Two Square Miles.

The death of many grassroots groups is too much process -- debating bylaws, developing strategic plans -- and not enough action. The real challenge is to find radically competent and highly ethical people, who will commit to a few clear goals, and follow through on the obvious steps to achieve them.

If you don't have time to read a biography, at least go out and rent Gandhi, Richard Attenborough's excellent movie.