10 Resolutions for the Green Revolution
Environmental awareness is enjoying an all-time high, which means that more and more people are making choices aimed at helping rather than hurting the planet. If you’re reading this, you’re probably also interested in this quest for sustainability — how to provide the best for people and the environment, both now and in the future. The good news is that 2011 can be a GREAT year to live a greener life, but you have to make it that way. We’ve been talking the talk. These 10 activities will enable us to walk the walk:
1. Join Up
Going green shouldn’t be a solo activity. To amplify your impact on the green revolution, it’s important to support local, regional, and national initiatives that promote sustainability. There’s plenty of opportunity for creativity here because green advocacy is needed in many organizations: the local chamber of commerce, state or regional historic preservation organizations, scouting or 4H clubs, planning and zoning committees, and so on. Make this the year you make your voice count by getting more involved.
2. Bring Your Own Bag
They may look harmless, but plastic bags are clogging our oceans and killing tens of thousands of marine animals every year because the bags are mistaken for food. Between 60 and 100 million barrels of oil are required to make a year’s worth of plastic bags, and once they enter the waste stream, the bags persist for hundreds of years. It won’t be easy to break our plastic-bag addiction, but we need to get serious about it. The simple solution is to bring along your own reusable bag whenever you go shopping. You can also lobby for a limited ban on plastic bags in your community, as some citizens have already done successfully.
3. Make Your Representatives See Green
The representatives who (are supposed to) look after your interests in state and national governments need to know specifically what those interests are. You can communicate green concerns by email or phone, but old-fashioned letters actually have the greatest impact. Contact info is available on the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate websites.
4. Support the Local Economy
Many experts believe that local economies will recover (or reinvent themselves) faster than the national economy can. That’s because you and your neighbors get to vote with your wallets every day. It’s surprising how often you get to choose between a local business and a national chain — restaurants, lumber yards, opticians, jewelry stores, etc. In your day-to-day activities, you can help the mom-and-pop businesses stay in business. Whether you’re getting vegetables at the farmers market or patronizing the corner coffee shop, it’s usually worth paying ...
