Green Week- Last Day

So, I don't have any pictures today, just some important thoughts.

Working to help the environment is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Even taking one small step is better than doing nothing at all. Sometimes, the problem seems so overwhelming, that it is easy to do nothing. But doing nothing only makes it worse.

If you make one change, though, it will encourage you to make another and another and then many more. Until this week, I didn't realize how many things that I regularly do to help the environment; they are changes I implemented purposely to help, but now they are routine and they are easy. There is still a lot to do, though.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead


With that in mind, you might want to consider taking the following important steps...

1-Contact your politicians. This is difficult at first, but becomes easier with time. You can type emails, handwrite letters or even call the offices personally. I, myself, have made several phone calls to various politicians (including the president's office). This is the hardest one to do, just making the call. Every time I do it, I get all excited and my voice shakes, but I don't hang up until I've said my peace. I enjoy doing this because I think it is good for me personally. It is good to speak your mind to power, even if only to remind yourself that they are only powerful because they are serving us.

Once, as we walked to the mailbox, my daughter (who was 4 at the time) noticed that the letter we were sending was to the president. She demanded to know why I was writing to him. I explained that he worked for all of us and that I didn't like the way he was doing things and that it was my job to let him know that. I felt so strongly that I had to do it. She literally tried to take the letter away from me. She wanted to know if I would be arrested if I sent it. How on earth does a 4 year old learn these things? How does she know that it *could* put my life in danger if I lived in any one of the many other, less free countries?

The following links have some good tips about writing letters (they're Canadian sites, so you may have to adjust for where you live. I didn't find so much info about doing this in America. Strange.)...
Canadian Parks And Wilderness Society
Sierra Club Canada

With the availability of information on the internet, it is not terribly difficult to find out what letters, emails or calls need to be made and when. Which brings me to the next option...

2- You can check various environmental websites to see what actions they are taking and join in. Here are my favorites (I've linked directly to their action pages, but check out their home pages if you're interested)...

Sierra Club
Environmental Defense
Working Assets - a liberal phone company "that fights global warming, supports organic farming and saves endangered species." We've got both our long distance and cell phone through them. In turn, they donate money to the following environmental organizations... Defenders of Wildlife, Global Greengrants Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Organic Consumers Association, Rainforest Action Network, Rocky Mountain Institute, Union of Concerned Scientists, Vote Solar Initiate as well as groups involved in Civil Rights, Economic & Social Justice, Education & Freedom of Expression, Voting Rights & Civic Participation and Peace & International Freedom. See the entire list here.

And here is a good Mother Jones article that advises how to evaluate Environmental non-profits. It also lists many groups that have misleading names suggesting they are working to help the environment, but in actuality are working against it.

3- Be proud of being an environmentalist. Make it look fun, easy and stylish. Honestly, setting this kind of example can change the opinions of many more people than you realize.

To that end, please send me links or pictures or just emails of whatever FUN, EASY or STYLISH environmentally responsible project you may be involved in. I'll post them on my site with links to your site. If you don't have a site, contact me anyway. I'll get your stuff up here. Maybe I'll call it Our Green Life. So keep my address and email me whenever you do it, even if it's months from now.

Let's be that group of "thoughtful, committed citizens."

Namaste