In Your Community

• Write your local energy utility asking them to promote energy efficient programs, give customers financial incentives to use energy efficient appliances and begin planning to provide alternatives to fossil fuels and nuclear power.
• Join one of the many local environmental groups in your area that work on issues ranging from local air and water pollution to effective community recycling programs.
• Lobby your politicians, councilmembers and company leaders. Tell them your concerns and ask them to clean up their acts.
• If there is an environmental issue in your community that concerns you — start your own campaign.
• Organize a beach clean-up.
• Start a community curb-side composting program. You can then sell the compost to gardeners and nurseries to help cover your costs.
• Make your community bicycle-friendly.
• Start a paint exchange with your neighbors. Use the opportunity to educate your friends and neighbors about environmentally sound paint use.
• Set up a "pollution patrol" to report any signs of pollution in your local rivers, lakes, air and land.
• Organize a tree planting program.
• Conduct an environmental audit of City Hall. Put together a list of environmental questions to ask your representative, city staff and caretakers. Ask them about heating, light bulbs, lawn care, purchasing policies, cleaning supplies, etc. Use the information you gather to suggest changes. Give copies of the results to the people you spoke with and send a copy to your local newspaper or environmental group.
• Organize a fundraiser and donate the proceeds to your favorite environmental group — like Greenpeace!

There are many more things you can do in your home and community to protect your local environment and the planet as a whole. If you have other ideas — start your own campaign and let us know about your successes!