Be The ChangeBe the change you wish to see in the world.
- M. K. Gandhi
What's one of the biggest challenges between us and a sustainable world?
It's the belief that “someone else” is going to make it happen.
We believe that the best way to change the world is one community at a time - starting with the one where you live. Communities can do things that individuals can't and not just because there are more people. Communities have special qualities and the individuals that are a part of them inspire each other to go beyond themselves and do things that benefit the whole. Communities tap into the deep longing we all have to be connected to a purpose that is greater than our individual self-interest.
So why not get your own team together to work on a project that leaves the world a better place? In Be the Change, we focus on encouraging meaningful activities that can be done in a group. Groups can be as small as four or as large as a thousand (with sub-groups). How you go about being sustainable is more important than you might imagine. Don't miss our Guiding Principles for Change that Lasts.
Gather some neighbors, build connections and start changing your world. Watch the movies, talk about what you would like to do first and commit to doing a few things together. Start walking the 12-step community sustainability program.
1. Replace five bulbs with CFLs
This will save you about $350 in bulbs and electricity per year. This is also the equivalent of taking (insert #) of cars off the road. You’ll also save the earth from lots of extra carbon dioxide (CO2) , nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2),mercury and dust going into the atmosphere. Have you already changed all the bulbs in your home? How about changing your neighbor’s? Or sneak a few into lamps in public places? more…
2. Drive less; live more
How much of your life is wasted commuting and running errands on autopilot? Think of the hours of life you would get back each week if you didn’t have to commute. more…
3. Make less ” trash”
We all know that we should recycle more. Why don’t we? It’s not just about laziness. There are a few things one can do to make recycling much easier and thus more likely. more...
4. Stop the drafts and Get a Home Energy Audit
Our homes produce twice as much CO2 as our cars. Air leaks and poor insulation are the #1 source of wasted energy in the home. In most home’s, there’s usually more bang for the buck in better insulation than any other energy saving project. more...
5. Create a Study Group
There’s so much to learn about sustainability. There’s way too much information for one person to digest without going into overwhelm. Having other people around to help us identify what aspects of our lives are unsustainable and brainstorm solutions that will work for individuals, families, and communities is a great way to start the learning process. more…
6. Adjust your Thermostat a Few Degrees and Save Big
Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. Our homes generally put out twice as much CO2 as our cars. So there’s lots of savings to be had in dollars and CO2 by adjusting the thermostat. more…
7. Vote with your dollars
Every time you buy something you are voting with your dollars for a more sustainable world or its continued destruction. Unfortunately there aren’t many choices the conscious consumer can make that are 100% pure, but you can have a huge impact on how products will be created by taking time to consider the effects of your purchases. more…
8. Measure your Carbon footprint
You can’t change, what you can’t track. see and monitor. . One of the things that have made corporations so powerful is it that they have had a single bottom line to measure their progress. CO2 production is not the only measure of sustainability, but it goes up or down with most of the other known measures. The amount of carbon dioxide you produce with your current lifestyle is easy to calculate and you can use it to track your progress toward a more sustainable lifestyle. more...
9. Grow Some Food
In a sustainable world many more people will participate in the cultivation of their food. Growing your own food is not only the most efficient way to make fresh, chemical free food, but it is essential in order to connect to the natural world. more…
10. Let’s Talk about it
The best way to learn something is to teach it. The best way to teach something is to lead by example. Inspire new behaviors by powerfully showing and telling other people what you are doing. Reflect on your sustainable education and what it was that made you take it seriously. more…
11. Assemble a Sustainability Council to Start Tipping Point Projects
There is a deep longing in people to be part of something bigger than themselves. There is no bigger need than healing the planet of our destruction. But how do we gather the ones who are hearing the call? Every community needs a sustainability lighthouse to draw folks in.
Someone needs to wake up every day and ask the question, “How can we make everyone in our community part of our sustainability program?” It doesn’t have to be a single leader and it’s usually more effective if you have a small group, or council asking the question. Don’t try to do everything, but think about how you can become part of the warp and weft of your community, how you can foster the talents of each individual, how your organization can give to your community. Your work isn’t done until you’ve got everyone from local business owners to 4th graders thinking about ways to make your community more sustainable. more…
12. Change the Rules of the Game
If you change the rules, you change the outcome. The rules of our economic and political system are based on production and consumption rather than on sustainability. If we are going to build a sustainable world we need to change the laws to make it more economical to be sustainable. more…
If this looks like just one more list of to do's—then STOP! How you go about being sustainable is MORE important than you might imagine. We can't create a sustainable world from overextended lives.
Don't proceed until you read
"Guiding Principles for Lasting Change"
and
"Why Be Sustainable?"
The 12 steps are organized so that the things that take the least amount of time and money come first. Most items on the list will actually save you money. Many will also save you time.
In all the steps, we ask you to spend more time connecting with neighbors. Connecting with your neighbors is the only way to avoid getting overwhelmed.
A sustainable world is only possible within a deeply connected community — It's that fundamental.
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