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Color Your Community GREEN!  
HOW TO 

Tags: green, environment, community, adaptation, improve, sustainability

TreeHugger.com has some great tips for making your community more environment- friendly. Do your part to make this planet last.

1.	Reconnect: To help green your community, you first need to be part of it. Talk to your neighbors, find out what’s going on around you, & get involved.
2.	Buy local: Not only does shopping locally reduce food miles, it also keeps resources circulating in the community. Sites like Local Harvest in the US or Big Barn in the UK can help you locate suppliers, and farmers markets are increasing in number all the time.
3.	Rethink travel: Limiting car use is a great way of reducing your carbon footprint. When we walk, cycle, or take the train or bus, we also help make it easier for others to do the same. You can even help others by setting up a car club or a walking bus to get the kids to school.
4.	Spread the word: People are increasingly curious about living ‘green.’ Tell people why you're green & show them how. Start asking questions in your town -- if you can get people thinking about their impact, they’re more likely to start looking for answers.
5.	Join in: Find out about environmental groups in your area. Many national conservation groups have local chapters -- the Sierra Club’s website offers a local ‘zoomer’ for US residents to find out what’s going on in their area. As sustainability goes mainstream, more and more local organizations are including environmentalism as part of their focus. If you’re a member of a faith group, a parent-teacher committee, or even a sports club, look at steps that you can take together.
6.	Plan for change: We are never going to achieve our goals if we don’t know what they are. If you can create an alternative vision or plan for your community it becomes much easier to inspire action.
7.	Get political: Focus on local politics. It’s a lot easier to make connections, exert pressure, and get involved when you live among the people you are trying to influence. Whether you’re campaigning against unwelcome development or seeking to influence local policy in a more positive direction, make your voice heard. Check out environmental justice organizations like Environmental Community Action for ways to make your community better, greener, and fairer.
8.	Spread the love (and unwanted electronics): So you don’t want that item of clothing, record, book, or printer anymore? The chances are good that someone else does. Try resources like the trusty Freecycle, Craigslist, or Really, Really Free Markets that help match demand with the supply.
9.	Healthy competition: A little friendly rivalry can get a lot done to spark community action. Sites like 18Seconds.org are playing a key role in pitting town against town in the battle to get greener. If you can’t get your neighbors to change in order to save the polar bears, maybe they’ll change to “beat those losers from down the road!”
10.	The revolution will be televised: Regional newspapers, radio, and TV are always looking for interesting community-related stories, and it can be relatively easy to put a green spin on things. If local media outlets are unresponsive, it’s no holds barred on the internet.

Lister: ListAfterList Wiki Contributors
Source: Tree Hugger

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