Talking About Green

Since we live in a society that relies heavily on disposable goods, it can be pretty easy to fall into a rut of waste and pollution.  But once you have found the (natural) light and committed to making eco-friendly changes to your own lifestyle, you may want to spread the word to those that live in your neighborhood by starting some kind of eco-club.  This could mean getting everyone involved in efforts to recycle, starting a community garden, or even finding ways to carpool to work and shuttle kids around in a way that emits less greenhouse gases.  No matter what your focus where environmental protection is concerned, doing it with the help of those in your neck of the woods will multiply your efforts to show greater results.  So if you’re interested in starting a neighborhood group, here are a few steps you should take.

1.       Talk to neighbors. Have you even met your neighbors?  A few decades ago, people knew everyone in their neighborhood.  These days you might not even know the name of the people next door unless you accidentally get their mail.  So in order to mount your campaign, go knock on a few doors and introduce yourself.  Let people know that you will host a meeting to talk about getting active within the neighborhood in order to create a greener future for the planet.  You may need to offer punch and pie to hook them.

2.       Discuss green initiatives. In the beginning, you’ll have to spell out the issues in broad brush strokes since there are so many avenues of environmental protection to explore, from waste and pollution to conservation to species extinction.  Chat with your neighbors for a bit to determine where their interests lie before you really get into specific action that can be taken to combat the issues your neighbors are passionate about.

3.       Let every voice be heard. Set a homework assignment for members of the community; have them come up with one idea that they would like the neighborhood eco-club to commit to implementing.  It can be something small, like setting up a recycling center in each home, or something larger, like mounting a campaign to get other neighborhoods in the community to follow your example in going green.  But take every suggestion seriously and then organize them into a calendar that everyone can agree to commit to (even if it takes two years to complete every project).

4.       Involve kids. The best way to get environmentalism into the mainstream is to start kids on the path when they’re young, making it a habit rather than a chore.  So get kids on board with recycling and teach them about the importance of an eco-friendly attitude.  These are the future leaders of the world and they need to keep an eye on the environment.

5.       Expand your efforts. Once you’ve begun to make headway in your own neighborhood, think about what you can do to get the community involved, or even look beyond to national and international organizations that your club could contribute to.  Uniting in this manner means that everyone’s efforts go further towards realizing a greener planet for all.

Sarah Danielson writes for The Guestlist Club where you can find info on China White Club, the hottest club in London.