Practices to put in place in our lives to cause workability and sustainability on the planet

I'm totally enrolled in a GREEN WEEK--in first looking at what practices we could be taking to be more sustainable, and then choosing to try these out for a week and see how it goes!

Again, one thing to be clear about is that these are ideas and suggestions from individual TMLP participants who have chosen to be affiliated as a Green Team, versus being part of or sanctioned by Landmark Education.

Below are some practices I see that people could try out for a week, and why. WHO WOULD YOU BE BEING IF YOU TOOK THESE ON?

In the realm of TRANSPORTATION:
-Find another way to get to work without driving if you normally do. Driving is one of the most harmful things we do for the environment in causing global warming through the burning of CO2, as well as through the use of gasoline, which damages ecosystems and causes harm on multiple levels. Could you carpool? Take public transit? Bike? Walk? Work from home? Even once during GREEN WEEK?

-Are there other places you would normally drive to that you could choose to get to through other means?

In the realm of FOOD:
-Eat lower on the food chain, and avoid industrially produced, factory-farmed animal products. Intensive livestock production has been deemed by the United Nations to be an even greter contributor to global warming than driving is. Industrial factory farms with thousands of animals densely confined in small spaces also pollute nearby water, air, and soil, as well as using hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides, and treating animals in ways most people are opposed to.
Can you try being vegetarian or even vegan for a certain number of days during GREEN WEEK? One TMLP member is playing for eating vegetarian meals everyday for lunch this week.

-Eat locally produced food. For GREEN WEEK, can you buy produce from a local farmers' market or co-op instead of from the super market? This supports local agriculture and a community-based food system rather than one that relies heavily on fossil fuels.

-Be cause in the matter of avoiding packaging. Bringing a bag or two with you when you go to the farmers' market spares the planet a few extra non-recyclable, petroleum-based plastic bags.

In the realm of ENERGY:
-Replace your standard light bulb with compact floursecent, as someone else suggested in another post. This saves money as well as energy.

-Put on a sweater or use a blanket when you're cold instead of turning up the heat. This will also save money as well as the planet.

THESE ARE MY IDEAS! What are yours?

Again, who would you be being if you took on any or all of these--just for GREEN WEEK--in developing sustainable, workable practices?

Which will you take on? Where are you confronted? What are you making it all mean???!

-Nora

Well done Nora, and your timing for starting this blog is perfect.
For me, being green, being sustainable, is about creating sustainability around me and not just my actions. It's my neighbours, my governments, my communities, my fellow citizens of planet earth too.
I've just been to Sydney for a day's work, and I ummed and ahhed and eventually chose to fly there and back (1.5 hours each way) rather than spend 12 hours each way on a train!
I have asked the earth to forgive me and I bought some native grasses to plant on my way home as a gesture.
It wasn't just the time. Our train systems are not much better (maybe 20%.. that's another thing, it's tricky to measure here)cause of the energy they use! What I noticed to take on is to get onto the rail people and enrol them in creating green energy to fuel the trains. They are currently fueled by our grid electricity, which is brown coal fueled. So, I'm gunna ring Countrylink (my interstate rail service) tomorrow and let you know how I go.
PS Earth day is April 22 for those who don't know.
kb

Welcome to the Greening Team Blog--and to creating Green Week!

Hello, Team!

I created this blog as a way for us to share ideas and inspiration for what it means to be green, and to support each of us in creating sustainable projects, taking environmentally friendly actions, and sharing with others in a way that empowers them to bring sustainable practices into their lives as well.

I have just gotten the go-ahead from Landmark that it is ok for us to move forward in creating the game that we had talked about on our conference calls! The one requirement around that is that it is clear that we, participants, are creating this game, versus Landmark the corporation.

SO! Here's the game:

Part I. Earth Day is this week, and I am declaring this week as a week for us each to look at the what's so around our own impact on the environment, and to really brainstorm for ourselves what it would mean in each of our lives to live more sustainably.

Measuring the impact of our actions--positive or negative--may be difficult, but this week is an opportunity to really cause all of us to look at where our integrity may be out with regard to our impact on the environment, or to challenge ourselves to really put in what is missing to have our actions be in alignment with our commitment.

This week, I request you share with us what being green means to you--what are the specific actions to take or results produced?

Part 2 (to be finalized). Next week, take on creating a game for yourself to actually put in what is missing, and enroll and register at least 5 people to take this on as well!

This needs some fine-tuning, which we will do on our conference call this week, but I wanted to put the word out as soon as I got word that we are permitted to do this.

What do you think about spending a week in between GETTING TO NOTHING about what it means to be "green"? What have you made up about yourself about that? What can you give up? What are you committed to? What is missing that would make a difference?

SOOO, WHAT ACTIONS DO YOU REQUEST OTHERS TAKE NEXT WEEK TO EXPAND THEMSELVES IN REDUCING THEIR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT????

Nora
Green Team accountable
T1Q3, San Francisco