Turn down the heat.
You can reduce the energy needed to heat your home up to 20% simply by turning the thermostat down 10°F - 15° when you are asleep or out of the house. The most effective and convenient way to save energy this way is to install a programmable thermostat. When used properly, programmable thermostats can save you about $150 per year.
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 Speak Out
Chances are you would not have come across our website if someone hadn’t turned you on to climate change. Whether you were inspired by an expert journalist or simply a friend or family member, it worked. You’re here and you’re taking action to stop global warming now. There are so many ways you can inspire our community to join in and take action to minimize the environmental crises we are facing. Whether you are talking to friends and family, greening your workplace, engaging public officials or organizing a movement, it is important to make sustainability a way of life. To effectively spread the word, stay informed and remember to lead by example.
Get your friends and family to change their lifestyle along with you and watch the positive change spread through the community
How do I do this?
Take on actions together. Talk to your household about saving energy and reducing trash. Coordinate rides with your coworkers. Share carbon dioxide reducing tips and stories with your friends. Get creative and make taking action against climate change a way of life.
Why should I do this?
If you can get one more person to participate in the same actions you’re taking, you will have instantly doubled your contribution to fighting climate change. If you both get one more person, it’s doubled again and so on. It won’t take long to see a meaningful reduction in our impact on the Earth if everyone commits to getting at least one more person involved.
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Write letters, attend public meetings or join a volunteer advisory board and let our leaders know that we care about global warming and demand action.
How do I do this?
Stay informed and let your voice be heard by attending public meetings and key events. Click here for detailed information on public involvement opportunities and check out the Neighborhood Resources section to find ways to get involved in greening your neighborhood. Contact your City Officials and State Officials to let them know what’s important to you and find out what their doing about it.
Why should I do this?
While individual actions and lifestyles are a key aspect of climate change mitigation, there are big ways we can reduce our greenhouse gas emissions through proper policy and government projects. Government officials tend to respond to whomever’s voice is the loudest. Make sure that your voice is heard over the noise of the “business as usual” crowd.
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Gather a group together and take action.
How do I do this?
There are lots of ways to bring about positive change in the community. Some incredibly successful and influential movements started out with a handful of people talking and brainstorming in someone’s living room.
A group in Seattle called Climate Dialogues has set out to promote this very idea. They have put together a variety of materials and resources to encourage small groups to meet and discuss climate change. The goal of the program is to assist groups within neighborhoods, schools and workplaces in becoming more educated about climate change and developing an action plan to reduce their impact. Visit their website to learn more about joining or starting a group.
Another organization called Step It Up has partnered with 1Sky to launch a campaign encouraging citizens to organize local movements around climate change. They provide a number of resources as well as access to information about global warming and great photos, videos and stories of successful rallies across the country. Visit their website to learn more.
Why should I do this?
Movements can be big or small. Never underestimate the power of a handful of people getting together and trying to bring about change. You never know who your movement will inspire and what it will grow into. For example, RE Sources for Sustainable Communities started over 25 years ago as a handful of volunteers committed to curbside recycling. Today RE Sources employs over 50 people and implements a number of programs designed to reduce air and water pollution, encourage waste reduction and recycling and promote sustainability.
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Volunteer in your community and be part of the solution.
How do I do this?
The northwest is teeming with volunteer opportunities to work toward environmentally sustainable communities. Here are a couple places to get you started:
Why should I do this?
We wouldn’t be facing such a monumental challenge if everyone did their part to lead a less environmentally damaging lifestyle. In addition to minimizing your personal impact on the planet, you can maximize your impact on the community by volunteering to actively participate in solutions and help spread the word.
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Don’t just shrink your ecological footprint; convince a skeptic to do the same. Chances are someone turned you on to the global warming crisis, so spread the word.
How do I do this?
Stay informed and don’t be afraid to speak up. If you don’t know where to start you can direct skeptics to the thousands of websites dedicated to climate change, including this one!
You could also have a movie night and watch An Inconvenient Truth,
The 11th Hour,
What a Way to Go,
End of Suburbia or another movie about climate change.
Or contact Katie and host a
“Climate Project” presentation.
Whatever you do, get the facts about global warming so you can provide evidence to back you up. You’ve got almost every climate expert around the globe on your side! Get the basics on our Global Warming 101 page or download the Citizen’s Climate Briefing - what every person needs to know about global warming.
Why should I do this?
Convince somebody to take action and you’ve just doubled your personal contribution to the solution. While you won’t change everyone’s mind, global warming skeptics often have never been confronted with a solid argument or scientific evidence and you might be surprised at the change in their point of view when confronted with the facts.
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If you can’t donate your time, give some money or resources to a local or national organization working for change.
How do I do this?
There are thousands of organizations around the globe fighting for change. Do your homework and give to whatever cause you think is important. Here are some local organizations working for a sustainable community and a healthy environment:
See if your favorite non-profit is registered with “GoodSearch.com” and help raise money every time you search the web (at not cost to you!). GoodSearch partners with Yahoo and uses the same search engines, but every time you conduct a search a donation will be made to the non-profit or charity of your choice.
Why should I do this?
Unfortunately, in our modern society, money talks. Non-profits and NGOs have limited resources, so any contribution you make to a worthy cause goes a long way. In 1996 it was estimated that 10% of money raised by non-profits came from individual donors(1). For some, that number is much higher.
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