When it comes to gardening, one of the best things you can do for Mother Earth is to ‘go native.’ 

     Choosing plants that are indigenous to one’s local area is much better for the environment than planting exotic species.  Plants that are found naturally in a region have evolved over many millennia to grow well there.  Thus, these plants are well-adapted to average local temperatures, rainfall, and soil conditions.  And these plants do not depend for their success on extra watering and fertilizing efforts. 

     With adequate supplies of clean, fresh water becoming a concern in many places, it makes sense to plant species that do not require large amounts of it to survive.  And inorganic fertilizers are known to harm soil and water.

     Another problem with exotic plants is that they may become invasive.  When introduced into an area where they did not evolve along with other flora and fauna, there may be no way to keep their growth in check.  Kudzu, for example, was introduced to the southeast from Asia in the 1880s for erosion control.  The plant now covers millions of acres.  Salt cedar, introduced to the southwest, reduces native seed germination by adding salt to the soil.  Thus, salt cedar is replacing native trees that provide food for area wildlife.  Unfortunately, there are many more such examples of invasive species that have altered the ecology of an area where they have been introduced. 

      ‘Going native’ offers many environmental benefits.  Replacing a traditional lawn with native trees, shrubs, and other plants not only saves a great deal of water and fertilizer, but landscaping with native plants also preserves biodiversity.  Restored native plant  communities provide habitat to local wildlife.  “Birds, animals, butterflies, and pollinators have co-evolved along with native plants in the region,” writes Terrie Schultz on Brighthub.com.  “Native plants produce flowers, berries, pollen, and nectar that local wildlife need for food, and provide shelter and a place for wildlife to reproduce,” explains Schultz.  And native plants are more resistant to local insects and pest diseases than are exotics.   

     Planting native species is good for the gardener as well as the planet.  You can save time and money by focusing on native plants.  You will spend less time watering, mowing, edging, and amending the soil.  And you’ll save money when you don’t have to buy fertilizers and pesticides.  

     To get started with native plant gardening, you can check with nurseries in your area to see what they have to offer.  But since many nurseries are not especially oriented toward native plants, you might also want to visit the site http://www.plantnative.org/  There you will find many resources, listed on a state by state basis.  You can learn which plants, native to your area, best suit your gardening needs. 

     Enjoy gardening for a healthier environment!–April Moore

photo from "Beginner Gardening," HAPPY NEWS, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2007

     In just 11 days, you can do something very easy to join with millions around the world in a call for action for a sustainable planet.

     You can participate in Earth Hour.  On Saturday evening, March 26, from 8:30-9:30 pm, just shut off the lights.  The darkness you create will be part of a greater darkness throughout your time zone.  Each of the world’s 24 time zones will ‘go dark’ in turn, creating a rolling darkness that circles the planet.

     Millions of people will be turning out the lights in their homes, businesses, and  wherever they are.  Major landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, the Eiffel Tower in France, and the Gateway of India in Mumbai will also go dark during Earth Hour.

     Earth Hour was launched in 2007 in Australia.   That year, more than 2.2 million people in Sydney and 2,000 businesses turned their lights out for an hour to take a stand against climate change.  By the next year, Earth Hour had become a sustainability movement with more than 50 million people in 35 countries participating.  That year, such global landmarks as the CN Tower in Toronto, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s colosseum all stood in darkness, “as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour,” according to www.EarthHour.org. 

     In 2009, Earth Hour spread to more than 4,000 cities in 88 countries, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest climate change initiative thus far.  And Earth Hour 2010 was bigger still, with actions in a record 128 countries.  “People across the world from all walks of life turned off their lights and came together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common–our planet,” www.EarthHour.org reports.

     This year marks the fifth anniversary of Earth Hour.  Organizers are asking the millions who will be participating to look beyond the hour, to think of what they might do after the lights go back on to make a difference.

     I think Earth Hour sounds like fun.  Many climate change and other environmental groups will be sponsoring public events that will hearten participants and increase public attention to this most urgent cause.  Since time is short, and I am very busy these days, I am thinking about hosting a very small event in our home, perhaps a dessert gathering by candlelight.  I think of it as a chance to participate in the global event, and also a time to increase understanding, hope, and commitment, even among a few people.

     I encourage you to think about joining an Earth Hour event in your area or to plan one, even a small one, of your own.  For information about what people are doing in your area and around the globe, and to join in, just visit www.EarthHour.org –April Moore

     In case you didn’t hear yesterday’s radio program about global warming on which I was a guest, and would like to, you can listen to the hour-long show by clicking http://www.wmra.org/inchive.html

     Even though global warming should be treated by the U.S. Congress as an emergency that requires decisive action, we can forget about anything good coming out of the 112th Congress.  Fortunately, however, many cities and towns around the country are not waiting.  They are right now taking steps to reduce their communities’ global warming emissions.  And, regardless of how much or how little your city, town, or county is doing to this end,  you can help it to do more. 

     I invite you to consider participating in the Sierra Club’s Cool Cities Program, www.coolcities.us.  Started in 2005, Cool Cities is a nationwide network of local volunteers who work with their local leaders to help them put greener policies and practices in place.  Over 1,000 mayors have signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement and the Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Declaration.  

     By signing up with Cool Cities, you will be connected with others involved in Cool Cities around the country, and in your own community if you are not the first to volunteer!  And if you are the first in your community to volunteer, help is available in the form of a Cool Cities e-newsletter, an action toolkit, a best practices guide, and more.

     Here is a sampling of some achievements that Cool Cities citizen leaders have helped bring about:  

• Florissant, Missouri, has conducted a greenhouse gas audit on all 10 of its city buildings.  With stimulus funds, the city installed solar panels on its ice rink.  The city has purchased electric vehicles for its fleet. 
• Seattle, Washington, has launched the “Clean, Green Fleet Plan.”  The Plan included downsizing the city’s fleet, replacing older compact sedans with more fuel-efficient gas-electric hybrid cars, and discouraging the purchase of new SUVs. In addition, new trucks now come equipped with technology that automatically turns off the engine while idling, to avoid unnecessary pollution, fuel consumption, and cost.
• Asheville, North Carolina, is cutting transportation emissions.  The city’s parking enforcers will use a fleet of electric vehicles, and hybrid cars have been purchased for the city’s overall fleet.  The city is expanding the use of vehicles that use alternative fuels by developing a compressed natural gas (CNG) filling station.   The station will be open to city and consumer vehicles that are fueled by CNG.  Asheville’s newly created Transportation Demand Management office is dedicated to improving public transit and to making carpooling easier for area commuters.–April Moore

     Last Saturday, January 22, was one of the coldest days of the winter in the mid-Atlantic region.  But that didn’t stop a bunch of crazy people from plunging into the frigid waters of the Potomac River!  And I was one of them.

     Our plunge into the river was a media-oriented, fundraising event for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN).  About 150 ‘plungers,’ ranging in age from 6-78, along with supportive friends and family members, gathered at National Harbor, at the river’s edge, just south of the U.S. Congress.  We were a boisterous, upbeat crowd, and the exuberant atmosphere quickly dispelled my nervousness about immersing my body in probably the coldest water I’d ever encountered.

     During the lead-up to the plunge, we cheered, sang, and listened to encouraging speakers, including one intrepid Congresswoman.  Donna Edwards is part of an unfortunately small group of Congress Members willing to speak out about the need to address climate change.  And she proved her commitment Saturday by not just talking to the crowd, but by also plunging into the water.

     I could have continued sipping coffee, talking and laughing with my friends, and taking in the speeches and the music.  But we had been called there for a bolder purpose.  Before long, it was time to head over to the changing tents.  I don’t know what the men’s tent was like, but the women’s tent was filled with nervous laughter, jostling elbows, and piles of clothes, as we ignored common sense and traded our winter clothes for bathing suits.

     Outside the tents again, we huddled, hopped, and ran in place in the icy slush at the water’s edge, waiting for the signal to run in.  

     Then came the chant.  ”3-5-0!  3-5-0!  3-5-0!” (the safe level in parts per million of carbon in the atmosphere).  The crowd surged forward.  My legs somehow carried me into the water and kept on going.  Gasp!  Almost immediately my feet were numb.  I had imagined I would go in up to my neck, but I quickly decided that waist-deep was plenty deep.   Very soon I turned around and began the walk back on feet that had no feeling.  Fellow plungers displayed all manner of shock.  Some screamed, some jumped, some clung to fellow plungers.  Some went out farther than I did, while others decided that ankle-deep was deep enough.  Meanwhile, on the shore, our warmly dresssed supporters cheered us on, and my friend Diane took pictures.

     Stepping out of the river, I was absolutely elated!  I had done it!  I had survived it!  And it was exhilarating to be part of a crowd of people who ‘get’ global warming, who are taking action to address it, who are raising funds for an organization that is working hard to change public policy.  I drew strength from that crowd of crazy environmentalists.  

     After we plungers changed back into our warm winter wear, everyone gathered at a nearby restaurant to continue the celebration–indoors!

     Below are a couple of photos my friend Diane took.–April Moore

April cheering, before the plunge

it didn't take long--we're all headed to the shore

 Food is getting a lot of attention these days.  Locovores, vegans, ‘foodies’ of all stripes are decidedly ’in.’ 

     What might broadly be called the ‘food movement’ is a good thing.  Eating locally, eschewing animal products,  and eating fresh, minimally processed foods are all good steps for human health and for a healthy planet.

    A piece I would like to see included in the growing food movement is a commitment not to waste food.  Americans waste a lot of it!  Consider these facts:  The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans throw out 11 billion pounds of fruits and vegetables every year.  That amounts to more than 35 pounds per person.  And 25% of all edible food in the U.S. goes to waste, according to the Texas Cooperative Extension Agency.  And most of that uneaten food ends up in the landfill;  very little goes to nourish soil through composting. 

     So why does food waste matter?  An enormous amount of energy goes into producing, processing, packaging, and transporting food.  If we cut food waste, we will save energy, which would reduce pollution and  decrease global warming emissions.

    Here are some suggestions for reducing food waste, taken from my book, THE EARTH AND YOU:  EATING FOR TWO:

• Think ‘recycle.’  When milk goes sour, make pancakes.  Bananas beyond the pale?  Make banana bread.  Or freeze the bananas until you have time to make banana bread.
• Buy in bulk.  You will likely waste less when you can buy just the amount you think you’ll actually use.  Besides, buying in bulk eliminates the environmental impacts of packaging and processing.
• If you have more of a food than you’ll readily use, freeze some of it.  You can write the date of freezing on a slip of paper and tuck it inside a rubber band around the frozen package.  Then you might also want to make a note somewhere so you’ll remember to thaw and use the food at a later date.
• Practice ‘refrigerator consciousness.’   Try to keep track of what’s in the fridge and eat perishables before they go bad.
• When you’re serving or being served, pay attention to serving size.  It’s better to ask for seconds than to leave food uneaten on the plate.  (This is a tough one for me;  I somehow equate hospitality with large serving sizes.)
• Establish a compost pile.  Food you wouldn’t be willing to eat can be returned to the earth where it can add organic material to the soil.
• Take leftovers from a party or big event to a homeless shelter.–April Moore

     The time is drawing near for millions of us to say good-bye to the live Christmas tree that has graced our home during the Christmas season.  Typically, ‘old’ Christmas trees end up in the landfill.  But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Teresa O’Connor of seasonalwisdom.com offers eight suggestions for environmentally friendly things to do with a Christmas tree after the Christmas holidays are over:    

1.  Recycle it: Many communities across the United States offer recycling programs for properly prepared Christmas trees. Check with your local government or waste management companies for more information. Remember: trees that have been flocked, painted or fireproofed cannot typically be recycled. So, keep that in mind when you shop for a tree. Always, remove all ornaments, tinsel, nails and stands. If your tree is taller than 6 feet, cut it in half.

2.  Feed the birds: Before you recycle, set the tree in your back yard and decorate it with orange slices, cranberries or popcorn. The birds will love the winter feast. Just be sure to first remove all tinsel, lights and decorations.

3.  Chip it: Christmas trees can be run through a chipper or shredder to make mulch for garden paths. Chips also make effective bulk for compost piles. Again, be sure the tree has been stripped of decorations before you put it in the chipper.

4.  Mulch it: Remove needles and use as a layer of mulch in your garden. It’s a great way to conserve water and to fight weeds. The needles are especially appropriate for acid-loving plants. Use the stripped tree to later support climbing beans or sweet peas.

5.  Protect wildlife: Have a big yard? Consider leaving the tree outside to decompose naturally. These trees provide valuable wildlife cover for birds, rabbits and other small animals. Over time, trees decay and add nutrients to soil.

6.  Smell it: Use aromatic needles in potpourri. Combine dry, crumbled needles with whole cloves, broken cinnamon sticks, dried orange peel and orrisroot. Add several drops of fir, cedar, orange and/or cinnamon essential oil(s). Keep covered for at least a week so scents blend. Stir regularly. Display in bowls or make scented pillows.

7.  Take a bath: Soaking in a pine-needle-infused bath is popular in the European Alps. In fact, pine is widely used for muscle pain, rheumatism and circulation problems, according to “The Herb Society of America’s Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses” (Dorling Kindersley Publishing, 2001).To make a soothing pine-bath concoction, gently boil 1/2 cup of washed needles in 2 1/2 cups of water, covered, for 20 minutes. Strain. Pour needle tea and 1 cup of Epsom salts in hot bath. The needles, meanwhile, can be scattered in your garden.

8.  Make a massage oil: For a homemade remedy for aching bones, infuse pine needles in oil.Fill a glass Mason jar with washed needles and sweet almond oil. Close tightly and place in a sunny spot. Allow to steep for at least three weeks. For stronger oil, steep longer. Use as a bath oil.Caution: Never use trees that have been sprayed with fire retardant or other artificial substances in bath tea or oil. Ingredients listed here are safe for most people, but always check for skin sensitivities.

     Today, Monday, November 29, is Day One of a 12-day climate change summit in Cancun, Mexico.  Representatives from almost 200 countries will work to build on last December’s climate change summit in Copenhagen.

     While last year’s summit was a major disappointment in that the nations of the world failed to bind themselves to reduce carbon emissions, the meeting did at least result in a nonbinding agreement to take steps in the right direction.  

     Part of the ‘Copenhagen Accord’ was a pledge by the richer nations to raise $100 billion a year by 2020 to help poor countries adapt to the effects of global warming, protect their forests, and pay for greener technologies that would lower their greenhouse emissions.   

     Clearly, such help is needed.  Extreme weather conditions that contributed to last summer’s unprecedented fires in Russia and unprecedented floods in Pakistan caused great human loss and damage to agricultural productivity.  Forests in poor nations are rapidly disappearing as growing numbers of poor people have no choice but to cut down trees for cooking and warmth.  And these countries have scant resources to invest in greening their economies.  They need our help.

     So I invite you to join with me and with thousands of others in a national effort to urge President Obama to become a true global climate leader.  We must insist that the U.S. keep its climate promises to the poorest peoples of the world.  Even though the percentage of climate change deniers in Congress will jump in January when the new Congress is seated, President Obama must speak strongly and insist that the U.S. and the other rich nations fulfill the commitment made last year to help the world’s poor. 

     This Wednesday, December 1, is a national call-in day to the White House.  Please add your voice between 10 am and 5 pm EST.  The main switchboard line, 202-456-1414, is the number at which you’re more likely to reach a real person.  Or you can also call the White House comment line at 202-456-1111.  At that number you will most likely reach a recording where you can leave a message.  

     Below is a sample script.  But feel free to add your own comments when you call: 

     “My name is ____________________ and I’m from state or organization.  I’m calling today to tell President Obama and his administration that we need him to be a global leader for the global climate movement.

     President Obama must show leadership at the Cancun climate talks by: 

• setting up a global climate fund similar to the global HIV/AIDS fund;
• keeping his promise to mobilize public funds to help poor nations cope with climate chaos and transition to clean energy.

Thank you for taking my call.”

     Your call will be part of a flood that the White House can’t help but notice.  Wednesday’s White House call-in day is being organized by several national organizations, including Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, 1Sky, ActionAid, and Jubilee USA.  And please forward this posting to others, so that we can increase our impact. –April Moore

     Typically, my postings on the action thread of The Earth Connection are relatively easy, feel-good steps we can take to lessen our impact on the earth.  But the ‘inconvenient truth’ is that the steps that matter most are also the hardest.

     Take air travel, for example.  There was a time when I thought flying was an environmentally better choice than driving.  I saw air travel as a form of ‘public’ transportation.  The planes were going anyway, I figured, so it was better for me to be on one than to also put a car out on the road. 

     But that line of thinking, it turns out, is bogus.  If we Americans were to travel less or to travel by other means, the demand for air travel would fall, and the airlines would fly fewer planes.  That would be a very good thing.  

     A typical round-trip flight between Los Angeles and New York  yields about 715 kilograms of carbon dioxide per economy class passenger, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization.  And because of the great height at which commercial airliners fly, the climatic impact is magnified, more than doubling that carbon dioxide emission figure to 1,917 kilograms, or almost two tons of global warming emissions per passenger.  

     To put those figures in perspective, the International Institute for the Environment and Development maintains that if we are to keep within a safe upper limit of atmospheric carbon, emissions must be brought down to 0.45 tons per capita per year.  Thus, that Los Angeles- New York trip accounts for about four years’ worth of a person’s flying ‘allowance.’  Frequent air travel and a sustainable lifestyle are clearly at odds. 

     These are sobering facts.  Like many other middle class Americans, I love to travel.  I don’t even have the ‘excuse’ of traveling to important environmental or business  meetings.  I fly primarily to visit loved ones and to see the world.  Perhaps a little ironically, I am posting this piece from Boston.  And how did I get here from my home in Virginia?  Yes,  I flew.  Flying was justified,  I reasoned, because the train was far more expensive and would have taken much longer.  Like most of us, I am used to getting to my destination quickly.  Such convenience feels natural and normal.  

     That feeling–that  flying is ‘natural and normal’– is part of what is doing in the planet.  Because flying has become fairly convenient and inexpensive, and because the most earth-friendly form of mass transit of all–rail–has been allowed to wither in this country, flying is very often the only way to get  somewhere.   And I, like many others, have not, until very recently, even begun to  question whether my desire to go somewhere that requires me to fly is justified, in light of the damage my flight  will do to the planet.

     That, for me, is the really hard part.  Should my husband and I give up the 25th anniversary trip we are planning to Europe next fall?  I know I won’t give it up.  And so, I am caught in an environmentalist’s bind.  I know I should walk my talk, but doing so would get in the way of getting something I really want.  And if even I, a self-proclaimed defender of the planet, refuse to sacrifice for the planet I love, how can I expect others to do so?

     So, in closing, I urge all of us to at least think about our own travel.  Can we get there by some means other than flying?  Is the trip really that important?  Would it be much of a sacrifice to stay home?  And if we’re traveling for business, can we accomplish our goals with Skype? –April Moore

photo by Greg Bajor

     I often find shopping overwhelming.  With so many products to choose from, how can I tell which ones are relatively earth-friendly and which are not? 

     I am happy to share a website I just discovered that makes it much easier to choose the more benign products over the more harmful ones.  

     www.goodguide.com rates tens of thousands of products–foods, toys, and household and personal care products.  Each product receives an overall score of 0-10, with zero the worst and 10 the best.  A product’s score is an average of three measures–environmental, health, and social impact.  And those three component ratings are shown, as well as each product’s overall score.

      Having been wondering about the environmental impact of the shampoo I’ve been using for years, I went to the GoodGuide site and saw which shampoos had received the hightest ratings.  The top-rated shampoos, both environmentally and overall, scored between 8 and 9.  My shampoo, Suave, was not in that group.  Looking up my shampoo, I found it had received a middling 5 to 6 overall rating, but a higher environmental rating.  I could also readily learn which shampoos received the worst ratings.    A similar ’study’ could be conducted for conditioners, soap, make-up, deodorant, and many, many other personal care and other products. 

    Browsing around the GoodGuide site, I saw that certain entire brands were evaluated.  The scores of all of a brand’s products were averaged to determine an overall score for particular companies.  I looked up Neutrogena, a brand I associate with high quality.  But its overall product score was an unimpressive 5.7.  Neutrogena’s overall score would have been even lower, had it not been for its relatively high 7.9 environmental rating.

     The vast number and variety of products rated makes GoodGuide a valuable resource.  For instance, more than 1,000 canned food products are rated.   More than 200 diapers, 1,000 household cleaners, more than 700 baby and toddler toys are rated.  For many categories, advice is included on what to look for when buying. 

     The site also offers an iPhone app that can be downloaded for use when in a store. 

     GoodGuide was founded in 2007.  Its mission is to provide authoritative information on the environmental, health, and social impacts of products and companies.   A GoodGuide team of scientists and technology experts works to acquire and organize high quality data, which it transforms into useable information for consumers.  Not operating as a commercial organization, GoodGuide is incorporated as a ‘for benefit’ organization.  GoodGuide is funded by several venture capital funds.  And GoodGuide information products are available by subscription to companies that want to understand how their products compare with competitors’.  “Neither our investors nor our paying corporate customers have any ability to influence GoodGuide ratings of a specific product or company,” GoodGuide states on its site.–April Moore 

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     We can’t wait for Congress to get going on climate change.  The Senate has failed miserably thus far, and if some of the climate change-denying Republican Senate candidates win in November, meaningful action will be delayed even longer.

     But there is a great deal we can do now, without action from the top.  We can join with others around the U.S. and the world to participate in practical actions to reduce global warming emissions.  October 10 has been designated, by the new organization known as 10:10, a Day to Celebrate Climate Solutions.  Individuals, families, businesses, organizations, religious groups, neighborhoods, and many others in 180 countries are planning thousands of actions for Sunday, October 10.  The goal of this Global Work Party is to cut global carbon emissions by 10% every year, starting this year, 2010.  

     Here are some examples of what will be happening arund the U.S. on Sunday, October 10:

In Oakland, CA, hundreds of citizens, politicians and musicians will party and plant a community garden at Oakland’s Laney College. One of 20 events in the Bay Area.
In New York City, NY, community members in Harlem will paint the roof of a local high school white to reflect the sun and save energy by reducing the need for air conditioning.
In Washington, DC, residents will install 10kw of solar on a local home, host a special farmers market, and rally at the White House for climate solutions.
In New Bedford, MA,  hundreds of residents will join Mayor Scott Lang to weatherize a home as part of the city’s goal of weatherizing 10,000 homes. The event includes a block party, a climate basketball game, and a concert.
In Atlanta, GA, parishioners of many faiths will join together for a climate justice service at the Central Presbyterian Church, and will participate in a church weatherization event following the service.
In Houston, TX, citizens will launch “GreenWeek Houston” by picking up trash and planting trees in the Greater Fifth Ward neighborhood.
In Burlington, VT, Senator Leahy will join Mayor Kiss and gubernatorial candidate Peter Shumlin for a rally at Battery Park following a day of service across the city.
In Lincoln, NE, hundreds of citizens will get to work planting native grasses to restore the Nebraska prairie.
In Minneapolis, Minnesota, hundreds of community members are organizing a bike ride and rally next to the last coal burning power plant in Minneapolis.
In Los Angeles, CA,  thousands of people are expected to take part in “Ciclavia,” when 7.5 miles of streets will be closed to cars and opened to pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

     A few of the events planned for other countries:

• Environmentalists will host an environmental film festival in Dubai.
• Students at 10,000 schools in Russia and Croatia will plant trees.
• Over 100 cyclists from Jordan, Israel and Palestine will take part in a 3-day bicycle relay to carry water from the Yarmouk River and the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea to symbolize the need for cooperation to stop climate change and save precious water resources.
• In Ushuaia, at the far southern tip of Argentina, residents will clean up their shoreline where ocean currents bring trash from around the world.
• In Barcelona, Spain, hundreds of people are expected to take part in a bicycle-powered music festival.
• In the Namib Desert, Namibia, an education facility will install six solar panels to further their attempt to go carbon neutral.

     You may be thinking that with the Day to Celebrate Climate Solutions just 12 days away, it’s impossible for you to organize an event.  But please consider these two points:

1)  There may already be an activity planned for your area that you can join.  To find out, click on http://www.350.org/en/map.  There you will find a map of planned actions, including the ones nearest you.  You will also find out how to get involved.

2)  You can get together with family, friends, or coworkers to organize a relatively small and simple action to reduce carbon emissions or to raise awareness.  Or you might do something by yourself.  Here are just a few possibilities:

• Set up clotheslines in a central location and, along with others, bring your laundry and dry it on the line.  Remind your community that ’solar drying’ is a way to reduce carbon emissions.
• Decorate cloth grocery bags and give them out to the public.
• Paint a roof white.
• Organize a parade of push mowers.
• Organize a discussion session at your workplace about global warming and solutions.
• Give a talk about climate change to your local civic group, garden club, or faith group.

     If you do organize an event, no matter how small, please register it at www.1010global.org.   The more events that we can all learn about, the stronger our efforts.  And 10:10 requests that you send in a photo of your event. 

     And have fun.  As for me, I will be speaking next week to the local Lions Club about climate change.  I am told they are a group that largely denies climate change.  I have my work cut out for me!–April Moore