by Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist (read the original in Noozhawk by clicking here)
A few weeks back I received an oversize postcard from the Community Environmental Council. “Ready to end climate chaos?” it read. “We are too. Get started now. 12 steps to build community resilience on the Central Coast.”
I found the compact guide both aspirational and practical in terms of meeting people where they are. I’m sharing it nearly whole, along with a few personal examples to help get you started. We can do this in 2021!
“Reduce food waste. Use smart meal planning, and compost what you can’t use.” We collect scraps in an empty laundry detergent container; our daughter uses a Bamboozle Composter. Cheaply or chicly, you can reduce waste and enhance your garden.
“Build a racially just and environmentally equitable region. Stand up to deeply rooted systems that fuel both structural racism and the climate crisis.” Success for our earth means building understanding and empathy among groups who are affected in differing ways. Talk to others, but more important: listen!
“Drive less. Replace one driving trip per week with alternate transportation — biking, walking, or telecommuting.” I complete my errands by bike about once per week, finishing (pant, pant) at an elevation of 550 feet. Our son and his fiancé lived carless in Oakland until they fled the city in the pandemic. Covid has been hard on carpooling.
“Go solar. Reduce home energy use, switch to a 100% renewable Green Rate through your utility and if possible install home solar + battery storage.” Bonus: you’ll be less affected by power outages.
“Eat local. Create a lower footprint with independently-sold, responsibly sourced, fresh and seasonal food.” We’ve enjoyed veggie boxes from John Givens and Farm Cart Organics, and have occasionally fresh local fish from Get Hooked. Check out restaurants that locally source as well. I’ve gained eight pounds helping local farmers and chefs during Covid!
“Ensure everyone is cared for. Get to know neighbors and be a lifeline.” Our neighborhood’s group emails were essential in keeping us all safe and accounted for in the Tea and Jesusita fires. Now we’ve reactivated to support our neighbors who are isolated or working in health care.
“Donate surplus food. Encourage local restaurants and grocery stores to donate their excess to help people in need.” A corollary is the ugly food movement, encouraging us to prefer freshness and organic to perfectly-shaped food.
“Switch to an affordable electric vehicle. Kick the gasoline habit — there’s an EV for every budget and lifestyle with options starting as low as $5,000.” You can get a double-whammy with this one when combined with #4 Go Solar. Then you’ll have a solar-powered car, like our daughter.
“Develop clean transportation systems. Give input on SB County transportation plans.” They used to say a letter to an elected official represents about seven voters. Now that email and text are the norm, the impact of a pen and paper letter can be huge.
“Design zero carbon communities. Advocate for strong Climate Action Plans and encourage local governments to provide more 100% renewable energy options.” Read former Mayor Sheila Lodge’s new book about how citizen advocacy has shaped Santa Barbara for over 150 years: An Uncommonplace American Town. Citizens matter.
“Remove single-use plastic from your life. Go beyond the shopping bag — sustainable solutions exist for everything from toothbrushes to storage containers.” The scientific journal Nature just reported that 2020 may have been the year when human-made mass first outweighed biomass on earth.
What if we consider plastics in a parallel way to non-renewable resources? On the production level, they should be used sparingly not out of scarcity but because of their attribute of being virtually permanent trash.
“Build Community Resilience. Collaborate on a vision and action plan for resilience in the face of climate, public health, social justice and other crises.” Ditto on Lodge’s citizen action book in #10.
If considering a dozen resolutions is overwhelming, start by listing which ones your household already does well. Congratulate yourselves! Then resolve to add new areas or make more progress on ones that are a better fit for your family.
Karen Telleen-Lawton, Noozhawk Columnist
Karen Telleen-Lawton is an eco-writer, sharing information and insights about economics and ecology, finances and the environment. Having recently retired from financial planning and advising, she spends more time exploring the outdoors — and reading and writing about it. The opinions expressed are her own.