Taking Action As A Community

A huge challenge in figuring out how to take action against climate change is deciding where and how we can have an impact. On one hand, we can take action individually. We might ride our bikes

instead of driving, grow our own vegetables in- stead of buying ones shipped from other states and countries, or reduce our consumption of dis- posable goods. Individual action feels good be- cause it allows us to DO something—now— instead of feeling helpless, and it allows us to practice valuable skills that we need to create a climate-resilient world. However, acting alone, we can also feel small. What does it matter what I do when the rest of the world is business as usual? On the other hand, we can fight for legis- lation that ensures societal changes to address climate change. We might advocate for increased efficiency of vehicles statewide or for reduced fos- sil fuel extraction nationally. These changes have the scale to truly make a difference for our fu- ture. Yet in our current political climate, we wait and wait and nothing seems to happen. Still, we feel small.

I believe it will take communal action to address climate change. Certainly, at the legislative level, it will take so many more of us struggling to make the sweeping changes we need. But for this sustainability tip, I want to focus on how we can shift our individual actions to have a bigger im- pact. Anytime you are practicing something “sustainable” or want to try something new, I en- courage you to bring others in and make it a larg- er effort. Include your family, workplace, school, neighborhood, or bring it to the Beit Am commu- nity.

A few ideas:

•   As a workplace, try to eliminate disposable food packaging. This might mean a shift away from catered events to potlucks or creating a bank of reusable containers to share.

•   As a neighborhood, try to eliminate food waste. Find ways to share meals or distribute extra when someone has “too much” of some- thing.

•   Next time you have clothes with holes or something else that needs mending, invite friends over to also mend and fix things alongside you—help each other and have fun catching up at the same time.

•   Talk with your school, community groups, or restaurants you frequent about your value of buying locally grown foods and encourage them to support local food, too.

•   Invite friends, family, and coworkers to try riding their bikes on the same day or to ride the bus with you—especially if they never have before!

•   Bring your ideas for community sustainability to your city councilor.

  Working communally like this has several pro- found effects. Of course, we have a larger impact than when we act alone. But working collectively isn’t always easy. Making a change as a work- place, for example, will mean that you have to be able to talk with your coworkers regarding your concerns about climate change and why taking action is important to you. Through this process, you have the power to educate and empower oth- ers. Additionally, doing things as a community—even when it has nothing to do with sustainabil- ity!—can be a powerful tool for change. We know that in order to fight climate change and to build a climate-resilient world, our energy and resource consumption cannot continue at current levels. Despite developments with renewable energy technology, we need to learn how to use less. We can make this transition more graceful by learn- ing to share more: sharing our possessions, our transportation, our living spaces, etc. As a former pre-school teacher, I know that sharing takes practice. It’s not something we’re born being good at. The more we can practice sharing, communi- cation, and collaboration now, the better we will be able to adapt in a changing world.

  Carpooling with someone else to Beit Am might be unfamiliar at first. You have to leave your house a few minutes earlier and both of you will need to be ready to go home at the same time. When you make that choice, not only do you re- duce your CO2 emissions, you also practice the skills of collaboration, communication, and flexi- bility. At the same time, you build networks of friendship that will be there for you through thick and thin.

  This month, experiment with enlarging the “scale” of your sustainability activities for a bigger impact and a stronger community.

By Sara