Sustainable Communities Create Happy Communities
Help assist your local community go green with sustainable measures that encourage an environmentally friendly lifestyle.
“A city is successful not when it’s rich but when its people are happy. Creating bikeability and walkability shows respect for human dignity. We’re telling people, ‘You are important—not because you’re rich, but because you are human.’ If people are treated as special, as sacred, even, they behave that way. We need to walk just as birds need to fly. Creating public spaces is one way to lead us to a society that is not only more equal but also much happier.”
― Meik Wiking, The Little Book of Lykke: Secrets of the World’s Happiest People
COMMUNITY LEVEL
Community Dishes - to learn more click here
Community Gardens
Farm Stands
Farmers Market
Free Libraries
Tool Sharing Communities
INDIVIDUAL LEVEL
Compost
Eat a plant based diet
Make every walk a “Rubbish Walk”
Reduce Waste - Consume Less
Refuse Single Use Plastics - straws, plastic water bottles, foods packaged in plastics
For ideas about reducing plastic click here
Support Eco-Friendly Businesses
To learn more about eco-friendly clothing click here
LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL
Add parks and greenspace to the community
Tree and plants capture and store carbon
Parks connect the community
Adopt policies banning harmful pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and rodenticides
Toxins, poisons and other pollutants are a huge source of environmental destruction - polluting waterways and soils - harming plants, animals and people.
Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and rodenticides should be avoided at all costs - toxins are designed to kill - they harm pets, wildlife and humans
Ban single use plastics and adopt a policy for businesses to utilize compostable items and aluminum and glass.
City Government Demonstrates Environmental Stewardship - Lead By Example
Local Government offices invest in green technology with solar, charging stations, water saving measures, electronic efficiency, etc.
Create safe Pedestrian Crossing zones for ease of navigation around the community
Encourage Composting & Recycling Events
Encourage employees to bring their own water bottles city and county wide - offer refill stations in workplaces
Establish community compost drop off locations if curbside composting is not available
Generate Electricity using Sustainable Resources
Install Solar
Invest in Public Access with safe walking and biking paths for ease of travel by bike or foot
Offer Electric Charging Stations
Offer Solar Incentives
Offer Water Bottle Refilling Stations throughout the community
Plant More Trees - Combat Climate Change with Trees
Promote and Incentivize Water Saving measures
Promote Green Business Participation
Promote the Sharing Community: Free Libraries, Community Gardens, Tool Sharing Groups, Event Sharing Supplies
Provide Recycling Receptacles throughout the community for Aluminum and Glass
Require all new construction to utilize Green Technology through Building Codes and Enforcement
Require all new development to donate a percentage of land to park space
Require Events to be Waste Free
Support and Endorse Businesses Going Green
Support Green Schools
SCHOOLS
Create competitions across the school district and countywide for litter pickup and waste challenges amongst schools.
Educate Students on the 5 Rs: Refuse | Reduce | Reuse | Rot | Recycle
Educate Students on Plastic and Plastic Pollution - click here for infographics
Most plastic is made from Fossil Fuels
Huge Carbon Footprint
Plastic takes hundreds of years to breakdown
Only a tiny percentage is recycled
Leaches toxins into food & drink
Causes hormone disruptions & cancer
Pollutes our oceans
Kills marine animals and birds
Enters our food chain
Encourage Zero Waste Classrooms - make it a school-wide competition
For zero waste classroom resources click here
Free Library at Schools - provide excess books to all
Launch Cleanup Clubs - incentivize with off-campus cleanups
Offer Vegetarian and Vegan lunch options
Promote “Meat Free Mondays” on the lunch menu
Zero Waste School Events
BOOKS
The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well | Meik Wiking
WEBSITES
How Can Your City Become More Eco-friendly? | Smart Cities Dive