- 1). Talk to people in the community and ask them how they are helping the environment and what drawbacks they see, such as a lack of convenient drop-off sites for recycling. Getting their input and involvement up front can help ensure the success of the program.
- 2). Mount a communitywide effort to follow the EPA's Green Community guidelines (see Resources). Assess your community's strengths and weaknesses, make predictions based on current trends, form a vision statement and then make an action plan.
- 3). Look for grant money for greening efforts that may be available through the government.
- 4). Work with your local planning board to encourage smart, strategic growth as opposed to the proliferation of housing developments that can strain the community's resources. Encourage green spaces to add value to the community instead of more pavement.
- 5). Patronize local fruit-and-vegetable stands instead of the grocery store, which is most likely importing some of the produce. Getting serious about buying local means choosing fruits and vegetables only when they are naturally in season in your area.
- 6). Encourage schools to cut back on engine idling for school buses. This is an unnecessary and potentially harmful waste of a precious resource.
- 7). Get the local media involved to help promote the green effort. Newspapers could allow a weekly column for green talk, since it is such a hot topic. Approach radio stations and get their support for public service announcements about ways to green the community.
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