Transition Island Blog

I found a brilliant book for people who want to do more than just a little bit.

‘365 ways to change the world’ by Michael Norton gives you just that. He says:
* The world is full of problems….
* Everyone has their own idea about what’s wrong…
* The issues that confront us seem so huge…
* Together we can change the world…

Each day has its own page,
with a different way, with ideas, stories, websites
and where appropriate Awareness Days.

And there is a parallel website - encouraging us all to become an Everyday Activist. Join a community of people dedicated to taking individual everyday actions to help change the world for the better.

ten favourites…

The ones that jumped out at me - I’m sure they’ll be different from your favorites!

1. Idea-a-day lists original ideas for the world to pick up on. I’ve had a “why don’t they…” bee in my bonnet for years, and - at last - here was somewhere to put it where it might be useful.
   Action: contribute your suggestion here to help the world.
2. Tools-for-self-reliance collects half-a-million pounds worth of tools and sends them to six countries in Africa for skilled craftsmen to use.
   Action: Donate your second-hand tools, ask your neighbours and bosses to do the same.
3. Freecycle is a way to help your neighbours and reduce pollution and land-fill. Advertise unwanted belongings here (at no charge) and donate them to someone local who responds.
   Action: find your local Freecycle website and start keeping useful stuff in circulation.
4. Earth Day is a day of pledges to encourage sustainable lifestyles. The Spring Equinox provides a reminder of rebirth & revival, and is usually the day chosen.
   Action: pledge your environmental citizenship here!
5. Stop-Global-Warming is a movement about change, as individuals, as a country, and as a global community. We are all contributors to global warming and we all need to be part of the solution.
   Action: Join the million plus and growing daily in the Virtual March, the movement to demand our leaders freeze and reduce carbon dioxide emissions now.
6. Time Bank is a community resource that helps you give time to help someone else through DIY, shopping, gardening, cleaning, teaching, computing, etc.
   Action: Increase your local community sustainability by helping locally - and getting help back!
7. Adopt-a-Beach is a coastal environmental initiative, involving local individuals, groups and communities in caring for their marine life.
   Action: Take part in annual or quarterly beach cleans, or litter surveys and help the campaign for cleaner seas.
8. Pesticide Action Network UK are working to eliminate the dangers of toxic pesticides, exposure to them, and their presence in the environment where we live and work.
   Action: Help them promote safer alternatives, healthier food production, and sustainable farming.
9. Peace Poles are hand-crafted monuments that displays the message ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth‘, usually in different languages.
   Action: Add yours to the more-than 200,000 Peace Poles in 180 countries to serve as constant reminders for us to visualize and pray for world peace.
10. Public Concern at Work is committed to making whistleblowing work.
    Action: Learn about raising concerns about misconduct within an organisation so you can help your neighbourhood if such information comes your way.

Action:
Get the book, get on to the website, get into action!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 8th, 2008 at 9:00 am and is filed under Eco-Action. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.