We have a hard enough time trying to conserve energy at home, or at the office, without looking at how to conserve energy in the community as well. However, there are small steps you can take to make a real difference, and it doesnt always take a lot of effort on your part. Small things add up over time, and your efforts can start a snowball effect within your community. By shopping locally, working to promote awareness and contacting community leaders to lobby for energy efficiency in your community, you can have a greater impact than you can imagine.
Step 1: Shop Local
Most of us are simply unaware of the amount of fuel it takes to transport goods from the place where they were grown or manufactured to the point where they will be sold retail. Many communities have farmers markets or roadside produce stands that sell fruits and vegetables that have been grown by local farmers. When in season, you can get the freshest produce by shopping locally. Not only will you be helping members of your community make a decent living, you will be reducing the use of fossil fuels in transporting goods from distant locations.
Step 2: Promote Awareness
Another thing that many concerned citizens are doing is to promote awareness of energy conservation in local businesses. It isnt always necessary to go out of your way to contact business owners and office managers. Be aware of your surroundings and if you spot something that could be done differently, politely mention ways of that the business or office could cut expenses while conserving energy. For instance, if you notice the doors and windows in a local shop arent weatherized, you could casually mention to the owner how he/she could save on electric bills by adding those inexpensive strips to prevent loss of heat or air conditioning.
Step 3: Lobby Community Leaders
By this point in time, most communities have recycling bins at key locations around town. However, there are still a great number of towns and cities around the country that dont make that option available to citizens. Perhaps there is recycling in your community, but the distance is too great to warrant making the trip. Lobby community leaders to add more drop-off locations to save energy for residents. Also, you could lobby to have utility bills and newsletters go paperless. Encourage your utility companies, state and local legislators to use email communications whenever possible. This saves money for them in paper, postage and fuel, while doing something positive in the line of protecting the earth from environmental pollution.
It isnt always necessary to get on your soapbox and preach to the multitudes. Small steps to increase awareness can have a snowball effect within a very short period of time. However, it is important to keep in mind that not all people will be as concerned as you are at this point in time. Remember to tread lightly. Going in like a bull in a china shop can have the opposite effect. Gentle words of encouragement go a lot farther when trying to talk to others about how to conserve energy in the community.
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