Green Steps to a Sustainable Future
May 27, 2007 marked the centennial of author and ecologist Rachel Carson’s birth in Springdale, Pennsylvania. The year-long centennial celebration included the Rachel Carson Legacy Challenge to individuals, businesses, organizations, institutions and government to make permanent, measurable changes in behavior and policies that promote Rachel Carson’s environmental ethic, which is: To live in harmony with nature; To preserve and learn from natural places; To minimize the impact of man-made chemicals on natural systems of the world; and To consider the implications of human actions on the global web of life.
The objective of this challenge is to set create a platform to demonstrate how coordinated commitment to environmentally sustainable practices can make a tangible difference in the health, quality of life, environment, and economic viability of local, regional and global communities. Because people are part of the environment and part of the web of life, this challenge will build conditions for a more sustainable, healthy world.
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Participation:
Whether you’re an individual, small business, Fortune 500 company, institution, nonprofit or government agency, everyone interested in making a difference can make a commitment to change their everyday and long-term behavior by adopting action steps which align with Rachel Carson’s environmental ethic.
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What you can do:
Action steps may include conservation of energy and natural resources, climate-neutral policy, transportation-efficient habits, use of renewable energy resources, recycling policies, commitment to non-hazardous household and property management, and integrated pest management. Participants will be asked to make a commitment of permanent change and to measure success by a specific date.
Small Steps…
The United States Postal Service has just introduced green stamps. To find out more about what USPS is doing to promote a more sustainable future, check out the USPS website.
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