The Green Life: Workshops for Sustainable Living
“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” ~Native American Proverb
Are you interested in:
- Saving money?
- Conserving resources for future generations?
- Simplifying your life?
- Improving your health and that of your community?
- Reducing dependence on unstable countries?
- Protecting wildlife and the habitats they depend on for survival?
- Meeting new people with similar interests?
Each of these (and more) is an unavoidable side-effect of living an eco-friendly lifestyle. For example, just one action, reducing gasoline consumption, whether by driving less or choosing a higher gas mileage vehicle, will accomplish #1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 (by reducing the need for more drilling). There isn’t one eco-friendly act, in fact, that won’t result in at least one of these consequential effects.
If you are interested in greening your lifestyle, but worry that you can’t be effective because you:
- lack knowledge about the problems and their solutions,
- have feelings of apathy, inertia, or hopelessness about the environment,
- or believe that living green is too expensive or too inconvenient…
You are not alone! Polls show that while most people are willing to make changes to their lifestyle to help the environment (94% according to an April 2007 Washington Post-ABC News poll), few are actually doing so. In addition to the reasons listed above, the exponential growth in environment-related news we’ve experienced over the past year or two and the endless lists of “Things You Can Do to Save the Earth” can have a paralyzing effect. What to do first: change your light bulbs or get a tune-up for your car? Search for farmers markets in your area or plant a drought-tolerant garden? We sort through the news and the many resources for Earth-friendly living to bring you a comprehensive, yet user-friendly guide to green living.
For people who have just recently become interested in learning about environmental issues, we offer workshops on Air, Climate, Habitat and Water. Using scientifically-backed information from the most respected sources in the field, these workshops provide a basic understanding of the causes and effects of air pollution, climate change, habitat alteration and water pollution. Once you understand the problems, you’ll be ready to learn about their solutions in the workshops on Transportation, Food, Home & Garden and Waste.
We believe in focusing on what can be done from this point forward, not what should have been done in the past. We don’t play the blame game. We’re all in this together and with help, each one of us can play a significant role in protecting the Earth and its precious natural resources for future generations.
If you are ready to turn your CONCERN about the environment into ACTION, give us a call today!
Workshops:
Workshop #1: Tooling Around Town in (Green) Style
There’s a reason cars and trucks are the poster-children of environmental destruction: no other single consumer activity causes more environmental harm than personal vehicles. Reducing the impact of getting yourself from here to there is an essential part of greening your life, and with gas hovering at $4.00 a gallon, now is a good time to start. This class covers transportation choices, vehicle maintenance, driving style and alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles.
Workshop #2: Helping the Earth with Every Bite
Producing our food takes a surprisingly significant toll on the environment, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Thank Mother Earth for her delicious bounty by choosing foods that nourish the body without harming the Earth. Learn about the environmental impacts of various foods, including meat, seafood, and conventionally-grown produce.
Workshop #3: Making Your Home a Friend to Mother Nature, Part I (Green Building and Energy Conservation)
Your home represents an amazing opportunity to green your life because most everything involved with running a household affects the environment in one way or another. Learn how to make your home a model of sustainability, inside and out, and give the Joneses something meaningful to keep up with.
Workshop #4: Making Your Home a Friend to Mother Nature, Part II (Water Quality and Conservation)
This class covers indoor and outdoor water use and water pollution caused by household activity.
Workshop #5: Stemming the Tide of Toxics and Trash
We’re cutting down 100 million trees for junk mail and sending 2 million tons of electronic waste to landfills every year. Do more than you ever thought possible to stem the flow of natural resources to landfills, and to keep toxics out of your life and the environment. Topics covered include paper, plastic, toxic chemicals in the home and universal waste.
Who should sign up?
- Anyone interested in living a greener lifestyle
- Companies
- University groups (alumni groups, fraternities, sororities, etc.)
- Community groups (Kiwanis, Moose, Elks, YMCA, etc.)
- Churches
- Senior Centers and retirement homes
- Wellness Centers
Individuals, check our schedule of workshops for meeting times and locations. Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to join us at these public workshops.
Groups, give us a call or use our online registration form and we will plan a presentation (or series of presentations) specifically for your group.
Where will we meet?
Individuals, see the schedule of workshops for meeting locations. Groups, we will come to you. We just need a projection screen or even a white wall will do.
Why sign up?
You’ll leave the workshop feeling:
- Optimistic about the future
- Motivated and ready to take action
- Connected to others who share your concern for the environment
Plus, for every workshop you attend, you'll receive that section of the Green Life: A Guide to Sustainable Living, a 65-page guide to the WHY, WHAT and HOW of sustainable living. Attend the entire series and you'll get the guide in its entirety. If you do everything in the guide, you will truly be living the Green Life.
How much does it cost?
To cover the cost of materials, we ask for a donation of $5 per person per workshop.
How do I sign up?
Individuals:
- By phone: call us at 310-372-7484.
- By e-mail: please include your name, phone number, and the date(s) and location of the workshop(s) you'd like to attend.
Groups:
- By phone: call us at 310-372-7484.
- By e-mail: please include your name, phone number, organization/company, city, best time to reach you, and date(s) requested.
- Using our online registration form: choose the topic(s) you are interested in and we will customize a presentation for your group.
