Everyone is welcome to attend all board and committee meetings.
Green Workplace Fair
The Reducing Workplace Waste Committee is holding a Green Workplace Fair on Thursday, June 26 from 1:30 to 3:30 at the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne. If you’re available, please stop by and learn about green energy, printing, office cleaning, landscaping, recycling and more. REACT members will receive copies of flyers to share with friends and colleagues. Please spread the word!
We will publicize the fair, along with our other projects, at the Farmers Market at Lake Anne on June 21. Stop by and say hello. (If you don’t see us, ask Market Masters, and REACT members, John and Fran Lovaas to point the way!)
Creating Change for the Environment
It’s hard to believe that when we first formed REACT in 2001, we were still clipping global warming articles for our files for residents who might not be very aware of climate change and wondered what the environmental fuss was all about. Now, of course, not only is it a familiar issue, but people want to do something to help reduce climate change emissions as well as air, water and land pollution.
As we’ve stated many times, research shows that as much as people want to do something, simply providing information does not produce much impact. Plus, a current report from the World Wildlife Fund, UK, shows that appealing to pocketbooks is not the best approach either. They found that we are more motivated to conserve by the desire to help the environment than to save money. And if we do act primarily for financial reasons, we are less likely to take more, or bigger environmental steps. A reason to ask people to take small steps is that not only does the cumulative effort make a difference, but it can lead participants to take more difficult actions. However, this tends to only be the case if the small steps are taken with the goal of helping the environment. This makes us feel like we are the type who helps the environment and therefore want to do more.
So what does that mean for REACT? We certainly will point out money-saving advantages of environmental life-style changes. (Look at the decrease in driving in recent weeks.) But we will continue to emphasize what this means for the environment so residents will see they are doing much more than saving cash.
If you would like to encourage your neighbors to take some small and not so small steps, now may be a good time. Some people do not like holding meetings in their homes. If your neighborhood has a common area where residents can gather, hold a meeting outside and let everyone bring a chair. We now have 3 projects – Reston Recycles! Close the Loop, Eco-Friendly Yard and Garden Care, and Drive Less Breathe Better -- start with the one that suits you best and perhaps a neighbor will volunteer to lead the next one!
Next REACT Board Meeting: Tuesday, June 24, 7:30 p.m., 2011 Approach Lane
Check www.restonenvironmentalaction.org for committee updates, meeting dates, and other REACT information. If you would like to participate in a project or join a committee, contact Mary Brown at info@restonenvironmentalaction.org or 703-620-0151.
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