CORE CONCEPTS OF URBAN SUSTAINABILITY
This guide explores the context and the purpose of sustainability; and how it can truly add value to your life. Please allow this guide to serve as a clarity companion for your journey towards your best life and a friendlier planet for everyone! - Greenisms.com
What is Urban Sustainability?
According to Britannica:
Sustainability, the long-term viability of a community, set of social institutions, or societal practice. In general, sustainability is understood as a form of intergenerational ethics in which the environmental and economic actions taken by present persons do not diminish the opportunities of future persons to enjoy similar levels of wealth, utility, or welfare.
However, Sustainability is defined multiple ways depending on the focus or intent of the conversation; Sustainability is equal consideration of:
People🧑🤝🧑 Planet 🌎 Profit💲
(or)
Environmental - Social - Governance (ESG)
An entire industry known as - ESG reporting exists to make positive progress towards better social, environmental, and governance decisions leading to beneficial financial changes.
Some companies rely on different standards for this like the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), or the Green Reporting Initiative (GRI), but mostly these reporting standards are focused on the same conceptual idea - Sustainability Reporting.
We can learn a great amount of information about a company based on the sustainability reporting metrics and standards that are used to identify impacts and carbon emissions from a company. Incidentally, many of these topics have some crossover for residential homes as well, though the impact reduction is obviously impactful for the bottom line of a company as opposed to the bottom line of a single household.
However, the fact remains that sustainability metrics are not simply for commercial and industrial purposes. This guide is about creating sustainable changes for a community. Inn it, we will identify basic things that can help you, your family, your friends, relatives, and neighbors make more insightful, and positive impacts on your community. The benefits shared in this guide are not limited to just you!
With simple perspective shifts, and no significant extra effort, you can realize sustainability goals and create your own set of metrics for your home, regardless of what space you consider your dominion. In every case, whether it be a one bedroom apartment or a mansion. You can realize real and noticeable benefits with the tips and tricks included herein.
ESG Reporting -
To learn more about ESG reporting, Greenisms, LLC has composed additional resources focused on educating others about the differences in environmental reporting processes and subjects. Environmental, Social, and Governance reporting is a corporate accountability and reporting format that includes focuses on metrics for sustainability “Key Performance Indicators” or KPI’s.
Additionally, there are compliance reports, for instance, those in California that are required are generally consistent with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
But this is all boring and tedious stuff. Let's get to the real substantive stuff!
How can you make sustainable changes that are immediately within your control?
What can I do to save money and make my life easier at the same time?
What kind of return on investment can I get for my effort?
What are some sustainability actions that I won’t even notice?
Who benefits the most from these tips and tricks?
When can I get started?
Where can my efforts make the biggest difference?
All of these types of questions will be answered below!
Urban Sustainability -
For the purposes of this guide, we define - Urban Sustainability - as any action that aims to reduce, reuse, or recycle products or resources in ways that benefit the community, your home, your health, or your environment.
These can be simple things or complex things. The overall goal is that, with a greater audience, we will progress towards a much more sustainable society and culture that allows for the integration of sustainable choices and actions in ways that are almost invisible. Unfelt. Easier. Even Effortless!
These actions can be big or small, and can be as simple as recycling cardboard, or as major and intensive as trying to live a ‘zero-waste’ lifestyle.
Some actions are much more challenging than others, but the general intent is to save money, benefit your personal ecosystem, or reduce unnecessary waste. Don’t let anyone guilt trip you into not doing enough. We all do what we can in the moment.
Principles: Localization, Efficiency, Regeneration, Circular Systems - Core Principles of Urban Sustainability
Urban sustainability isn’t just about consuming less or restricting your freedoms or lifestyle… In fact,—it’s about living better, designing smarter systems, and creating resilient neighborhoods and homes. This framework outlines the four foundational principles that guide sustainable living in an urban context.
We will dive into four main subjects of Sustainability and apply them to urban areas to maximize your potential to utilize these systems to your maximum benefit, regardless of how much space you have available.
🧭Localization
⚙️Efficiency
🌱Regeneration
🔁Circular Systems
These four topics will resurface regularly in this guide, and we will learn a great deal of valuable information for each of them that can be applied to your home, community, workspace, or personal lifestyle.
🧭1. Localization
“Think globally, act locally.”
Definition
Localization prioritizes local resources, networks, and ecosystems—from food and water to energy and decision-making. The closer the origin of what you consume, the less energy it takes to reach you, and the more accountable the system becomes.
Key Areas
Local Food Systems: Grow your own food, support Community Supported Agriculture systems (CSAs) and local farmers markets.
Benefits local business and community organizations
Fresher, healthier, more nutritious foods for tastier meals
Great for community engagement, dates, activities for kids or family outings
Only slightly more expensive, but generally much better quality
Local Economies: Shop from nearby artisans, use local services.
Engage with local stores to become a Local
Easier and more effective networking
Option to build relationships with new businesses or people
Fun and engaging “thrill of the hunt” for the best new local spot
Civic Engagement: Participate in local decision-making, from city planning to sustainability initiatives.
Engage directly with the City Gov. for more reliable and trustworthy news
Better engagement procedures create a sense of ownership
Invest in ideas that are developing before others know about them
Offer your perspective directly and participate in community development
Resilient Infrastructure: Emphasize local water capture, energy generation (e.g., rooftop solar), and neighborhood emergency preparedness.
Using renewable energy saves money
Working with these organizations helps maintain community resiliency
Offers educational opportunities to better your career
Easy way to get involved with local sustainability directly
Actionable Opportunities and Easy Networking - Worksheet #1
Pick one option, (or make your own!) and track progress!
Start a neighborhood garden or seed library.
Fresh food, great community, better physical and mental health, cheap and easy
Local farmers markets and community gardens can command greater property value, and increase your
Install a rain barrel or greywater system.
Depending on where you live, this can be accomplished with a kit available online, or at a local hardware store. Safety and security starts with water.
Preserving grey water can really benefit the garden or your lawn.
Map your 15-minute neighborhood (everything you need within a 15-min walk/bike ride).
Identifying the best and easiest options in a close proximity saves tons of transit time and gas money.
To live and become more comfortable in your community, creating these mental maps can be truly beneficial and supports local businesses
Join or form a local repair or barter group.
Sharing tools and resources is a great way to save money and make friends
Bartering saves money and helps people grow closer together with their community. You may have more value inn your home than just money.
In small communities such as bartering communities, co-ops, or value trading agreements, you may have the opportunity to make money, share resources, gain valuable knowledge, or access to communities that are otherwise hidden.
Developing a network takes some time and effort, but the benefits are often immeasurable. Like security or friendship for example.
Personal Action Challenge - Identify Goals - Worksheet #2
Use this worksheet to reflect on your current sustainability practices and set achievable goals in each category.
Principle | What I'm Already Doing | What I Could Add | Next Step |
Localization | |||
Efficiency | |||
Regeneration | |||
Circular Systems |
⚙️2. Efficiency
“Use less, get more.”
Definition
Efficiency means designing systems that maximize output while minimizing waste—of time, energy, money, or materials.
Key Areas
Energy: Use LED lighting, passive solar design, efficient HVAC systems.
Saving money and energy is easier than you think! Once installed, these will save you money every time they’re used.
Passive systems are more about the original thought, than active effort.
I.e. once you plant a tree somewhere, you’ll have shade for as long as it lives in that space. The shade is a permanent benefit to a single action.
Water: Install low-flow devices, drip irrigation, and moisture sensors.
A timer box and a small irrigation system costs less than $50 to build, but can provide four times this much money in savings or produce over just one year.
Saving water is easier than most people suspect. A “low flow” shower head doesn't have to feel low flow.
Integrating smart technologies can be as easy as downloading an app!
Time and Labor: Use permaculture design to reduce repetitive work in the garden or home. (more for large gardens than small ones, but in the case of a community garden, this has the potential to save TONS of money in soil replenishments and fertilizers.
Waste: Reduce single-use items; streamline routines to reduce consumption.
Waste reduction in the modern sense of grocery stores and fast food is hard!
When you grow your own veggies and produce, you have the potential to cut down on hundreds of pounds of waste on an annual basis.
Every time you harvest greens or tomatoes from your garden, you reduce the wasted plastic in the environment.
Actionable Steps for an Efficient Home
Conduct a home energy audit to determine what improvements can help.*See Worksheet 3!
Create a budget for some changes
Purchase energy efficient devices or appliances
Use recycled or upcycled materials
Find second-hand stores and shop local
Old things don’t mean poor quality. Find those gems!
Optimize garden layout for sun, wind, and irrigation. Timing is important.
Identify some of your favorite veggies or greens and focus in on them
Make a dedicated space for homegrown produce and veggies
Use recycled or secondhand gardening tools - it’s cheaper anyways!
Identify your climate zone (discussed in the gardening section)
Share with your neighbors and your community
Retrofit your appliances with smart plugs to monitor usage.
Create schedules using apps or automated timers
Subscribe to energy saving services like OhmHour
Read and understand your electric and gas bills
Switch to time-saving compost systems like bokashi or worm bins.
Compost binds don’t have to be huge or smelly, even a small kitchen sized compost bin has potential!
Establish a connection with the soil to reinforce your physical and mental health
Use open windows and fans to cool the home at the right time of day to cut down on AC.
Even a few degrees change on an A/C can make a noticeable difference on your electric bill, and you likely won’t notice a comfort difference either.
Zone controlling the home can be a very effective way to keep the cool air exactly where you want it to be. What’s the point of air conditioning rooms you aren’t in?
Shop at second-hand stores to get quality goods at cheaper prices and reduce waste.
Mentioning this again, There are great opportunities to save money and have a sustainable impact by purchasing lightly used goods. Even cars can be “like new” but cost half as much if you buy them used. Even just one or two years old.
Recycle fabrics.
Old shirts and clothing become rags, crafts, rugs, or insulation for an environmentally friendly home made with intentionality. Be Creative!
Use scrap or beat up fabrics for multiple purposes. (reduce, reuse, recycle).
Use LED lights and solar operated garden lights to reduce electric bills and save time. *See worksheet 3
Automated devices are always less to worry about. Simplification doesn’t have to be expensive or restrictive.
⚙️ High-Impact, Low-Effort Efficiency Improvements (example)
Focus Area | High-Value Small Improvement | Why It Works | When to Stop (Diminishing Returns) |
Energy 💡 | Replace the top 3 most-used bulbs with LEDs or use smart plugs for high-draw devices (TV, fridge, heater). | Quickest way to lower bills—LEDs use ~80% less energy and last 10x longer. | Once you’ve replaced your main lighting and major plug loads, further upgrades (e.g., appliances) yield slower ROI unless old units fail. |
Passive Design 🌳 | Plant one fast-growing shade tree on the west or south side; add reflective film to main windows. | Passive cooling cuts AC use by up to 30%, lasts for decades. | After the key areas are shaded, adding more trees or coatings gives minimal extra comfort per dollar. |
Water 💧 | Install drip irrigation with a $50 timer system. | Drip systems reduce water use by 30–50% instantly with minimal setup. | Once irrigation is automated and leaks fixed, extra savings (e.g., high-end smart sensors) are marginal. |
Time & Labor 🕒 | Redesign garden layout for grouped watering and easy access. | Reduces repetitive work and overwatering—effort pays back every week. | When routine tasks take <15 min/day, further optimization offers minimal gain—switch focus to composting or harvesting. |
Waste Reduction ♻️ | Add a kitchen compost bin and donate/repair one item per month. | Diverts 100+ lb of waste yearly and builds mindful consumption habits. | After compost and recycling are routine, focus on waste avoidance instead of micro-sorting. |
Smart Tech 🔌 | Use smart plugs/timers on always-on devices; track usage in an app. | Identifies hidden “vampire” loads—easy 5–10% energy reduction. | Once you’ve addressed top offenders, new gadgets may cost more than they save. |
Temperature 🌬️ | Raise AC setpoint by 2 °F or use fans strategically. | Each degree saves ~3–5% on cooling bills; nearly instant payoff. | Beyond comfort threshold (78–80 °F), savings plateau and user comfort drops—stop there. |
Shopping 🛍️ | Try a 30-day “no-new-buy” challenge; buy refurbished items. | Builds awareness and saves hundreds annually with no tools needed. | If shopping is already rare and intentional, further restriction may reduce joy—shift focus to skill-building or creative reuse. |
⚙️Efficiency – “Use Less, Get More”🧩 Worksheet #3
🧭 Guidance for Users
Start Small – Choose one quick win per category (LEDs, drip irrigation, compost bin).
Track Measurable Results – Note bill reductions, time saved, or waste avoided.
Know When to Stop – If an upgrade costs more time or money than it saves in a year, it’s time to pivot.
Shift Focus Seasonally – Once home systems are optimized, move to regenerative or community-level improvements (e.g., garden sharing, co-ops).
🧩 How to Use This Worksheet
Assess where you are now — note your current systems and habits.
Brainstorm an improvement idea for each category using the examples provided.
Plan actionable steps with start and progress dates to stay accountable.
Track results — quantify savings or time gained (even estimates help).
Reflect monthly on what made the biggest difference and where to improve next.
Consider that efficiency often starts with easy things and some big gains can be made with small efforts. Remember the concept of diminishing returns and return to this worksheet to identify areas where effort is best spent and to remain balanced.
Assess current Systems, Habits, Obstacle(s) and Distractions: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
⚙️Focal Tasks and Improvement Areas🧩Worksheet #4
Start Date_______ Main Goal _____________________
Focus Area | My Current Setup | Improvement Idea | Action Plan / Tools Needed | Start Date | Progress Check | Result / Savings |
Energy 💡 | (e.g., Standard bulbs, high bills) | Switch to LED lighting, add smart plugs | Identify top 3 energy-hungry devices and replace bulbs | |||
Passive Design 🌳 | (e.g., Bare yard, no shade) | Plant trees or install reflective window film | Choose 1–2 passive improvements that last years | |||
Water 💧 | (e.g., Manual watering, long showers) | Install drip irrigation or low-flow fixtures | Purchase timer box and moisture sensor (~$50) | |||
Time & Labor 🕒 | (e.g., Repetitive garden work) | Apply permaculture or automatic compost system | Redesign garden zones to reduce maintenance | |||
Waste Reduction ♻️ | (e.g., Frequent trash disposal) | Start compost, recycle fabrics, shop second-hand | Make a monthly waste audit checklist | |||
Smart Technology 🔌 | (e.g., High standby power) | Use smart plugs and timers | Download an energy-monitoring app (OhmConnect, Sense) | |||
Temperature Control 🌬️ | (e.g., A/C on all day) | Use window fans, zone-cooling, blinds | Adjust thermostat schedule, set comfort zones | |||
Shopping Habits 🛍️ | (e.g., Buying new items often) | Visit second-hand stores or local repair cafés | Create a 30-day no-new-buy challenge |
✳️ Efficiency Tracker Summary - Worksheet #5
Category | Estimated Savings per Month | Estimated Cost to Implement | Payback Period | Notes |
Energy | ||||
Water | ||||
Time & Labor | ||||
Waste Reduction |
Completion Date:_________ Did you accomplish your main goal? Were other goals also accomplished?
Reflect on what time spent had the most impact on progress.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Note accomplishments, progress, refined goals:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
🌱3. Regeneration
“Leave it better than you found it.”
Definition
Regeneration goes beyond sustainability—it’s about actively improving ecosystems and communities, not just preserving them. It’s healing the damage of extractive systems by building soil health, biodiversity, and social equity.
All of human history has been about using what the environment has to offer in some manner. Cutting down trees for shelter. Using water from the lakes and rivers. Harvesting produce and animals from the wild to feed us. The modern world has just streamlined and elaborated upon it to create new and improved products. Even the most basic of materials have a complex history. Steel, Cement, Lumber, Copper, etc.
Sustainability isn’t about preventing this innovation, or even zero waste, but is more about working with the environmental and natural systems that are already very effective and efficient to minimize negative impacts and damage to these natural systems.
Solar is a great example of this. When you feel the heat of the sun on your face, what you’re experiencing is energy flow. Solar panels just capitalize on this limitless energy flow and convert the energy to a more usable form that serves us better. In some cases this is a great use of space, for instance, solar panels that cover a parking lot. In other cases, not so much; for instance when solar panels cover a field.
One of these examples provides all of the benefits of solar energy and more, while the other has a higher ecological cost. Sustainability is about identifying the best place to put solar panels so that their use benefits us the most and cost the least (or offset the largest cost down the road through amortization).
Photosynthesis is the process by which solar energy is used in tandem with carbon and water to help chlorophyll in plants stimulate the growth of a plant. UV lights have been developed to mimic this process. Both tanning salons and indoor agriculture operations use UV lights.
Key Areas
Soil and Plant Life: Composting, polyculture planting, cover crops.
Top soil loss causes floods, landslides, poor crop yields, and hotter climates
Composting and natural systems of regenerative ecosystem management allows for better crop yields, better foods, more manageable natural disasters, and a healthier environment, all with less effort and less intervention.
Planting crops in cycles is great, but planting multiple crops as companions together is even better. Companion planting and cyclical agriculture are technically two practices that can be combined to triple the benefits.
Biodiversity: Create habitat zones for pollinators and wildlife.
Habitability zones are identified in the United States Department of Agriculture (discussed in detail below).
Based on your habitability zone and the climate type, you can make more informed decisions and maximize crops yields
Habitat can be an entire region, or just a garden bed. Depends on the scale of the creature that depends on it. For a flower, it’s habitat is right where it’s growing, and it doesn’t change. What DOES change is the climate. We have power over both, but at different times and at different levels of significance.
Community: Share knowledge, distribute excess, mentor others.
Sharing knowledge is a great way to “cut corners” in a sustainable way.
“Growth takes time” and “Practice makes perfect” but if you can share knowledge and mentor others, distributing your resources helps others make progress faster than they would ever be able to alone.
Imagine if you had to learn how to culture your own plants. It would take forever, perhaps even generations, without outside help. By relying on the knowledge of others, we can bypass the painful growth period and skip to the production period which makes sustainability easier to implement.
Built Environment: Use salvaged materials, green building techniques, and low-impact development.
Using “deconstruction” is a great sustainability method that helps to cut down on waste and preserve important things.
“Salvaged” doesn’t mean worse quality. In fact, it can sometimes mean “Better” quality. Everyone always says “they don’t make them like they use to” and thats proof of concept right there. If you can recycle, salvage, or deconstruct materials that have been high quality in the past, they have the potential to be high quality once again. No need to waste something that still has great potential.
Consider bricks or heavy metals or a high quality instrument. These things all retain high value regardless of age. Sometimes even increase in value.
🌿 Actionable Steps to Realize Savings — Worksheet #6
Action | My Specific Plan / Notes | Start Date | Progress Check | Final Result / Reflection |
♻️ Turn kitchen scraps into regenerative compost for your garden. | Example: Begin using a countertop compost bin and outdoor pile. | |||
🌱 Restore native plants and reduce lawn space for many positive benefits. | Example: Replace 100 sq. ft. of turf with California native grasses. | |||
🛠️ Start a tool-sharing co-op or free swap for cheaper projects and less waste. | Example: Create a shared spreadsheet or group chat with neighbors. | |||
🐦 Include wildlife corridors or bird habitats in your garden design. | Example: Add bird bath, pollinator plants, and small water feature. | |||
🍅 Develop better health and save time with a dedicated produce garden. | Example: Grow tomatoes, kale, and herbs for home use. | |||
🌾 Restore local ecosystems by planting natives and removing invasive species. | Example:Remove ice plant, replace with milkweed and sage. |
Many of these can be accomplished for free! Make a note of which tasks are free and which have costs associated with them. Identify the perceived value of these improvements, and consider how that value spreads. Identify high impact tasks and execute!
🔁4. Circular Systems
“Nothing is wasted in nature.”
Definition
A circular system closes the loop—waste becomes a resource, and outputs feed inputs. This mimics nature’s cycles and breaks dependency on linear, throwaway models.
Although the goal isn’t always “zero waste”, depending on your space and lifestyle and capacity, you can still contribute to systems that support circular economies. Recycling aluminum cans, or scrap metal is a great example. The energy required to mine and obtain raw materials is often greater than the energy to take waste out of the waste stream. Steel is highly valuable and can be used thousands of times. Wood can be deconstructed and reused until it is not structurally stable, and then it can be ground and pressed into ply-wood or particle board. Otherwise, it can be used for fuel, or for insulation. Even sawdust has uses and applications. Depending on the quality and type and location from which a product is sourced, some specific products can be reused and recycled many times over to ensure that the least amount of waste is generated.
Key Areas
Waste Management: Composting, greywater reuse, upcycling.
Nutrient rich soil in a plastic bag at a supply store is often very expensive, but composting can be easy, cost effective, and manageable.
Water stays good until it is polluted or corrupted, but even then, it can be filtered. Every drop of water ever to land on the earth is “Still here” somewhere, even if that’s in the ocean. Evapotranspiration is the process by which earth lives and breathes. We can do the same on a smaller scale in the home.
Upcycling allows us to re-use or find creative alternate uses for products that we typically throw away. With just a perspective shift, one item can become something completely different without any effort at all. (ex. a dirty old shirt becomes a shop rag, a 2L plastic soda bottle becomes a watering can, an old sink becomes a planter, an old computer screen becomes a standing art display)
Resource Loops: Capture energy, water, and nutrients for reuse.
Energy “storage” is one of the great industrial sustainability problems. Harvest energy while it is windy or hot, use it when people need it the most.
Water stays water as long as it is protected from evaporation or transpiration.
Nutrients for human or ecosystem health are common, but applying them at the right time takes knowledge. Coffee Grounds are a great example of wasted potential. Instead of throwing them away, apply them to the landscape around you to boost ecosystem productivity.
Product Lifecycles: Choose products designed for reuse, repair, or biodegradability.
Just because you have to drink out of a bottle doesn’t make plastic the best choice. Reusing aluminum has led to the development of aluminum bottles which are 100% recycled material, keep your beverage colder for longer, and can be recycled yet again. Plastic is much harder to recycle than metal.
Some innovative grocery store produce bags are made to biodegrade over time. This prevents unnecessary pollution and waste. Using a sewing machine and a few old t-shirts can prevent excessive waste and create a reusable bag that will last much longer. Although we can’t prevent material destruction, we can take care of the materials we have to maximize their useful life. See the example at the bottom about washington with cold water instead of hot water to protect the strength of your clothing and make it last longer.
Community Networks: Share tools, food, skills, and space.
As mentioned before, sharing is caring. Why buy a new set of pliers when you can just borrow the same thing from next door? Saves time, money, space, and opens doors of opportunity and networking.
Upskilling doesn’t need to be done alone. By sharing knowledge and resources we have the potential to grow more than we would by trying to do everything ourselves. With a little help, two people together can accomplish far more than two individuals can, alone.
Actionable Steps Supporting Circular Systems
Set up a worm bin to turn food waste into fertilizer. Composting is easier than you think.
Use greywater from laundry for landscape irrigation, water can do more than one thing at a time, and has the potential to be used infinitely in a closed loop system.
Create a “materials bank” for future repairs and projects. Local Co-ops are great communities and can teach you many skills.
Design your home and garden as integrated loops— chickens → food scraps → compost → garden → eggs → compost → fresh soil → repeat….
Closed loop ecosystems can be big or small, but being one part of the process is equally important. Just because you can’t control all steps in the loop, doesn’t mean you’re not carrying your weight. Everyone has a role to play.
Being part of a community serves many purposes. Trying to do everything yourself is a fast track to burnout and disappointment. Zero waste doesn’t have to be the goal, but any sustainable step you can make is beneficial for the good of your community. Even if that community is just your own happy family.
🛠️ Bringing It All Together -
Framework Summary Table
Principle | Focus Areas | Examples of Action |
Localization | Home-grown or Locally grown Food, Local Economy, Engage in Local Governance | Grow food, shop local, join city initiatives - Volunteer to build better networks |
Efficiency | Energy, water, labor, design | LED lights, drip irrigation, smart systems |
Regeneration | Ecosystem healing, Community engagement Healthy living | Compost, pollinator zones, social equity, Environmental Justice opportunities |
Circularity | Waste reduction, looping systems, reuse and repurposing products for a second life | Greywater, tool libraries, clothing recycling, vermicomposting |
Many circular systems have incredible potential to save money and time, but often require some effort up-front to get started. Not only do cyclical operations work across localization, efficiency, regeneration, and circularity - they often have the potential to teach us valuable self-sufficiency skills, save significant sums over time, and reinforce a direct connection to your environment and community. It is truly a joy to share fresh produce with neighbors. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like receiving flowers, or fresh veggies from a home garden. Be the kindness and change you want to see in the world, and you’ll receive it in-kind.
Challenge Question: If you’ve had an idea to better your home or community, what would it take to accomplish it? Write down the steps here!
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
One Final Note:
“Land, then, is not merely soil; it is a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils, plants, and animals. Food chains are the living channels which conduct energy upward; death and decay return it to the soil. The circuit is not closed; some energy is dissipated in decay, some is added by absorption from the air, some is stored in soils, peats, and long-lived forests; but it is a sustained circuit, like a slowly augmented revolving fund of life. There is always a net loss by downhill wash, but this is normally small and offset by the decay of rocks. It is deposited in the ocean and, in the course of geological time, raised to form new lands and new pyramids.
…
A land ethic, then, reflects the existence of an ecological conscience, and this in turn reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of the land. Health is the capacity of the land for self-renewal. Conservation is our effort to understand and preserve this capacity.”
an excerpt of: The Land Ethic - by Aldo Leopold
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