You are not alone:
It will take many people and many organizations to make sustainable changes in the policies of Ohio. Fortunately the list of groups working toward sustainability is growing. It includes the Catholic Diocese Church in the City activities, United WE-CAN and other coalitions of churches, the Sierra Club, the League of Women Voters of Cuyahoga County and the First Suburbs Consortium of older municipalities from across Ohio. There is also currently an effort to form a similar coalition of school districts.
Learning steps:
Learn about the problems, how political issues are being framed and potential solutions through books, presentations and discussions. These NEO Suburban Sprawl Education Project Web pages provide a a focused back ground on the effect that sprawl is having on citizens of older urban and suburban areas of Greater Cleveland and especially Cleveland Heights.
Follow issues through local newspapers and releases provided by activist groups. Make sure you have a chance to see both sides of the sprawl story. Why do people want to move the country? If we put more emphasis on improving the city, would they stay or move there? It is like a self-help effort. Knowing why we, as a society, are doing something distructive in land use and transportation practices, is the first step in adopting more sustainable approaches.
Action steps:
Talk with your family, friends and neighbors about these issues.
Write letters to the editor.
Call your legislator.
Become part of an activist group that periodically stages alert campaigns concerning specific issues. This way your calls and letters can be united with many others when need be.
Support candidates for office that express strong sentiments for sustainability.
Support initiatives in your local community that bolsters the value of where you live and promotes more walking and less driving.
Resources:
It is said that if you become interested in the fascinating topics of responsible stewardship and sustainability, you'll never lack for reading matter. It may seem overwhelming at first. Here are are some sources on the Internet that will help you on your way.
[ Sustainability Links | Sustainability Books and Tapes for Northeast Ohio ]
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NEO SSEP release of January 17, 1999 - Lee Batdorff, author and webmaster, 216-321-9152: neossep_ohsc@adva.com