| Action | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Eliminating the Use of Toxic Pesticides, Herbicides, and Fertilizers in Your Garden | LA - Backyard Composting for Gardening |
The County of LA (LADPW) sells discounted backyard compost bins. Bins are sold at select workshops, where you can learn how to compost. See also The Growing Club which offers community lessons in composting every 2nd Saturday of the month. Organic compost acts as a soil enriching alternative to chemical fertilizers. Protect the health of yourself and your community as well as the health of the soil and water supply. |
| Creating a Community Vegetable Garden | SF - Urban Agriculture Alliance |
The San Francisco Urban Agriculture Alliance (SFUAA) promotes the growing of food within San Francisco through advocacy, education, and grassroots action. |
| Reducing Paved Surfaces on Your Property | SF - Better Streets |
SF Better Streets provides information and links to learn more about permeable paving resources in San Francisco. |
| Achieving Maximum Energy Efficiency | PG&E Rebate Programs |
Save energy, costs and time with rebate programs from PG&E. |
| Planting Gardens Together | SF - SFE Urban Agriculture |
SF Environment facilitates and encourages increasing local food production and opportunities for urban gardening throughout San Francisco. Learn more about SF Environment’s Role in urban agriculture, soil testing guidelines, urban agriculture permits, types of urban agriculture, and additional resources. |
| Switching to Renewable Energy |
Palo Alto - Carbon Neutral Electricity Carbon Neutral Electric Resource Plan |
Palo Alto Electricity is 100% carbon neutral! The City Council approved a Carbon Neutral Electric Resource Plan (March 2013) committing Palo Alto to using carbon neutral electric resources from now on. The Carbon Neutral Plan is designed to be transparent, credible, sustainable, inspirational and repeatable by other communities. The only downside to this good news: There isn't a further action that you can take here, as your electricity is already 100% green. But check out the action Generating Power from the Sun to find out how to add directly to the generation of renewable energy. |
| Preparing Mentally for an Emergency | Disaster Mental Health |
This link offers advice: “Disaster Mental Health - Preparing Yourself Mentally for Disasters”. See also: Reduce the emotional impact of loss and Coping after a traumatic event. |
| Creating a Block Party | Palo Alto - Know Your Neighbors grant program |
$1,000 grants are available to a block for parties or any other “get to know your neighbor” events. Launched in 2013, the popular program is designed to help neighbors better connect with each other while strengthening community and improving the quality of life and neighborhoods in Palo Alto. |
| Bringing your Footprint to Zero | LA - City Plants |
City Plants is a public-private partnership between the City of Los Angeles (LA Board of Public Works and LADWP), local non-profit organizations, community groups, residents, and businesses. Through this partnership, City Plants is able to provide free shade trees for residents and property owners in the City of LA, along with important information on where to plant those trees to maximize energy efficiency in homes or businesses. |
| Participating in Community-Supported Agriculture as a Block | LA - Review of CSAs |
This article reviews the various Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes that can be found throughout LA. |
Our neighborhood. Our planet.
Resources
“Cities are the platform for change in our world today. The Cool Block links the challenges facing our planet to the intimate, personal, social scale of the city block. This program starts and ends with the premise and promise—that the individual, household, and neighbors are the way forward in the face of seemingly insoluble global problems.”
