I have noticed over the years that for the most part, people are pretty receptive about suggestions to make their lives greener. Some people may believe that if they don’t buy a Toyota Prius then they aren’t doing enough. While large lifestyle changes are very beneficial, there are a lot of small changes that ordinary citizens can make to green up their lives as well as their community.

When I was in college my one professor, Dennis Johnson, told our class a story. He told us that one day he was walking across campus when he saw a piece of paper tumbling across the lawn. He then saw our president who was going in the opposite direction, walk out of his way to pick up the paper and throw it in the garbage can. He told us that if the president did not feel that picking up garbage was beneath him, than he had no reason to as well. This small act is something that I try to do on a daily basis. You would be surprised how many strangers walk up to me and thank me after throwing a piece of garbage away. This act is something that everyone can do and is a great way of spreading the idea of sustainability in your local community.

To pass the time until I find a full time position in sustainability consulting I have taken a part time job at a retail store. After working there for some time I became familiar enough with my bosses and coworkers that they knew all about my passion for the environment. I noticed that there wasn’t any sort of recycling program at the store. I went to my boss to ask if there was a reason for this and was told that they just didn’t think of it, but would be open to any ideas that I had. That is a common response that I have heard from people, they don’t think that such a small act of recycling will amount to anything, when in fact it is small acts that can have the largest impact.

One of the biggest hurdles that we have to jump is to make these changes the norm. If you are able to purchase wind credits to offset your electric bill then great, but if you are not able to, don’t think that your contribution is any less meaningful.  It is going to take small steps in the beginning to make large leaps later. Margaret Mead put it best when she said, “Never doubt that a small group of dedicated people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”