'How I Save the Earth...a Little Every Day'

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7. We're Turning a Parkway Green

Michelle Vanstrom, Youngstown, NY

Parkway as it looks now.

I am working with the Niagara Frontier Wildlife Habitat Council and the Niagara Heritage Partnership toward creating a genuine, non-motorized greenway from Niagara Falls, N.Y. to Lewiston, N.Y. Our proposal advocates the removal of all four lanes of the Robert Moses Parkway (approximately 6.5 miles of pavement), which is duplicated by two other state roads.

If landscape is restored.

The goal is to reclaim the natural environment in order to protect and provide for unique native flora and fauna, old growth forest, and small ancient trees; to incorporate hiking and biking trails to encourage eco-tourism, heritage tourism, and cultural tourism by honoring Native American and African American historic sites.

8. I'm Teaching My Child About Nature

Shana Gibson, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Mikala discovers nature.

I’ve always had a love affair with nature, but now that I have a child, I am spending a lot of pondering time in it. In walks to the park I feel a sense of enchantment, awakened by my daughter’s wonder. We explore flowers, trees and rocks. After our outings, I feel peaceful, connected, and refreshed. She leaves with a smile on her face and a calm that silently bonds us. I am starting to understand the deep impact nature has, and the responsibility I carry with my choices. I have recently started using environmental diapers, recycling diligently, and buying natural products. I also joined the David Suzuki nature challenge. I don’t want to lose my connection to earth; and I see that in making conscious choices, I can help my daughter understand that in nourishing the earth; we are in turn nourishing ourselves.

9. My Group Recycles Computers

Andy Vass,  Northbrook, IL

My foundation, Technology for Humanity (technologyforhumanity.org), brings access to technology to underserved communities while helping the environment by recycling. We focus on minorities and people with disabilities. We accept donations of working Pentium 2 or later computers, monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards and mice. We have two tag lines: "A mouse in every house" and "Machines you can write off, people you can’t."  We help build self-esteem and skills in underserved communities and also keep computers and monitors out of landfills.  

10. I Ditched the Car

Marvin Klinger, Denver, CO

In 1977 when I moved from Milwaukee, WI to Chicago, IL, I became keenly aware of how much pollution was caused by cars.  A brown cloud would begin forming over the city on Monday and would reach its peak in density by Friday.  It then would thin out during the weekend when people did less driving.  So I decided to get rid of my car that year and began to strictly use public transportation.  I became so oriented to not having my own car that I have not owned one since.  I have lived in three other large cities since Chicago, including my present home of Denver, CO, and in each made the conscious choice to forego the ownership of a car and to use only public transportation.