Taking Action

In my busy life, trying to run a business while keeping my husband, my dog and myself happy, I find it hard to be an activist. I am so active trying to make a living while enjoying my own life, the thought of getting politically involved is daunting. But I try to stay aware and be active when I can. I read the Globe every day (okay, I scan it and read the articles that interest me) and I read the Boston Business Journal each week (this one I actually read from cover to cover). I read the NY Times on the weekends, I subscribe to a few blogs and I get the David Suzuki and 350 newsletters.

Through these news outlets, I have become 'sort of' active and I have become aware of others that are much more active. My 'sort of' activeness began with No Impact Man when he made it easy to send a letter to his congressman and now I am getting involved with 1 Sky.

My business is all about promoting sustainable businesses and educating people about how to live a more sustainable life in our urban environment, so I am lucky in that my job is involved in the effort to help make our economy and our lives more sustainable.

This morning the Globe published a piece titled "Breaking a town from the center", written by Bill McKibben and Sue Halpern about how their little town in Vermont unified to keep their post office from closing down. This is a great story about how individuals can help make a difference. It is also an insight into how the commercial parts of our towns and cities are so important to our communities.

On my end, I am going to sign up with 1 Sky and see what I can do while my congressional representatives are home for the summer. I'm sure they'd love to hear from me during their summer vacation!