| Action | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Installing a Rain Barrel | Palo Alto - Cistern Rebate |
The City of Palo Alto Public Works Department offers a number of Storm Water Rebates: An underground or above-ground cistern is a large tank that holds significantly more water than a rain barrel; a cistern is usually equipped with an electric pump for connection to an automated landscape irrigation system; rebates of 15 cents/gal up to $1,000 are available. |
| Eating Lower On the Food Chain | LA - Food Policy Council |
This webpage has a plethora of links to resources that will help you eat good food. Learn about “good food” issues. Eat seasonal, locally-grown and raised foods. Shop local. Grow your own food! |
| 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. |
| Achieving Maximum Energy Efficiency | PG&E Rebate Programs |
Save energy, costs and time with rebate programs from PG&E. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Sharing Tools with Neighbors | SF - Shareable SF |
Check out San Francisco's "Shareable" page, to find resources for sharing cars, food and all kinds of things. |
| 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.”
