Among all the sad environmental and climate news there is always some uplifting news of an organization or individuals that are working hard to make a difference.   People are taking action, and that matters, because everything people do for the environment helps.  You are probably aware of many groups in the U.S. and internationally, such as Friends of the Earth, World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace, 350.org, and 1Sky, just to name a few.  They all have varying degrees of activity and things going on at any given time, but many of their actions involve raising awareness or civil disobedience, (which isn’t something many people are willing to do).  An organization based in Canada recently contacted us, with a different philosophy of action and empowerment. They are called One Change and they have a proven record of changing awareness into action. Below is an introduction to their organization. They are based in Canada but they do things in the United States as well.  A current campaign they are carrying out in New Jersey is  Project Porchlight.  The main website for One Change is here.  “Simple Actions Matter”.

There’s a common notion that awareness causes action, that doing what is good automatically follows from knowing what is good. But this logic doesn’t hold when people feel that their actions make no difference. Sadly, most people have come to see the critical economic and environmental challenges we face today as too big, too complex to do anything about.

But disempowerment often masks a deep longing for change. In fact, the desire to participate in solutions to global problems is nearly universal. The real issue for most people is “What can I do?” In other words, it’s not just about awareness – it’s about believing that simple actions matter.

One Change tips awareness into action by making simple first steps accessible to all people and by strengthening and connecting diverse communities – particularly those that have been ignored or excluded by mainstream environmentalism, politics and economics. Indeed, we need to empower citizens from every area of society and from across the political spectrum to tackle the twin challenges of climate change and economic disparity. One Change harnesses the power of social marketing and community-based outreach to do just that.

Through a complete social marketing initiative including door-to-door deliveries of an environmental tool, community events, retail partnerships, educational web sites, social media, media outreach activities, hands-on engagement pieces and celebrity endorsements, we’re able to spread the message of protecting the environment and saving money neighbor to neighbor. By using these creative tactics and engaging and mobilizing volunteers, community groups and leaders we’re able to create lasting positive behavior change.

To date, One Change has engaged and trained over 12,000 volunteers in over 900 communities across Canada and the United States to deliver over 3 million energy efficient light bulbs and tire gauges. You can join the network of thousands of volunteers all across North America by visiting our [...]