The Young Activist's Guide to Building a Green Movement and Changing the World

CONTENTS......Page 7
FOREWORD......Page 10
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 15
CONTRIBUTORS......Page 18
INTRODUCTIONIF YOU WANT TO GO FAR, GO TOGETHER......Page 20
THE BROWER YOUTH AWARDS......Page 24
FROM PASSION TO ACTION......Page 27
BookmarkTitle:......Page 30
GET EDUCATED......Page 50
NEXT STOP: CREATE AN ACTION PLAN......Page 54
RESOURCES......Page 55
BookmarkTitle:......Page 58
BUILD YOUR CORE TEAM......Page 60
DRAFT YOUR ACTION PLAN......Page 62
Goals: Dreams with a Deadline......Page 68
Decision Makers......Page 74
Message: Know Your Audience......Page 79
Strategy......Page 82
Key Players: Your Friends, Your Soon-to-Be Friends, and the Thorns in Your Side......Page 85
Tactics: Going Public......Page 89
Timeline: Working Backward......Page 95
NEXT STOP: BUILD A GREEN MOVEMENT......Page 99
RESOURCES......Page 101
BookmarkTitle:......Page 103
STARTING A GROUP FROM SCRATCH......Page 105
THE KICKOFF MEETING......Page 109
Get the Word Out......Page 110
Tips for a Successful Kickoff Meeting......Page 115
Meeting Follow-Up......Page 125
Recruit and Retain Volunteers......Page 127
Host Trainings......Page 130
1. ESTABLISH YOUR GOAL.......Page 132
2. FIND THE RIGHT TRAINER(S).......Page 133
3. ORGANIZE YOUR LOGISTICS.......Page 134
4. RECRUIT, RECRUIT, RECRUIT.......Page 135
5. TRAIN AWAY.......Page 136
6. DEBRIEF AND THANKS.......Page 137
Be Organized......Page 139
Challenge Oppression......Page 140
Foster Coalitions......Page 144
Evaluate Your Progress......Page 148
NEXT STOP: SPREAD YOUR MESSAGE......Page 151
RESOURCES......Page 152
BookmarkTitle:......Page 153
Tell a Story......Page 158
Explain Your Issue......Page 161
Inspire Your Audience......Page 163
DEVELOP YOUR ELEVATOR PITCH......Page 167
EVENTS TO SPREAD YOUR MESSAGE......Page 171
STEP 1: GET THE FILM.......Page 176
STEP 2: FIGURE OUT THE LOGISTICS.......Page 177
STEP 4: SPREAD THE WORD.......Page 179
STEP 5: HOST AN INSPIRING EVENT.......Page 180
STEP 6: MOBILIZE THE CROWD.......Page 181
STEP 1: FIND OR DRAFT YOUR LESSON PLAN.......Page 182
STEP 2: FIND A SCHOOL AND TEACHER.......Page 183
STEP 3: PRACTICE YOUR DELIVERY.......Page 184
STEP 4: WOW THE KIDS.......Page 185
STEP 5: DEBRIEF YOUR VISIT.......Page 186
Green Tours and Toxic Tours......Page 190
STEP 2: BRAINSTORM YOUR STOPS.......Page 194
STEP 3: DETERMINE GOALS FOR EACH STOP.......Page 196
STEP 4: GET PERMISSION.......Page 197
STEP 5: DO A RUN-THROUGH OF THE TOUR.......Page 198
STEP 6: ADVERTISE FOR THE TOUR(S).......Page 199
STEP 8: WANT TO TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER.......Page 200
Speaker Series and Debates......Page 204
STEP 1: SET YOUR GOALS AND BRAINSTORM POTENTIAL SPEAKERS.......Page 205
STEP 2: LOGISTICS.......Page 207
STEP 3: GET A COMMITMENT.......Page 208
STEP 4: TREAT YOUR SPEAKERS LIKE GOLD.......Page 209
STEP 5: RUN A GREAT EVENT.......Page 210
NEXT STOP: POLITICS......Page 212
RESOURCES......Page 213
BookmarkTitle:......Page 215
LOBBYING......Page 223
Phone Calls, Letter-Writing Pushes, and Email Blasts......Page 231
STEP 1: CHOOSE YOUR TACTIC.......Page 232
STEP 2: ADVERTISE WHEN AND WHERE.......Page 234
STEP 3: DRAFT A SCRIPT OR SAMPLE TEXT.......Page 235
STEP 4: HOLD THE TARGET ACCOUNTABLE.......Page 236
Visits to Policy Makers......Page 241
STEP 1: SCHEDULE THE MEETING.......Page 242
STEP 2: PREPARE FOR THE MEETING.......Page 243
STEP 3: EXECUTE A GREAT MEETING.......Page 244
STEP 4. FOLLOW UP AFTER THE MEETING.......Page 248
Bird-dogging......Page 253
Public Hearings......Page 255
STEP 1: DRAFT YOUR RESOLUTION.......Page 259
STEP 2: BUILD SUPPORT.......Page 260
STEP 3: GET A CITY COUNCIL ALLY.......Page 261
STEP 4: SPEAK OUT CONFIDENTLY.......Page 262
GETTING OUT THE VOTE......Page 264
STEPPING INTO OFFICE......Page 270
NEXT STOP: CORPORATE CAMPAIGNS......Page 280
RESOURCES......Page 281
BookmarkTitle:......Page 284
GO AFTER THE BIG BRANDS......Page 289
THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL......Page 297
STEP 1: CHOOSE YOUR COMPANY.......Page 298
STEP 2: SET YOUR DEMANDS.......Page 300
STEP 3: WHO’S YOUR TARGET.......Page 301
STEP 4: MAKE CONTACT.......Page 304
MOSQUITO IN THE TENT......Page 308
Sign-on Letters......Page 310
Sever Business Ties......Page 311
Shareholder Activism......Page 313
Culture Jamming and Subvertising......Page 315
Adopt a Store......Page 316
Not in Our Backyard......Page 317
CREATE A GREEN ECONOMY......Page 321
NEXT STOP: PROTEST WITH POWER......Page 324
RESOURCES......Page 325
BookmarkTitle:......Page 328
WHEN TO PROTEST......Page 337
Demonstrations......Page 341
Illustrate Your Cause......Page 364
NEXT STOP: MAKE MEDIA HEADLINES......Page 369
RESOURCES......Page 371
BookmarkTitle:......Page 373
CRAFTING YOUR STORY AND CHOOSING YOUR AUDIENCE......Page 378
Frame Your Story......Page 379
Know Your Audience......Page 380
TIP 1: KNOW YOUR STUFF.......Page 381
TIP 2: STAND OUT.......Page 383
TIP 3: MAKE IT PERSONAL.......Page 384
TIP 4: MAKE IT TIMELY.......Page 386
GETTING YOUR STORY HEARD FAR AND WIDE......Page 387
Build Your Media List......Page 388
Prep Your Materials......Page 393
Pitch It and Follow Through......Page 397
Prepare for the Interview......Page 400
Debrief and Share the Piece......Page 406
NEW MEDIA......Page 408
Blogging......Page 410
Twitter......Page 414
Social Networking Sites......Page 415
Videos and Podcasting......Page 418
NEXT STOP: GROW THE GREEN......Page 420
RESOURCES......Page 421
BookmarkTitle:......Page 424
FUNDRAISING MADE EASY......Page 427
Making the Ask: Who?......Page 430
Making the Ask: Where?......Page 431
Making the Ask: How?......Page 433
Still Afraid to Ask for Money?......Page 443
Foundations......Page 446
Government Funding......Page 450
Corporate Donors......Page 451
Fundraising Events......Page 455
STARTING YOUR OWN NONPROFIT......Page 464
FISCAL SPONSORSHIP......Page 467
FUNDING FOR COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS......Page 473
Revolving Loan Funds (RLFs)......Page 479
Alumni Groups......Page 483
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE......Page 485
NEXT STOP: GREEN YOUR CAMPUS......Page 487
RESOURCES......Page 488
BookmarkTitle:......Page 492
WORKING WITH CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS......Page 501
Dealing with Obstacles......Page 505
GREENING YOUR FACILITIES......Page 508
Audit Your School’s Energy Usage......Page 510
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Systems......Page 512
Reducing Water Use......Page 517
Greening Your Buildings......Page 520
Recycling Campus Waste......Page 524
Use Nontoxic Products......Page 528
Buy Eco-Friendly Products......Page 530
SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION: IN THE CLASSROOM AND OUTDOORS......Page 536
Environmental Education......Page 537
Recreation: Get Outside Already!......Page 541
FOOD......Page 544
Eat Real Food......Page 545
Plant a Campus Garden......Page 549
Compost......Page 552
Think Outside the Bottle......Page 553
TRANSPORTATION......Page 555
Go Biodiesel......Page 556
Ban Idling Buses......Page 561
NEXT STOP: CHANGE THE WORLD......Page 563
RESOURCES......Page 564
BookmarkTitle:......Page 568
Attend Green Events......Page 570
AGRICULTURE......Page 573
CLIMATE CHANGE AND GREEN ENERGY......Page 574
ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS......Page 575
CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES......Page 576
ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURE WRITING......Page 577
ORGANIZING AND MOVEMENT BUILDING......Page 578
See a Movie......Page 580
GET MENTORS......Page 583
GET TRAINED......Page 586
GET NETWORKED......Page 592
GET RECOGNIZED......Page 596
TURN YOUR PASSION INTO A CAREER......Page 600
YOUR FUTURE AND THE FATE OF THE PLANET......Page 611