Description
If you want to make a significant and sustainable impact on the health of our planet, this powerful and practical guide can help. Author and activist Sharon J. Smith shares proven strategies and lessons learned from the winners of Earth Island Institute’s Brower Youth Awards-America’s top honor for young green leaders. Here are all the tools you need-from planning a campaign and recruiting supporters to raising money and attracting media attention-to turn your ideas into actions and make changes that matter. All author proceeds from the sale of this book go to Earth Island Institute’s Brower Youth Awards to support the next generation of young activists. Sharon J. Smith is an organizer and trainer in the environmental, global justice, peace, and human rights movements, and program advisor for Earth Island Institute’s Brower Youth Awards. She has worked with student networks to achieve landmark environmental victories in the logging and finance sectors and has trained thousands of youth in advocacy for social change. She lives in New Haven, Connecticut. vii Foreword by julia butterfly hill ix Acknowledgments x Contributors 1 Introduction: If You Want to Go Far, Go Together 5 01 FIND YOUR PASSION How to Join the Environmental Movement 15 02 CREATE AN ACTION PLAN Set Your Goals and Choose Your Tactics 33 03 BUILD A GREEN MOVEMENT Recruit People to Your Cause 51 04 SPREAD YOUR MESSAGE Communicate Your Passion 71 05 POLITICS How to Lobby Politicians, Pass Legislation, and Run for Office 94 06 CORPORATE CAMPAIGNS Use Your Consumer Power to Green Businesses 109 07 PROTEST WITH POWER How and When to Hold a Demonstration 125 08 MAKE MEDIA HEADLINES Use Traditional and New Media for Publicity 143 09 GROW THE GREEN How to Ask for (and Get!) Financial Support 167 10 GREEN YOUR CAMPUS Ideas to Create a More Sustainable School 194 11 CHANGE THE WORLD Define Your Future in the Green Movement 210 Index
