One Positive Action Can Create A Movement!

This cat wants to cough up a hairball every time she sees a negative environmental story. Sure, we need the warnings, but hearing all of these negative stories can result in a feeling of impending doom that has the potential to lead to sleeping 20 hours a day instead of taking small steps (or any steps) toward saving the planet.

I much prefer positive stories. This is why I was excited to stumble across the idea of EcoTipping Points! There is an entire website devoted to positive actions taken by various communities.

WHACK FACT: EcoTipping Points represent small positive actions that can serve as the change, or tipping point, from destruction to restoration and sustainability of natural and societal systems.

There has been a lot of study on this idea, and the website gives over 100 real-life examples of projects that have turned ecosystems and communities around in a positive, sustainable way.

There are stories from around the world here, and a few of my favorites from the US/Canada/Pacific Northwest include:

Mosaic, which allows people to invest small amounts (starting at $25) in community-based solar projects and potentially receive large returns.

Whistler 2020, a community planning effort that is aiming to stop uncontrolled growth in Whistler, BC and become a sustainable community, which has resulted in awards and other communities wanting to follow in their footsteps.

Flexcar, a car-sharing company based in Portland, Oregon, which aims to reduce the total number of cars by increasing the productivity and use of existing cars (thus reducing the need for extra parking and road infrastructure, as well as resources needed to produce the cars themselves).

If more of these stories make their way into the world, maybe more people will be inspired to take small actions that just might be EcoTipping Points, and maybe we’ll make it out alive after all!

Are there potential projects in your own community where small efforts may lead to big sustainable changes? Learning from the success stories from other communities and understanding where their small actions resulted in change may help individuals understand how they too can start small and have impressive results. Share your ideas in the comments below and see if you can get started in finding your community’s own tipping point to sustainability!