To Save the Climate, Start with Your Lawn

Individual actions are crucial to solving the climate crisis. This final blog post by Climate Policy Specialist Sadie Woodward, pictured above, looks at Ipswich River’s Lawn by Lawn Campaign and how our neighborhoods can help save the #EndangeredIpswich.

There are around 19,000 local governments in the United States. The vast majority (84%) are small towns with less than 10,000 residents, like many here in Northeastern Massachusetts. In small communities, it doesn’t take much to reach a tipping point. The changes we make in our neighborhoods are the ripples that can build up to waves of large-scale reform. 

As a former intern for Ed Markey’s reelection campaign, I experienced firsthand the importance of outreach in our communities. At each of my shifts for the campaign, organizers stressed the importance of contacting as many people as possible to get out the vote. My fellow interns and I were able to see Ed Markey reelected as the result of our work spreading the message to vote for our candidate. This showed me how important it is to get others involved, and how each person can make a difference by being a torch bearer of change.

One of the important asks we made of potential voters was to host a lawn sign in their yard. Being vocal about issues that matter to you is an important form of advocacy. If people went about their advocacy in silence, no one would know about the important change that you’re working towards. They would have no ability to join in with you. Many great things can happen when people spread the word: great leaders can be elected, critical resources can be preserved, and organizations can grow. 

When we show our values through actions and advocacy, we can amplify our impact. For a simple act, posting a lawn sign can make a big statement, and the more signs posted the more it will resonate. As marine biologist and policy expert Dr. Ayana Johnson says in her podcast “How to Save a Planet,” “Think about your actions as a form of communication, as an invitation for others to join you, then your action can lead to other actions that can actually lead to change.”

Our Lawn by Lawn campaign is a way for individuals to shape regional change while taking on the ground action in their own backyard. The campaign allows community members to take simple, specific actions to address climate change issues. It also allows them to easily spread the message and set an example for their neighbors. With enough people signing the pledge, we can make serious change in our individual communities and even throughout our state. This would help our watershed thrive and serve as one collection of actions that are working to protect our resources and our environment.

I invite our entire Ipswich River community to join me in making the pledge and hosting a lawn sign. By making the pledge to stop watering their lawns and to cease usage of any chemicals on their grass or gardens you’ll bring our community closer to our goal of saving 3.5 million gallons of water per week by Spring 2022. We don’t have to wait for global climate treaties to start saving water and making our communities more resilient.

Placing this sign on your lawn is a perfect example of personal advocacy. It is an easy but effective way to communicate your dedication to issues you care about. It is likely that there are others in your community that have similar concerns to yours, and if they see that you are taking action, they will be more motivated to take those actions themselves and spread the word even further.

-Sadie Woodward

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