Help elpasonaturally turn the El Paso Southwest “green” and create a model for change in communities everywhere
Since 2008 I have written a blog, elpasonaturally.com. Its slogan is “Helping to create a greener, more sustainable and resilient City of El Paso.” “elpasonaturally” has become a source of information about environmental and conservation causes in the El Paso area. Along with the efforts of other conservation groups it has had some but limited impact on making El Paso “greener”. We have preserved 800 acres of land in its natural state and in perpetuity. We have procured a regular source of water for a key wetlands along the Rio Grande. We have made the city more accountable with its care of trees. We have prevented a trash collection site being built next to a wildlife habitat and archaeological site. However, our defeats way outnumber our victories. It’s one step forward and two back. Too often it seems that we are just preaching to the choir and not expanding our base, influence and information network.
It’s not just a battle against large corporations and companies, the powerful Builders Association that dominates City Council and the City Plan Commission, or 90% of the development community that prefers endless sprawl over infill or smarter planning. It’s a battle to change the anti-environmental culture of the city. It’s a struggle about values. Do we love our beautiful Chihuahuan Desert with its rich biodiversity or do we want to keep gouging our mountains so that builders and city and state transportation authorities can overuse rock in our medians and contractors can overuse cement in our landscaping rather than practice xeriscaping. We must win hearts and minds as well as organize resistance, change city codes and ordinances and spawn a green culture. Having an outreach to inform, educate and empower is going to take time, labor and additional resources. It needs to be fulltime dedication. With your assistance elpasonaturally will:
• Be a 24/7 environmental advocate.
• Build an elpasonaturally website for investigative news, commentary, blogs, information about environmental issues and green living in the El Paso southwest.
• Prepare online educational resources.
• Organize a network of activists to work for a greener El Paso Southwest.
• Field and actively support candidates who support environmental causes.
• Keep other local media informed about environmental issues.
• Grow an effective social media presence.
• Create a model of environmental advocacy that can be used in communities everywhere.
Whether you live in the El Paso Southwest or somewhere else, please help elpasonaturally accomplish its objectives which will ultimately provide a model of community environmental activism and advocacy that can successfully help others everywhere create towns and cities more integrated with and responsible for the natural world that we all share.
Please help elpasonaturally reach its goal.
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