Welcome
This resource guide is provided by Green Iowa AmeriCorps, a non-profit community service organization serving in Black Hawke County and Linn County in Iowa. This guide provides tips and information about green living in Iowa.
Why should I go green?
The most apparent reason to go green is, of course, due to environmental concerns. We all live on the same earth and require its resources for our survival. Sustaining an environment that is hospitable to future generations--of plants, animals and people--is in everyone's best interest. At our current rates of consumption, there is simply not enough oil, nor enough coal, nor potable water, nor forested area, etc. to sustain the kind of lifestyles to which we are accustomed. Earth's population is expected to double by 2053, and on top of this, more and more people are beginning to live lives of high consumption. As more countries become more wealthy and developed, their consumption increases. This puts further strain on our resources. In addition to the depletion of essential resources, many industries, power plants and modes of transportation, burn fossil fuels, and emit pollutants and greenhouse gases that put strain our atmosphere, and lead to unnatural global climate change. With so many environmental concerns, there is a real need for people in developed countries that use the most resources to look at more sustainable ways of living.
In addition to helping the environment, going green can also help you save money. Many new "eco" products are available these days, but being green isn't about buying a bunch of new stuff; it's about reducing consumption. When you use less energy, you burn less coal, but your energy bills are also lower. When you buy used clothes instead of new, you are helping the environment, but you are also spending less money. When you use less and consume less, you spend less. So why not go green?
How can I get started?
This website is broken into three categories:
1) Green Living Tips: Here you will find information about easy ways to save resources and help the planet in your own home and daily life.
2) Cedar Rapids* Resource Guide: This section includes more specific information about local resources, such as how, where and what to recycle, where to find local food, and much more.
3) How to Get Involved: One of the best things you can do for the environment is to be active in your community and get others to think about their consumption habits and practices. Here is a list of the various environmental and community groups and organizations already at work locally, with information about how you can help out.
* A similar guide for Cedar Falls is available here, and has been compiled by the Center for Energy & Environmental Education at the University of Northern Iowa.