Vote Green at Elections
Voting environmentally-active representatives into government is our best way to ensure that government is working to protect the environment. We need more representatives at all levels working to create strong environmental legislation and curb environmental abuses. Get to know your representatives' positions on the environment and make sure that you take the time to learn about the environmental positions of any candidates for office. Good web sites to look at to learn more about the environmental records of existing politicians and candidates include the following:

• League of Conservation Voters: The independent political voice for the environment. Use the LCV 2007 National Environmental Scorecard to rate a representative or candidate. (See archives of LVC scores kept since they started in 1970!)
• League of Women Voters: Issue Focus: Global Climate Change
• Environment California: Citizen-based environmental advocacy (get a scorecard!)
• Grist's Compare the Candidates: 2008 Presidential Election analysis
  

Join Environmental Organizations
There are many amazing organizations dedicated to protecting the environment, preventing destruction of our national parks, maintaining and expanding open space, and keeping toxic environmental contaminants out of our food and drinking water. You can join these organizations and be a part of these efforts. Here are just a few that you should know about but there are hundreds of excellent groups to choose from.

• Sierra Club: Explore, enjoy and protect the planet
• Acterra: Action for a Sustainable Earth
• NRDC: The Earth's Best Defense (See the NRDC's 2008 Guide to Greener Living)
• League of Conservation Voters: A group founded by early environmental leaders
• Californians Against Waste: dedicated to conserving resources, preventing pollution and protecting California's environment
• National Wildlife Federation: Inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future

Support Environmental Non-Profits with your Donations
There are many groups, in addition to those already listed above, that do great things and can use your financial support to continue providing their services. Some of these are:

• Peninsula Open Space Trust (purchases open space to maintain the natural environment)
• Grist (provides environmental news and commentary)
• Ocean Conservancy (protects the world's oceans)
• World Wildlife Fund (protects endangered species around the world)
• Monterey Bay Acquarium (provides environmental education for children and families)
• Mid-Peninsular Regional Open Space District: (conserving open space for us all!)
• RecycleWorks (working to make a difference in the way we recycle)
  

Social Justice Non-Profits that address Environmental Inequality
When things get messy, it is often the vulnerable and weaker members of society that become subject to the worst environmental exposure. Now there are groups addressing environmental equality and social justice. We think these groups deserve our support in their fights to keep our garbage out of their yards. Some of these are:

• Ella Baker Center: Working to champion Green-Collar Job for the underprivileged
• WiserEarth (provides community and networking for NGO's and non-profits)

Invest Responsibly
More and more people are looking to invest their portfolios in accordance with their values, so as to support those companies that make products that are not harmful to health, that do not pollute and which are good corporate citizens. You can seek out socially responsible portfolio funds and you can elect to use a socially-reponsible filter for those portolios that you manage directly or indirectly. Some sources to check out include:

• Social Investment Forum: the only national membership association dedicated to advancing socially and environmentally responsible investing practices (SRI).
• Calvert Online: with a large array of socially responsible mutual fund products
• PaxFund: more socially responsible mutual funds
• Trillium Asset Management: a leader in socially responsible investing
• Tiemann Investment Advisors: a local investment manager that applies your own particular preferences to the design of your individually-managed portofio, without the need for mutual funds.