Ecological Citizenship

What does it mean to be an ecological citizen? In this age of complex environmental and social issues, there is a strong need for engaged citizenship. And to really solve some of the more challenging problems, we need to extend our understanding of "our community" to include more than just our current human neighbors. Ecological citizenship asks to to widen our circle of identity, to recognize that the black oak trees, the Merced River, the Miwok elders, and the cutthroat trout are all essential members of our community.Know your watershed - walk it from end to end, sleep outside once a week, talk daily with your next door neighbor - these are also radical acts of revolution.What is your level of ecological citizenship? Here is a brief "quiz" from the Yosemite Green Living Forum to explore how aware you are of your wider community. Take time to answer these questions - if you don't know the answers, find out. This is your first step towards local, ecological activism.

1. Trace your last meal to its source.
2. Point to the moon right now.
3. What was the last direct contact you had with the local indigenous community?
4. Who is your representative in the House?
5. What food can be grown outdoors in your garden right now?
6. How much time do you spend each week walking? Biking? Driving?
7. Where was your drinking water yesterday? Tomorrow?
8. Did your neighbors vote?
9. How healthy is the water in watershed in which you grew up?
10. If you could enact one simple new law to promote ecological citizenship in our community what would it be?