The Memphis-Shelby County Office of Sustainability is launching a new initiative to advance its ongoing efforts to create a sustainable community.
A five-month campaign, We Sustain Shelby encourages Memphis and Shelby County residents to complete actions that are designed to help cut energy and water use, reduce waste and be better stewards of the environment.
The program is more than providing information on ways to create a sustainable community. The Web-based program speaks to the competitive nature of Memphians.
Each week through June three to four new actions will be revealed. Participants will earn points for each action completed and continuous campaign participation.
Prizes for action completion will be awarded weekly, and participants will be entered into a drawing for a grand prize to be announced after the campaign’s conclusion June 24.
“We don’t expect people to go completely out of the way,” said John Zeanah, Administrator of the Memphis-Shelby County Office of Sustainability. “That’s not the message. We want these actions to be small behavior changes that won’t just be that one week but as people take these actions and participate in these behaviors they can see these changes are small but easily can become routine.”
The weekly action items will fall within one of five themes: energy, water, waste, nature and health.
“We are constantly working to spread awareness on how residents can adopt more sustainable practices and habits,” Zeanah said.
Participants can sign up on the website,
www.wesustainshelby.com. Examples of actions are dining at a Project Green Fork restaurant, properly inflating car tires or weather-stripping a home.
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