Advance Praise for The Better World Handbook Wow! What an incredible resource! It reminds me that what people really want out of life is to make a difference and have some fun — and this book tells you how to both at the same time We in the Simplicity movement encourage people to buy less stuff, but books are exempt — particularly books like this! — Cecile Andrews, author of Slow is Beautiful: New Visions of Community, Leisure and Joie de Vivre Cynicism is the social disease of our age Cynicism is what passes for insight when courage and vision are lacking If there is such a thing as a single cure for cynicism, this book is it The Better World Handbook gives us a step-by-step “blueprint” for creating conscious global citizens It’s a manual for better living that you will find yourself using over and over again — Kevin Danaher, Cofounder, Global Exchange, and co-author of Insurrection: Citizen Challenges to Corporate Power This handbook helps you answer that age-old question, “What can I do?” — With the help of the handbook, it turns out you can easily a lot Buy it, share it or get it from the library But, most of all, use it to change our world for the better This is an impressive resource for people who want their everyday actions to reflect caring and compassion for the environment and others — Betsy Taylor, Executive Director, Center for a New American Dream An excellent look at issues we face and concrete actions — small and large — that we can take to address them The book also includes a large collection of useful resources — Paul Loeb, author of Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in a Cynical Time This is exactly the resource consumers need to help create a sustainable world The extensive background information and action steps are great tools for anyone looking for ways to make change happen now! — Alisa Gravitz, Executive Director, Co-op America People everywhere are hungry for meaning and purpose, wanting to make a difference, and be of service to something larger than themselves The Better World Handbook provides valuable information and resources to manifest these intentions into practical reality Keep a copy on your desk or reference shelf, and use it! — Michael Toms, CEO, New Dimensions Radio, and co-author of True Work: Doing What You Love and Loving What You Do We can make the world a better place and this book shows you how easy it is to really make a difference I highly recommend that you buy it, use it and enjoy what you can to help create positive change — Jeffrey Hollender, President, Seventh Generation, and author of Naturally Clean: The Seventh Generation Guide to Safe and Healthy Non-Toxic Cleaning The Better World Handbook provides a wealth of practical ideas for transforming our everyday activities of shopping, living, and working into an artful way of life that is more sustainable, just, and meaningful — Duane Elgin, author of Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich and Promise Ahead: A Vision of Hope and Action for Humanity’s Future The Revolution is not just around the corner, it’s around every corner I love this old saying because it captures the important truth highlighted in this inspiring book: The world can be changed through action in our everyday lives — where we spend our money, how we help out in our community, the ways we travel This practical, enjoyable handbook shows how small improvements can add up to a big difference in the world — Jay Walljasper, editor Ode Magazine and co-author of Visionaries: People and Ideas to Change Your Life andThe Great Neighborhood Book: A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Placemaking the better world HANDBOOK SMALL CHANGES THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE the better world HANDBOOK Ellis Jones • Ross Haenfler • Brett Johnson REVISED and UPDATED Cataloging in Publication Data: A catalog record for this publication is available from the National Library of Canada Copyright © 2007 by Ellis Jones, Ross Haenfler and Brett Johnson All rights reserved The authors will use their profits from the sale of this book to help maintain and develop The Better World Network, a nonprofit organization created to carry on the work this book has begun Contact the authors by visiting: www.betterworldhandbook.com or www.betterworldnetwork.org Cover concept: Ellis Jones Design: Diane McIntosh Image: iStock, Jan Stadelmyer Printed in Canada First printing January 2007 Paperback ISBN 13: 978-086571-575-2 Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part of The Better World Handbook should be addressed to New Society Publishers at the address below To order directly from the publishers, please call toll-free (North America) 1-800-567-6772, or order online at: www.newsociety.com Any other inquiries can be directed by mail to: New Society Publishers P.O Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada 1-800-567-6772 New Society Publishers’ mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to so with the least possible impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision We are committed to doing this not just through education, but through action We are acting on our commitment to the world’s remaining ancient forests by phasing out our paper supply from ancient forests worldwide This book is one step toward ending global deforestation and climate change It is printed on acid-free paper that is 100% old growth forest-free (100% post-consumer recycled), processed chlorine free, and printed with vegetable-based, low-VOC inks For further information, or to browse our full list of books and purchase securely, visit our website at: www.newsociety.com NEW SOCIETY PUBLISHERS www.newsociety.com CONTENTS Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Building A Better World The Cycle Of Cynicism The Cycle Of Hope The Ten Thought Traps The Seven Foundations Of A Better World Economic Fairness Comprehensive Peace Ecological Sustainability Deep Democracy Social Justice Simple Living Revitalized Community Actions For A Better World Money Banking Credit Cards Saving Investing Shopping What to Buy Who to Buy It From Better World Buying Guide Food Buying Groceries Eating Planting a Garden Personal Extraordinary Living Emotional Well-Being Physical Well-Being Reflection Friends & Family Building Strong Relationships Giving Gifts Children Community Neighborhood Local Community Community Issues Spirituality & Religion Spiritual Well-Being Faith In Action Religious and Spiritual Community Spiritual and Religious Groups Home Energy Water Trash Lawn and Garden Your Home Work Workplace Relationships Socially Responsible Workplace Finding Good Work Media Television Radio Magazines Newspapers Internet Politics Voting Getting Involved The Top Ten Issues List Transportation Walking Bicycling Public Transit Automobiles Travel Where to Go Where to Stay What to Do Extraordinary Travel Organizations Getting Involved Giving Finding Organizations Amazing Organizations The Best of the Rest The Top Ten Actions For A Better World Notes Action Checklist About The Authors Performance Expected in 2006” [online] [cited June 22, 2006] News release, March 2006 www.accenture.com/xd/xd.asp? it=enweb&xd=_dyn%5Cdynamicpressrelease_962.xml ORGANIZATIONS A Miranda “Solidarity.” In Voices from the WTO:an anthology of writing by the people who shut down the World Trade Organization in Seattle 1999, edited by Stephanie Guilloud Evergreen State College Bookstore, 2000, p 73 Independent Sector “Giving and Volunteering in the United States – Key Findings” [online] [viewed March 31, 2006] 2001 www.independentsector.org/programs/research/GV01main.html Rebecca Gardyn “Generosity and Income: For Americans, Those Who Earn the Least Money Tend to Give the Most Away” [online] [cited March 31, 2006] American Demographics, December 1, 2002 www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_11_24/ai_95309979 ACTION CHECKLIST MONEY BANKING Open an account at a socially responsible bank or credit union Write checks that state your values CREDIT CARDS Cut up your credit cards Donate money while using your credit card SAVING Create a budget Reduce your expenses INVESTING Invest in socially responsible stocks Invest in socially responsible mutual funds Invest in community development loan funds Invest your retirement in a socially responsible manner SHOPPING Resist the urge to go shopping Buy less stuff Treat workers with respect and courtesy WHAT TO BUY Buy used Buy durable and reuseable products Buy products with minimal packaging WHO TO BUY IT FROM Support locally-owned independent businesses Boycott irresponsible companies Let companies know how your feel Shop at home Buy products from socially responsible companies BUYING GUIDE FOOD BUYING GROCERIES Buy organic food Reduce food packaging by buying in bulk Bring your own cloth bags Support local growers and grocers Support socially responsible food companies EATING Prepare and eat food with others Support locally owned restaurants Eat less fast food Eat more fruits, vegetables, grains, and unprocessed foods Eat less meat PLANTING A GARDEN Plant an organic garden Be an urban gardener PERSONAL EXTRAORDINARY LIVING Don’t sweat the small stuff Think and live in color Live intentionally Commit to a creative life Conquer your fears Slow down and live in the moment Own less stuff Treat others as humans, not as objects Be the change you wish to see in the world Live passionately Expand your circle of compassion EMOTIONAL WELL BEING Forgive yourself Manage your stress Seek help when you need it PHYSICAL WELL BEING Exercise regularly Get enough sleep Eat healthily REFLECTION Keep a journal Step out of your comfort zone Examine your stereotypes Reconnect with nature Reconsider your priorities Write a personal mission statement FRIENDS AND FAMILY BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS Make time for loved ones a priority Check in Practice deep listening Resolve conflicts collaboratively Give unconditional love and support Share housework and childcare fairly Forgive others GIVING GIFTS Get creative with gifts Donate money in someone else’s name Buy socially responsible gifts Simplify the holidays CHILDREN Limit your number of children Adopt Be a foster parent Share babysitting Spend quality time with your childr Be a mentor Express affection Discipline children nonviolently Teach caring and giving Model flexible gender roles Teach an appreciation of diversity Teach the difference between wants and needs Choose childcare that supports your values Limit TV watching Choose alternatives to being glued to the screen Talk with your kids about TV Choose alternatives to violent toys and video games COMMUNITY NEIGHBORHOOD Put down roots Get to know your neighbors Help your neighbors and ask for their help Organize a neighborhood event Plant a tree LOCAL COMMUNITY Participate in community organizations Volunteer in a soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or food pantry Volunteer at your local animal shelter Help Habitat For Humanity build homes Get involved in your local schools Decommercialize your schools Create safe schools Support local arts and culture Participate in local, county, regional and statewide community events Get involved in your sister city program COMMUNITY ISSUES Stop urban sprawl Advocate for affordable housing Advocate for a community living wage Advocate for increased school funding SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING Center yourself Foster your spiritual cor Practice gratitude Practice religious tolerance Learn about other religions and spiritualities Read a book of wisdom FAITH IN ACTION Live your life as a prayer Feed, clothe and house the poor Reclaim “morality” Start a peace and justice group in your spiritual community Join a progressive religious group Join or create a spiritual study group Cherish diversity in your spiritual community Make your religious facility environmentally friendly Form coalitions with other faiths Resist McDonaldized religion HOME ENERGY Use your appliances efficiently and buy efficient appliances Weatherize your home Light your home efficiently Contact your local utility company to perform an energy audit Buy clean power WATER Install faucet aerators and low-flow showerheads Transform your toilet into a water miser Use environmentally friendly cleaners and laundry detergents TRASH Reduce your junk mail Recycle Compost your kitchen scraps and yard waste Properly dispose of household hazardous waste LAWN & GARDEN Xeriscape your lawn and garden Use a manual or electric lawn mower Don’t bag your grass clippings Avoid buying unnecessary power tools YOUR HOME Live close to work Live in a smaller home Arrange your furniture to encourage conversation Grow household plants Sign up with a socially responsible long distance, wireless and Internet service Give away your clutter Consciously choose your community Remodel with green materials WORK Limit your work time Take your lunch to work WORKPLACE RELATIONSHIPS Avoid gossip Appreciate everyone in your workplace Get to know your coworkers outside of work Set up a workplace carpool Make people from diverse backgrounds feel welcome SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE WORKPLACE Participate in workplace charitable giving Organize around community service Know your rights as an employee Support your fellow employees Confront injustices in the workplace Green your workplace Value people over profit Work to make your company more socially/environmentally responsible FINDING GOOD WORK Choose a fulfilling job Use your current job skills to improve the world Work for justice MEDIA TELEVISION Watch less TV Watch and support non-commercial television RADIO Listen to and support your communityand public radio stations Tune in to alternative radio programs MAGAZINES Read alternative magazines NEWSPAPERS Read and recycle your local newspaper Write a letter to the editor INTERNET Get connected to progressive web sites Join an inspiring email action list Subscribe to some informative podcasts POLITICS VOTING Register to vote Seek out good information before each election Create your own voting strategy Vote Help others vote GETTING INVOLVED Join a party that reflects your values Stay informed Contact your representatives Speak powerfully TRANSPORTATION Use the slowest form of transportation that is practical Go on a daily walk BICYCLING Use your bike for commuting and errands PUBLIC TRANSIT Use public transit for commuting and errands Take a bus Take a train AUTOMOBILES Set concrete goals for reducing driving Be a considerate driver Maintain your car in good running condition Drive moderately Carpool Fuel up responsibly Buy a used car Choose a low emission, fuel-efficient car TRAVEL WHERE TO GO Explore your own backyard Experience nature Visit state and national parks Travel off-season to unknown places WHERE TO STAY Stay with the locals Stay in a hostel Stay at a bed & breakfast Exchange your home WHAT TO DO Connect with the locals Limit your vacation trinkets Support local economies Use alternative transportation EXTRAORDINARY TRAVEL Study abroad Take a reality tour Take an eco-tour Combine service and travel Take a personal growth vacation ORGANIZATIONS GETTING INVOLVED Join an organization you care about Participate in an organization you care about Volunteer for an organization you care about GIVING Donate money based on your values Set up a giving budget Put an organization in your will FINDING ORGANIZATIONS Support organizations that create long-term social change Support local organizations ABOUT THE AUTHORS ELLIS JONES, PH.D., currently teaches in the department of sociology at the University of California, Davis and is the founder of The Better World Network, a nonprofit dedicated to the democratization of activism to create a more just and sustainable world Ellis leads workshops around the country on global social responsibility and the translation of lofty ideals about saving the world into sustainable, effective, everyday actions His other works include The Better World Shopping Guide: Every Dollar Makes A Difference (New Society Publishers, 2006) ROSS HAENFLER, PH.D., is a sociology professor at the University of Mississippi where he teaches Social Movements, Political Sociology, and Men and Masculinities His book Straight Edge: Clean Living Youth, Hardcore Punk, and Social Change (Rutgers, 2006) is the first in-depth study of the straight edge scene As a member of the Mennonite Church, Ross has been part of many social movements He loves hiking and backpacking, vegetarian cooking and listening to many kinds of music BRETT JOHNSON, PH.D., is a sociology professor at Luther College He teaches courses in the areas of social conflict, social movements, environmental studies, research methods, statistics and political economy He has most extensively studied the US Voluntary Simplicity movement He loves singing and playing acoustic guitar He lives in Decorah, Iowa with his wife, Jen, and their children, Ben and Katie ... Ideas to Change Your Life andThe Great Neighborhood Book: A Do-it-Yourself Guide to Placemaking the better world HANDBOOK SMALL CHANGES THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE the better world HANDBOOK Ellis... the world For example, average life expectancy has significantly increased in many areas of the “developing” world, including the Arab States, South Asia, East Asia, and Latin America.28 There are... amazing partner Jennifer (Skadi) Snook; my mother Ruth and brother Brad My father Duane and step-mom Carolyn Grandpa and Grandma Burfeindt; Grandpa and Grandma Haenfler; and the rest of my family