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Ideas for a Go Green Group

The time to take care of the Earth is now. With global warming on the rise, garbage piling up in landfills and the oceans carrying a coating of oil, going green and preserving the environment is more important than ever. Small groups of people can make a difference, and by forming an activist Go Green group, you can change the world, one mind at a time, through helpful, informative projects.

Cleanup Day
- By cleaning up litter, you can inspire others to be responsible with their garbage.
  
  Litter can collect at a beach, in a park or along the side of a highway, turning a scenic spot into a garbage-strewn mess, so gather the members of a Go Green group and sponsor a cleanup of local areas. Provide members with garbage bags for collecting waste and plastic gloves to keep their hands free of dirt and germs. Encourage members to gather up as much waste as they can. Consider offering prizes to those who collect the most garbage or give awards in crazy categories, like "weirdest piece of trash," to give everyone a good laugh after their hard work.
Clothing Drive
- Dig through closets and find new homes for clothes that might otherwise be trashed.
  
  Every year, people throw away usable clothing or let garments gather dust in closets, and, according to Waste Online, more than 1 million tons of clothes are discarded around the world each year. Go Green groups can work to gather and redistribute some of these items through a clothing drive, simultaneously preventing waste and providing clothing to those in need. Ask friends, neighbors and classmates for unwanted items, and organize with local charities to find a suitable donation place. Consider having people bring clothes with them to a local event, like a play or basketball game, where a pre-established drop-off point will allow them to donate their items easily.
Sponsor a Vegetarian Meal
- After trying good vegetarian cooking, people often change their minds about eating meat.
  
  Though it may be tasty, meat takes a toll on the environment. For instance, 70 percent of rain-forest land previously covered by forest is now pastures for cows, and livestock accounts for 9 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions, according to Green Living Tips. Although you may think vegetarian food is unappetizing, it's actually quite appealing when prepared properly. Organize a vegetarian food celebration by giving people free samples, educating them about the effects meat has on the planet and giving away miniature recipe booklets full of Earth-friendly ideas for good meals. Ask local farms and grocery stores for food donations and thank sponsors in the back of the recipe booklet.
Bicycle Awareness
- Organize a bike ride to promote emissions-free forms of transport.
  
  Cars and the environment are a bad mix. With an automobile's toxic emissions and tendency to gulp gasoline, cars are a drain on the Earth. Because of the onset of global warming, alternate forms of transport become more important each day. Sponsor a "celebration of the bicycle" to get people out from behind the wheel. Organize a ride through town to promote bicycle awareness and lead free classes to teach participants biking safety, educating them about all aspects of bike-riding, from helmets to reflectors. Organize petitions to request that local officials install more bicycle paths and lanes as well as laws to make cycling safer.

Nature