Top 12 New Year’s resolutions for a happier, healthier, greener, more sustainable Long Beach

1. Instead of using the words my, mine, me, and I, try substituting the words our, ours, us, and we. 
2. Grow some of our own produce, at our own homes or at a community garden or community farm co-op. Local food is food security!
3. Source and buy the rest of our produce from local growers, preferably at one of Long Beach’s numerous farmers’ markets to show our support of a local food economy.
4. Eat more greens. They are good for us. Here is a great recipe to try.
5. Share our excess with those who are less fortunate than we are. Excess food can be shared via SoCal Harvest or other local sharing resources. Other items that we no longer need can be donated to charity or exchanged for items that better meet our needs at the Seven-Ten Swap and potluck held on the third Friday of each month at the Catalyst Space, 430 E. 1st Street, Long Beach.
6. Share our time, knowledge, skills, and expertise by joining the Long Beach Time Exchange. Encourage others to too.
7. Become a catalyst for community action. “Connect and Affect” by joining the Catalyst Network of Communities.
8. Join LONG BEACH GROWS to help grow our urban community farm co-op.
9. Explore our neighborhoods and meet our neighbors while getting some exercise. Some say that a simple half hour walk once a day is all it takes to keep our hearts healthy. Our dogs will appreciate the walks too. But please scoop the poop and throw it into a trash can!
10. While taking that daily walk, be on the lookout for under-utilized space such as vacant lots, relatively open land, and sizable flat rooftops in Long Beach. Please share this information with LONG BEACH GROWS.
11. Sign the petition to permit urban agriculture in Long Beach.
12. Make an effort to attend some of the monthly meetings of our city’s Sustainable City Commission, the City Council, and other committees. We can use these opportunities to make our voices heard. Attendance at these meetings is instructive to see how things get done and to learn about who is making what decisions that impact us all.

Copyright © 2011 Donna Marykwas; All rights reserved.