The two biggest barriers I see for people choosing to ignore green principles and continue in a throw away mentality is 1) Education 2) Ease of change. People need to understand and it has to be cheep and easy to do---guess what, It is!!!!!! Lectures, pamphlets, workshops--these are all good things--but seriously lets stop yapping and just start doing and showing. There is no better way of understanding what and how things can be done then by actually doing it. By sight, by touch and by participating.
Lets build a demonstration centre on a vacant lot which aims to discover and use alternative building practices. Elements such as compost toilets, rammed earth, straw bale housing, permaculture principles, biodiesel, mushroom inoculation. community gardens and home grown food. We could host events which showcase businesses which recycle certain materials-how do we find them, where can we go, can they come to us... We could use rammed earth as our structure and reclaimed wood. We should develop the centre as a whole community. It should be open to the public to help build it. Build events, parties, and festivals at the centre could take place which bring us together in a safe and fun place for people to go. It should be a Green school- a place for all people to learn, to share, and to understand how to live it, not talk it.