How to Use This Manual

Using this manual is straightforward and easy. You don’t have to go through it in sequence, and you don’t have to read all of it to make a difference in your life—and in the lives of those in your community who are already feeling the impacts of climate change.

The manual is organized by topic. Each topic has lists of suggestions for working as members of a household and members of a community. The actions with the most impact are explained in more detail. Each page also shows some of the benefits of these actions, and some of them list state agencies and advocacy groups who do work related to making these changes. We’re more effective if we work together, so the manual emphasizes interaction and relationships to achieve a livable Rhode Island.

Here’s how to start:

1. Choose a topic—maybe one you’ve been wondering about, or one where making a change seems particularly challenging. We recommend you look at the manual with family, friends, colleagues—again, many of these actions are group actions and need collective or collaborative effort.

2. See if you already do any of the recommended actions. If so, well done—so far!

3. Evaluate the actions you don’t yet participate in. Which of them seem like they’re within your power this week? What about within the next three months? Or for the end of the year?

4. Research the action (if you need to) and put it into practice. The “Overview” pages in this manual give some context for the specific actions in this manual, and the “Further Resources” linked on the manual website can help you with your research.

5. Talk about it! You may find other people in your groups, or people beyond your groups, who already do it and can share tips and experiences, or interest someone new in trying it. Lend the manual to a neighbor, share the link on Facebook, or print out individual pages for people who might be interested.

6. If it’s an ongoing action or practice, keep it up– and look for the next thing on the list that you can do.