Texas Campaign for the Environment is an environmental powerhouse group on a mission to fight pollution through sustained grassroots organizing campaigns that shift corporate and governmental policy. We recently interviewed our friend, Zac Trahan, over at Texas Campaign for the Environment about how Give 5 has helped them in the past and why it is so important to care about their cause.
How has Give 5 helped Texas Campaign for the Environment in the past?
In the four years we’ve been participating in Austin’s Give 5 event, local businesses
have helped raise thousands of dollars for Texas Campaign for the Environment Fund
and other terrific non-profit organizations. This has provided us with vital resources to
fight pollution and work for clean water, air and land in Central Texas and throughout
the state.
Why should people care about your cause?
If you care about sustainability, environmental protection, social justice and public
health, you should support the organizations that work all day, every day to prevent
pollution and leave the world a better place for future generations. We believe that
since all social progress begins locally, supporting local groups ensures that your
support will make a lasting impact.
Do you see any negative effects from the constant construction and expansion of
Austin’s urban areas?
Austin and its surrounding communities were literally made possible by the unique,
diverse ecosystem we live in—it’s what has sustained human societies here for
thousands of years. Development can support our urban population growth, but if it
comes at the expense of our natural habitat, healthy air and clean water, it will
ultimately endanger and undermine the very source of our sustenance.
What can Austinites do today that will contribute to the preservation of the Austin
environment?
There are innumerable ways to help protect and preserve our environment every day.
Just to name the first few:
●Support organizations that are fighting for local policies and programs that will
reduce our collective waste of natural resources—water conservation,
renewable energy, recycling and composting, sustainable development,
habitat preservation and so much more. Austin is home to many amazing
non-profit groups, so find the ones that you are most passionate about and
help them succeed.
●Support the local businesses that make Austin such a great place to
live—they are typically more invested in the long-term sustainability of our
region than larger, national chains. Events such as Give 5 highlight this
perfectly.
●Reduce your own impact by finding ways to eliminate waste before it
starts—avoid disposable products and wasteful packaging, reuse as much as
possible and then recycle or compost what’s left, make sure your home is
energy and water efficient, find transportation solutions that don’t leave you
sitting in traffic.
●Get out and enjoy the actual environment so you’ll be more invested in its
long-term protection! Hike your favorite trails, swim your favorite waters, build
an appreciation for the sheer natural beauty of Central Texas—and then use
that appreciation to help fight for its survival.
Are there any exciting projects being worked on now, or that are planned for this coming
year?
Our biggest current project has been expanding Austin’s curbside composting
program to cover all households over the next few years. This will be the biggest leap
forward for waste reduction since curbside recycling started decades ago—for the first
time, Austin residents will be sending more resources to recycling and composting
facilities than to local landfills. That’s a huge step toward our goal to become a Zero
Waste city by 2040!
In addition, our next project will be gear toward getting recycling and composting bins
at all city parks, bus stops and other public places, so that all of us will be able to
reduce waste wherever we go.
Any closing comments or thoughts?
Give 5 is a unique event that adds yet another great perk to living in Austin. You can
put your own ideals and values into action, support the local businesses you love, and
provide resources for the non-profits you know are making a difference—all at once.
Go for it.
