One excellent example is Ralph da Costa Nunez, a member of New York City's 'Home At Last' group that is dedicated to using a bottom-up, personal commitment solution to homelessness, especially among NTC's children. Each member of the group works to collect food donations and organizes other neighborhood groups to collect and make food donations every month. They collect, clean and repair toys for donation. Cash they themselves donate, or is collected, is used to buy toys, clothes, school supplies, shoes and new children's-sized socks and underwear that they distribute at family shelters. They organize supply drives and fundraisers to provide shelters with the items they need.
Ralph and his group don't blame anyone and don't expect the government to do everything. They know we're all in this together.
So does Barry Saxifrage who's excellent and well researched article last week in the Vancouver Observer titled 'Is jet-setting compatible with a safe climate?' about the embedded energy and environmental costs of air travel also talked about his own commitment to taking personal responsibility by walking the talk. From reading the comments its obvious that many folks agree with Barry and have also learned the joys of the staycation. In it Barry says, "Like with other aspects of the climate crisis, it sure looks like dirty industries won't act morally and politicians won't act in time. That means citizens will need to lead the way from the grassroots up."
Ralph and Barry know that in the end, it's not governments but a bottom-up revolution of everyday folks that's going to provide solutions. They act on their understanding that we feed the monster with our lifestyles and that only bottom up solutions by the that person in the mirror every morning can lead to any real change.
In a perfect world, a world where governments weren't corrupted by corporate monies, perhaps there could be fair and effective regulations enacted. But we don't live there. In this world top down solutions always seem to end up making complicated matters worse. Only bottom up solutions like mindful demand side reductions by individuals can be effective
