For dozens of Howard residents, finding a solution to global warming starts with talking about it.
Small discussion groups are cropping up around the county, focused on how residents can combat global warming and rally for more political action.
“I believe there is a combination needed of citizen education and social action,” said Ruth White, a member of a discussion group and the Howard County group of the Maryland Sierra Club.
“I hope the more people learn, the more they will be motivated to make changes.”
A group of activists, known as the Climate Change Initiative of Howard County, is working to form discussion circles around the county. The group first met this summer for a discussion, and another four groups are forming in Howard this fall, White said.
The peer-facilitated groups grew out of the regional Simplicity Matters Earth Institute, which has created more than 145 discussion groups in Maryland and Washington, D.C., on topics such as sustainability, said Lore Rosenthal, an organization co-founder.
The groups rely on reading material, usually current articles and questions, from the Northwest Earth Institute, which develops courses and guides for groups nationwide.
Rosenthal said she hopes the groups grow exponentially to “encourage people to examine their life choices and how they impact the planet.”
Cathy Hudson, a member of the League of Women Voters of Howard County, decided to start a group through the league, using the book “Low Carbon Diet” by David Gershon as a guide.
“I think there?s a real groundswell of people who are waking up and saying, ?This is something we need to address,? ” Hudson said.
The discussion groups are unique, because they bring the community together with the common goal of finding ways to help the environment, Hudson said.
“Government certainly has their part to play, but each individual can do something, too,” Hudson said.
