BAA’s place in the big picture

People power.

That’s what Bay Area Action is all about. As our mission statement proclaims, we are a “citizen action organization” for the environment. But what does that mean?

It means we believe in grassroots community organizing. We organize people to act together on their concern for the environment. Our experience with Earth Day 1990 proved that many people want to do more than write a check (though we’re surely not opposed to that!), send a letter, or make 50 simple changes by themselves in their homes.

How are we doing this? By plugging people into our projects, almost all of which are entry-level programs designed to get people involved with each other in making local changes that create measurable, real-world results. Whether it’s in school, the workplace, the neighborhood, on campus, or at home, our projects respond to people’s need to take action and do something about the environment.

All BAA projects seek to overcome the paralysis many people feel when confronted with numbing news about far-away ozone holes, poisoned waterways, global warming, and other problems that seem beyond our control. “Think globally, act locally” is more than a slogan; it’s the principle that guides our work.

The environmental movement has achieved some stunning victories, but the overall health of the planet continues to decline. That stark fact suggests that we have not put to best use all the tools in our social change toolbox. Perhaps the most underused tool is grassroots organizing, and that’s where BAA fits in. All the terrific work of the lawyers, educators, lobbyists, writers, scientists, and publicists in all the other environmental groups will never solve the crisis without the widespread, daily involvement of people from all walks of life.

We want to expand the numbers of people who take an active role in environmental change, rather than simply redivide the existing pool of talent and energy. That’s why most of our projects appeal to newcomers, though even veteran activists will find we have much to offer. Our goal is the development and empowerment of a network of new, more informed activists in the Bay Area.

You can help. By joining one or more of the projects which are described on these pages, joining with other BAA members in your area to organize local BAA projects, or by volunteering in our office, you can help turn the rhetoric of Earth Day into the reality of a greener Bay Area.

Don’t agonize, organize! The Earth needs all the help we can give.

Volunteer. NOW!

Support projects, vital to BAA’s success, desperately need personpower to accomplish their tasks. The store and office must be staffed, the issues and recycling committees need researchers and information specialists, and the communications and video projects need media pros (or amateurs) to get the word out via paper and television. To help, call Volunteer Coordinator Susan Stansbury at 321-1994.

Fundraising: The backbone of BAA

To date, BAA has been supported by memberships, donations, a benefit concert by Uakti, merchandise sales, a benefit frisbee event, and grants from Aspect Telecommunications and the Hancock Foundation. But more funding is desperately needed if we are to grow into the vital role we need to fill. To help, call Executive Director Owen Byrd at the BAA office: 321-1994.

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Published in Action, vol 1, no 3 · Nov–Dec 1990