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 At
every step in the process -- from development to implementation
to evaluation -- effective public education
and information efforts are absolutely key to achieving a sustainable
San Francisco. Informational and educational resources should give a wide variety
of audiences the tools to understand and value what it means to live sustainably.
The goal of this section of the sustainability plan is to motivate every resident
and visitor to act as stewards of a sustainable city.
Given the City’s rich diversity of communities and cultures, a comprehensive public
education and information strategy will recognize the need to be consistently engaging,
positive and inclusive. Accurate, usable information
about sustainability should be widely available, in many languages and formats. Libraries, homes, schools, workplaces,
community centers and public spaces should all be places where individuals can gain
access to and exchange information, educate themselves and each other, and participate
in discussions, hands-on learning, and volunteer projects. Every resident and visitor
to the City should be able to experience working examples of sustainability within
their own and other communities. Lifestyles and business practices should increasingly
reflect everyone’s knowledge and acceptance of sustainable principles, further reinforcing
a city-wide ethic of stewardship.
Ongoing public information and education efforts will encourage all of San Francisco
to understand the whys and hows of sustainable living. Evaluation is
critical to measuring the overall effectiveness of these efforts. Additionally, publicizing indicators of progress toward a sustainable
San Francisco will inform and invigorate the daily decisions
that all San Franciscans, as residents or as representatives of government, business
and nonprofit organizations, make about living more lightly on the region and the
planet.
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