campaigns

Go meatless! To raise awareness of the damage done to the environment by the meat industry and to promote the health benefits of a vegetarian diet, we are asking that you 'go meatless' for one day each week during 2001.

See our Earth Day Planner's Guide to plan your 2001 Earth Day.

BEE - Bicycle for Everyone's Earth - heading for a city near you, thanks to our 2001 coodinators Tucker and Douglas. Check out our new pages for the buzz on the most energetic thing you could do this summer!

Since 1997, three conferences have been held. Members from 8 kens have participated through attendance and/or speaking. Topics have included: Social Ecology and Responsible Living; Permaculture and Earthships; Environmental Classroom Activities; Decision making Processes - Hierarchy, Democracy and Consensus; Unification of Earth Day; Ecosig Restructuring and Continuity; Organizing Activists and Empowering People; Ecosig's 2nd year A Synopsis and a Changeover; Vegetarianism - A Holistic Approach and Purification Plants - a Hands-on Workshop.

1997- B.E.E. (Bicycle for Everyone's Earth). Three Ecosig members cycled from Wakkanai (top of Hokkaido) to Yaku (the southern tip of Kyushu) during the '97 summer. They cleaned 6 beaches, visited 5 schools, conducted 8 environmental forums, held 3 meetings with policy makers and raised their voices at 2 charity concerts. Along their 2 month trip, they used no waribashi, ate vegetarian foods, used no vending machines and traveled exclusively by bicycle. There was much attention in the media, too!

1997- 55 separate events were held across Japan. Foreign and local residents joined together to rid the country's beaches, parks, shrines and rivers of countless bags of garbage and recyclables.

1998- Approximately 250,000 yen was raised nationally for J.E.E.'s (Japan Environmental Exchange) Taiji Whale saving campaign. Hundreds of signatures were collected for a national recycling petition. The Tree of Life was constructed from waribashi (disposable wooden chopsticks) as an educational and visual tool to carry its message of personal responsibility across Japan.

Ecosig has produced the following support systems for English teachers (and green gaijin generally) in Japan.

Environmental Action Guide. Want to teach and give speeches about environmental issues? This is THE resource you need! This bilingual publication informs, inspires, and empowers you to spread the word about protecting the environment. It covers the Main Issues, Individual Action and Community Action necessary to promote awareness. FREE!!!! To obtain a copy, or for more information, please contact our Publications Distributor.

Down To Earth English, our new book of environmental lessons and fact sheets was originally collated by Samantha Berman in 1999 and published on this site in late 2000. Available in English only. Feel free to email us your green lesson plans and school project ideas.

Got a question? Want to make a comment? Want to chat with likeminded friends? Join our egroup by signing up at ecosig@listbot.com, established by Jeff Weiss in 2000.