In order to understand the EcoHome LO checklist, it is first important to ask the question: “what is sustainability?” After all, interpretations of the term can vary greatly depending on who you ask, and decades of greenwashing by corporations, advertisers, and special interest groups have further confounded the concept of sustainability. So, in order to build a solid foundation for the EcoHome LO program, we decided to defer to a trusted source.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines sustainability as the intersection of three main pillars: environmental protection, economic viability, and social equity. It’s the balancing act between everything that’s most important to us as Lake Oswegans, touching nearly every aspect of our lives. In order to attain holistic sustainability as a city (and make our town a wonderful place to live for generations to come), we as residents must push for change on multiple levels: governmental, community, and individual.
The EcoHome LO Certification Checklist has been designed to encompass all six of these factors, highlighting the three pillars of sustainability (environment, economy, and equity) while facilitating action in a myriad of ways (civic engagement, community involvement, and individual accountability.) The checklist is a tool to help you track your personal sustainability progress and contributions, and more importantly, it will provide you with community resources and connections to guide you along the way.
In order to attain the first level of certification (bronze), you’ll need to complete at least one item from every category on the checklist and a total of 20 items overall. If you’re shooting for silver or gold certification, you’ll need at least one item per category and a total of 40 or 60 items overall, respectively. Selecting which items you want to accomplish in order to attain certification is entirely up to you, as long as you can check off a minimum of one item from each category!
To get started on your checklist, create an EcoHome LO Account by clicking “Register” in the upper right-hand corner. From there, you’ll have access to your very own online portal, through which you’ll find everything you need to attain certification!
Once you’ve met the standards for your desired level of certification, you can submit your checklist. (Please note: parts of your application may be audited upon submission, so be sure to preserve photo or written evidence of the items you complete.) Upon approval, you’ll achieve certification status and receive a free lawn/window sign to commemorate your progress!
You must LOGIN in order to edit the checklist!
If you don’t have an account, you can REGISTER here.
Click HERE to view the Certification Checklist before signing up.