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A bold commitment to experiments and new ways of thinking about how we might save this earth is long overdue. If you care about the environment, you need to be in on this debate.--Hunter Lovins and Amory Lovins, from the Foreword When we think of environmental action, we draw upon images from the disaster of Love Canal or from A Civil Action-stories of lone activists fighting the government or some corporation against all odds. In their provocative essay, Sabel, Fung, and Karkkainen demonstrate that an effective alternative is emerging. Before environmental disasters occur, citizen groups are collaborating with experts, business leaders, and local and federal governments to figure out what is best for their own neighborhoods. These examples point to more than successful environmental action; they represent a model of grassroots democracy that can be applied to the needs of any community. The New Democracy Forum is a series of short paperback originals exploring creative solutions to our most urgent national concerns. "A civic treasure.... A truly good idea, carried out with intelligence and panache." --Robert Pinsky