Patricia Lane Maclure is a strong believer in engaging people where they live and work, as well as politically.  "Sierra Club BC has a strong focus on engaging people on all three levels, and that gives it a critical mass for leveraging change," says Patricia, Victoria lawyer and mediator.

The Lane-Maclure family is proud of their new solar panel, which heats their water from March through November.  Other retrofits, when combined with local food choices and biking, have brought the family emissions down to just about one tonne per person per year.

"Ordinary people, doing ordinary things, can make it happen!"  says Patricia.

Patricia has cut her law practice in half to make room for using her community engagement skills for the Sierra Club.  After the successful take-off of Sierra Small Parties, which bring the global warming message into people's living rooms, Patricia recently initiated the first Sierra CERCle, which is a Carbon Emissions Reductions Circle. Sierra CERCles are groups of friends who support each other in making measurable reductions in their carbon emissions over a period of time.

"We want to model the ability to live joyfully in a carbon constrained world," says Patricia.