I am Michelle Lasley, and I will discuss how my work as a co-author for The Tolman Guide to Green Living in Portland makes me a civic leader for civic sustainability. Let me begin by asking… Did you know that if something has a scent, like perfume or dish soap, it’s often your nose’s way of telling you that it’s bad for you? Think about all the products we use in a dorm room, in an apartment, outside of our houses that have smell. A 2007 NPR story tells us these things have formaldehyde, which creates a chemically-reactive clouds with ozone around your head. The Tolman Guide to Green Living in Portland is a 2-year project that resulted in over 230 tips, like eliminating scented things around the home, to help Portland Area Residents move away from harmful practices to the earth to more sustainable practices.