WICHITA -- This is the kind of city that gets excited about winning the NIT. It stands to reason then, that it would get riled up about being in last place as a city as it would in winning a second-tier basketball tournament.

But that's where the city is -- last. As in, everyone else is ahead of us. No one is worse. That's how we stand in the 2011 Sustainability Rankings. Among the 55 largest cities in the U.S., when it comes to programs for sustainability, Wichita is No. 55.

"What's sustainability?" my daughter asked.

"The ability to be sustainable," I answered.

"Dad, that's not fair," she said.

I explained to the 12-year-old that "sustain" means to support and nourish, to prolong. It's about survival. If we're in last place, it says that this city won't be able to keep going if we keep living the way we are living.

"We are consuming more than our environment can handle and I think many people are starting to understand that," said Kay Johnson, manager of environmental initiatives for the city of Wichita.

We've got a lot of catching up to do. Of 38 quality of life programs being adopted by cities across the U.S. , Wichita has 7. Colorado Springs, one spot ahead of us at No. 54, has 15.

That's a three-possession game at best. It's time to get serious.

Politicians find it easier to pass policies, when they know they have community support. It starts small - with individuals.

That means we have to get into the game.

Starting today, "Keeping the Plains" will provide tips anyone can do to help make Wichita a more livable place. Each week, we'll highlight someone here who is making a contribution. Then we'll list more tips.

Here's what you can do:

Pick out one thing you will change to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.

Then share them in the comments section below.

If you pick one a week, that's 52 changes we can make during the next year. Even one a month will change 12 of our bad habits.

We hope our community leaders will show their support, too. What will the mayor do? How many city council members does it take to change an (energy efficient) light bulb? Which businesses will go green?

Let's take some action and help get Wichita out of last place.

The tip-off

Get going with these ideas to help Wichita conserve its vital resources:

• Change a light bulb. Still using your grandparents' incandescent bulbs? If every U.S. home replaced just one with an energy efficient light bulb,, we'd save enough energy to power 3 million American homes.
• Blanket your water heater. Wrap it in an insulated blanket and lower the thermostat to 120 degrees.
• Make it a habit to fill up your car with gas after 6 p.m.
• Landscape with plants native to Kansas, which need less water.
• Do not water after 7:30 a.m. Watering later, especially in this heat, evaporates to quickly to do your plants any good.
• Unplug your phone chargers, turn off your computer and unplug appliances when not in use. They suck out energy, even when they're not turned on. A simple way to accomplish this is to get a power strip and turn off the strip when you don't need what's plugged into it.
• Turn out the lights when you leave the room. Your mother was right. It makes a difference. Listen to her.
• Take the bus once a week. Or ride the Q-Line instead of driving your car downtown.
• Bike or walk to church or to run any errand within three miles. Studies show half of of our driving trips are for destinations within three miles of our homes. By taking a bike, you'll get there in the same time, when you consider traffic and parking
• Buy one -- just one -- environmentally friendly school supply. (.pdf) Or recycle supplies from last year.
• Make a compost pile. Your food waste contributes more to the landfill than your plastic. And it doesn't compost efficiently in the landfill.
• Support local food suppliers. Or organize a community or neighborhood garden. Try buying the week's produce and eggs at a farmers' market.
• Recycle. Try to limit the trash you put out to one kitchen-sized bag a week.

What will you do this week?