Post from Kari Beth's Blog:
Get The Children Involved!!!!
| By Kari Beth - Jul 9, 2008 3:25:37 PM ET |
| Also listed in: Green Living | Houston Area Climate Awareness Group | Southern Alliance for Clean Energy | Tree Huggers |
A light bulb went off for me today. I live in a rural area between Beaumont & Houston, TX. People in my little town are extremely resistent to any kind of change. Most of them share the common misguided belief that climate change isn't real, that it's purely greed driving up gas prices, and that their beloved Republican officials will somehow fix our problems by opening up drilling offshore, etc. You know these people too. Tell them a product is good bc it's organic and they look at you w/ a blank stare.
Anyway, back to my light bulb. Yesterday I was shopping for groceries at Kroger. I, as usual, baught as many organic and/or natural products as my budget would allow. Then as we were about to leave my son started giving me hell, bc he wanted Cheez Itz (ick!!!). He nagged and nagged in the check out line. I finally caved when he told me he'd eat broccolli w/ out complaining if I baught the crackers. ... That's the 1st part of my epiphany... I promise I'm getting to the point soon.
Today I had a lovely conversation w/ a young lady from Louisiana. I helped her find recycling facilities in her town and off she went to talk her parents into recycling! ...That's when it hit me. I've been trying to convince the wrong group of people. Kids can nag us (adults/parents) into just about anything. If I'm going to get my message across to the adults in my community then I have to start w/ the kids. My little boy is going into 1st grade this year and my younger sister will be in 7th. They will be my message spreaders and my example setters.... my ambassadors for a greener community! Together we will create an army of little green do gooders!!! ... ok, ok, getting a little carried away.
So my new mission shall begin in August when school starts. Now I just need to think of a great name for the children's conservation & recycling program that I just became determined to start.
Wish me luck!
Peace to all,
Kari Beth
Anyway, back to my light bulb. Yesterday I was shopping for groceries at Kroger. I, as usual, baught as many organic and/or natural products as my budget would allow. Then as we were about to leave my son started giving me hell, bc he wanted Cheez Itz (ick!!!). He nagged and nagged in the check out line. I finally caved when he told me he'd eat broccolli w/ out complaining if I baught the crackers. ... That's the 1st part of my epiphany... I promise I'm getting to the point soon.
Today I had a lovely conversation w/ a young lady from Louisiana. I helped her find recycling facilities in her town and off she went to talk her parents into recycling! ...That's when it hit me. I've been trying to convince the wrong group of people. Kids can nag us (adults/parents) into just about anything. If I'm going to get my message across to the adults in my community then I have to start w/ the kids. My little boy is going into 1st grade this year and my younger sister will be in 7th. They will be my message spreaders and my example setters.... my ambassadors for a greener community! Together we will create an army of little green do gooders!!! ... ok, ok, getting a little carried away.
So my new mission shall begin in August when school starts. Now I just need to think of a great name for the children's conservation & recycling program that I just became determined to start.
Wish me luck!
Peace to all,
Kari Beth
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I just happened upon your posts ... wow ... we are on the same page! I have an idea that I presented to my city's Sustainability Committee during my first ever public comment before any governmental body ... the idea included several elements. To my surprise, one of the members amended ther committee's proposed "Goals and Objectives" (that was only their fourth meeting!) to include "community engagement" and the document was adopted at the next meeting (February). Well, the first "community engagement" event happened Saturday before last with a community-wide meeting to gather input for the city's climate action plan.
The other suggestion that I made will come soon ... during the upcoming school year, partly because of the timing, and partly because the Sustainability Committee has accepted me as a regular fixture, giving my 3-minute public comments at every meeting since January. AND they recently asked me to be on the committee as a liaison to another residents' committee ... so I will not be limited to 3-minutes any more.
The other suggestion is to have all children (elementary to high school) participate in a contest to come up with several designs for signs that would be posted all over town -- like Neighborhood Crime Watch signs, or Nuclear Free Zone signs (yes we still have a bunch of those faded old relics), or STOP signs ... with messages like JOIN YOUR NEIGHBORS, CONSERVE ENERGY, STOP GLOBAL WARMING. My idea is that there be not one winner, but several, so lots of kids get their signs posted around town. The process would certainly get the parents involved, and the public awareness beyond families with kids would be sustained by the omnipresent, colorful, poignant signs.
It is a "community based social marketing" (CBSM) concept ... and testimony by Robert B. Cialdini to the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education, House Committee on Science and Technology Link
I hope to advance this idea in my town. Curious to get feedback from you for additional suggestions for funding, etc.
For the earth,
Doug
BTW, you are welcome to visit and join the group my friends and I set up last week. Make two phone calls that will have an impact ... 350 Alternatives to a Pro-Coal VP Link