Now that you’ve moved, you can expand your green ideas to all areas of your life. At the same time, you convince others to go green. Share your tips and experiences with friends, relatives, and coworkers!
You can tell someone to do something a thousand times, but, cliché though it may be, actions speak louder than words. The way we live our lives either legitimizes or detracts from what we say about ourselves. If you are passionate about going green, you've already taken the first step to getting the word out there by going green yourself.
Your conduct
A green move is an excellent way to spread the word because so many people are involved with the process. Any friends or family that help you, not to mention the moving company, are going to see very clearly how you live your life and how they can too. Remember to keep a positive attitude about it; people tend to associate unfamiliar things with the people that introduce them. Don't pressure anyone. Let them see for themselves if this is something they want to try in their own lives.
Your modeling of a happy, Earth-friendly lifestyle is as close as most people you know are going to get to a tutorial or a serious wake-up call. After your green move, decorating your house and setting it up in an eco-friendly way is going to continue the example to anyone who helps out or even comes over. Your conduct at the grocery store, to cite another example, can speak volumes to others. Bring your own cloth bags and buy products that are environmentally friendly.
At the office
Talk to your boss about implementing some eco-friendly initiatives at your workplace. If you do the research ahead of time and can present your ideas in a business-savvy way, you will increase the likelihood that you will be taken seriously and, most importantly, that steps are taken to make your office greener. Consider this:
- Reusing materials cuts down on waste (which the company pays to dispose of) and the need to purchase new materials.
- Green thinking and acting gives businesses a good profile for consumers. It could even lead to some publicity.
- Alternative power solutions can cut down on electric bills and could even make the office independently powered by solar, wind, or water methods.
- G.E.C.K.O has a wealth of tips and resources to make your workplace greener.
Any success you have with this is going to raise awareness with your co-workers. At worst, the very fact that you tried will speak to people.
Your community
Beyond what's mentioned above, you should look in your new community to see if there are any committees or groups that meet to talk about environmental issues. If there aren't any, consider starting one. Get involved in town hall meetings and get the word out that way. Again, this will take consistency and dedication, as the majority of people are not going to switch to a completely green lifestyle right away. These are also great ways to meet people you might not otherwise get to know; no one said going green couldn't be fun.
Spreading the word can be as simple as walking your talk. If you are bold and kind about making your world a more environmentally friendly place, you will see things change for the better.