How can I persuade my friends to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle?
asked by Nicole
on Thursday 6th May 2010
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Answers
You can persuade them in the same way that people have been persuaded for centuries - with health, wealth and honour.
A sustainable lifestyle would genuinely be better for them. From a health perspective, cycling to work, say, would give them exercise and leave them less stressed stuck in a traffic jam.
In terms of personal finance, it is a proven case that small changes can lead to a dramatic decrease in utility bills - challenge your friends to see how much they could save by switching off unused electrical appliances, turning down the radiator, etc. They should see a substantial decrease on their metre readings within a month. Maybe you could try this yourself first and see how much energy you've saved! For some quick ideas checkout the directgov website: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Energyandwatersaving/index.htm and http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Greenerlifestyles/DG_064373
Finally, people who live sustainably can walk around knowing that their badge of honour is their reduced carbon footprint. They can interest their friends in all the wonderful discoveries they've made when making the transition to a sustainable lifestyle and they can be a sustainable role-model for the next generation.
Of course, you might need to help your friends out a bit by giving them suggestions about how they can build sustainability into their lifestyles, but what's most important is to talk to them and show them that a low carbon, sustainable lifestyle is something that could work for them.
Good luck!
As the previously poster said, personal gain is the way to go. Many think environmentfrie ndly transportation etc. is booring and pointless.
If you live in a place were it is possible, start using public transportation and/or walking/biking instead of taking the car to work (and other places). Tell them about health and economical gains from walking/biking or use of public transportation.
Another way is to compare CO2 emissions to something they can relate to (a tree take one month to take up a kilogram of CO2). Make a friendly competition of it, the one that save the most CO2 in a month get a prize(put up a betting pool or something... the chance of money and prestige can be a powerful tool). Get a CO2 conversion manual, or a CO2 calculator to keep track...
Were I live, public transportation is great, and there are roads for walking everywhere, so I have started using them more this lovely spring. I use Commute Greener! to keep track of my emissions and gains. Check it out: www.commutegreener.com
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