The Green Conversation

jchatraw — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:14:47 -0500

Communication is a true art form that can be as uncreative as crudely drawn stick figures or as masterful as a Van Gogh. When it comes to discussing the environment with others, the way we communicate is almost as important as what we communicate. Good communication on the environment helps spur the conversation along instead of watching it stall out.

After hearing a national park ranger discuss their approach to solving environmental challenges in their parks, it was clear that there are effective ways to engage groups or businesses that could be combative to going green. For example, when approached by the national park to discuss a way to make a more environmentally friendly vehicle, one snow mobile company bristled at the notion that anything but their two-stroke engine was the best piece of equipment. So, the national park changed the conversation by developing a competition for colleges and universities to develop such snow mobiles. After eight years of holding the competition, the national park has now successfully engaged the snow mobile company into moving in this direction.

In the book 147 Tips for Teaching Sustainability: Connecting the Environment, the Economy, and Society, readers are challenged to take controversial topics head on and change the conversation. Issues are not always black and white and sometimes require a deeper level of thought and discussion before making headway. Here are some of the book's thoughts on this issue:

Study Controversial Issues
The brain is like any other muscle; it needs regular, vigorous exercise. Sustainability demands new and innovative thinking. We can all practice these skills by starting with the data and forming our own conclusions.

Nel Noddings has written much about a culture of care, what is required of individuals and society to create more supportive communities: “If we value critical thinking, if we commit ourselves to encouraging it, then we must allow it to be exercised on critical matters—that is, on issues of keen interest to students…. If we really believe that knowledge and critical thinking contribute to living fuller public and private lives, then we must allow the study and discussion of such critical and controversial issues” (Noddings 2003, 148). When dealing with environmental, economic, and social issues, go beyond the obvious to deeper solutions to complex problems.

Go Green ... and Get Rich Trying

jchatraw — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:00:00 -0400

One morning as I opened a kitchen cabinet door, four water bottles came tumbling out onto the floor. If I was on the TV show Heroes, my talent would be collecting water bottles, ensuring that no one on our superhero team would ever be parched. It's like water bottles seek me out--and I have my entire collection without ever filling out a credit card application to get one.

However, I started reflecting upon my eco-friendly lifestyle and wondering if a) the plastic was actually good and b) buying products made in China that needed to be transported here using gallons of petroleum was actually necessary. That's when I discovered SIGG water bottles. Our Riverwired editor Susan Seliger actually featured SIGG and plastic products that are BPA free in a recent post.

So, when I stumbled upon David Bach and Hillary Rosner's book, Go Green, Live Rich: 50 simple ways to save the earth and get rich trying, I was elated to find out I was one step ahead of the curve: Bach recommends buying SIGG water bottles. This book has some great tips, seamless weaving together eco-living with saving money.

Here's a snippet from one of their tips:

Find your Litter Factor. Maybe you have heard of "The Latte Factor." It is a phrase I created as a metaphor for all the little things we spend money on over the course of a day without giving it much thought. The phrase applies to buying not only fancy coffee but also fast food, cigarettes, bottled water—you name it. I have long encouraged my readers to identify their "Latte Factor" and eliminate it to start saving money. But small changes such as not buying coffee in a disposable cup or water in a plastic bottle not only are good for your wallet, they actually better the planet. In the same way that "little things" add up to drain your wealth, "small things" add up to make a big difference for the Earth.

Go Green Action Steps

Get a reusable water bottle and fill it with water from your tap. The newest generation of reusable water bottles, like those from SIGG are made of lightweight aluminum.

If you have concerns about your tap water, it can easily and cheaply be filtered and purified. Visit www.waterfiltercomparisons.com to compare the leading brands and find one that's right for you.