The moral imperative to fix or stabilise climate change is a duty that rests upon all of us. We need to get creative about a solution, either with or without the help of the governments of the world, and the time to act is now. Not next year, not after the Global Financial Crisis, but right bloody now! If we wait much longer to begin reducing emissions we are toast, literally.
That is where you come in. If you have been a reader for a while or even visiting for the first time, and you have been inspired to act by some of the things that my family have done, or by other green or sustainable living bloggers, let me know via a comment. While you are writing your comment, have a think about how your action has inspired someone else to act in a positive way. Please, please think hard and long, because I really want to know if all of this stuff I have been doing has been making a difference to anyone out there.
Now, if you do leave a comment, think some more about how you can use the inspiration you felt to further inspire others. I want this thinking process to go viral and reach as many people as it can. Grass roots action is the only thing that can truly make any big difference to our fate. With all the lobbying, denial, and negative political action regarding Climate Change which is one of the two biggest issues (Peak Oil the other biggy) facing us in the next 20 years, we cannot simply sit back and do nothing any longer.
Here are a few tips on how you can get active and inspire others to begin to act on lowering their emissions.
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Start your own blog recording you own journey towards a sustainable lifestyle. If, there is just one comment about how I or others have inspired people to act, then by writing your own, you too will inspire others to act. Media viral!
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Join your local climate action or sustainable living group. Contrary to popular belief, people in these groups are not tree hugging hippies. They are ordinary concerned citizens sick and tired of waiting for political action. Local Viral!
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Write to your local politician and let them know how you feel about their inaction or their so called green policies. Better still, call them. You can find their phone numbers if you look at most government websites. Super viral!
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Attend the next climate rally in your area. These rallies not only lift your spirit whilst you are participating, but if we have enough of them, then our elected officials take notice. Imagine if we had one every month. Don’t you think that the politicians would get sick of us or at least listen? Uber viral!
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Or you can do what Andy Hobsbawn has done and create an outlet for climate change messages in the form of ‘Do the Green Thing’. Super Uber viral!
So what are you waiting for? You must have been inspired by someone even if it is the guy in the video, so hit the post a comment link and get writing. I think I have written enough for today.
Thanks for the inspiration Gav
Recently I made homemade laundry liquid soap and bake my own bread I have joined Diggers and have got some seeds in Geoff has been digging out some bamboo plants and we are about to plant more seedsI have made some dishcloths from eco cotton thread and am filling up the recycle bin each fortnight We have brought a 2003 Kia Rio which uses much less petrol and buy as much Aussie made as we can afford I turn off at the wall and use a lpg gas stove and hot water system Love ELLIE
I can’t number the things you have inspired me to do Gavin. Every week I must pick a new tip. But whether I have inspired anyone – I don’t know. I do hope so.
Margaret
Gavin I read your blog regularly although I’ve never commented before. My husband, who I think has the same employer as you :-), and I will be moving back to the suburbs of Melbourne very soon and starting all over again to plant a food garden and make our house more energy efficient. We may even get to solar panels in the future but first I have to make basic changes like installing good insulating curtains and replacing the electric hot water service with a solar unit.
Most of the blogs I read are written by women so it’s good to get a man’s perspective especially one who lives in my part of the world.
I’ve finally had a little success with my son and daughter-in-law. I send them interesting blog posts every so often (including some of yours)in the hope that some of it will sink in and this year they have started growing vegetables and planting fruit trees. They’ve bought a smaller car too which I never thought would happen.
Our new house is on a hill and we have a bird’s eye view of a lot of backyards. I was very disheartened to see that there is only one small vegetable patch amongst them and next to no fruit trees other than the crab apples planted on the nature strips by the local council. There’s a long way to go I’m afraid.
Keep up the good work. I know it is making a difference.
Hey Gav,
Started my own blog…which is a start althouh not much interesting has happened as yet but I feel that it will. I’ll certainly investigate the steps 2 – 5 for climate change as this journey progresses. I have to say one of your truly inspirational moves has been the cheese making and I’m looking forward to giving it a go.
We are also waiting impatiently for our new fruit trees from Diggers. How are yours looking?
Jane
Hi Gav,
As you know I’ve been a reader for awhile. I have done similiar things to you around my house. The neighbours all have looked on in amazement. The area I live in is pretty comfortable. Big houses, flashy petrol guzzling 4 wheel drives. I have nothing in common, on an environmental level, with my friends an neighbours and this is why I read your blog and others. I’ve tried to talk about the issues but I get branded with being too preachey (by my husband)!!! What can you do??? I keep on trying to model the right behaviour and attitude. I wish I could honestly say that I’ve helped to influence another by what I do in my own home.
I wont give in!!
Anita
Hey Gav! Although I started my blog before discovering yours, I’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from the things you’ve done and written about.
I feel that I’m on the same path as you, just a bit behind. E.g. we’ve got solar hot water, have ordered solar electricity (but waiting for installation), are investigating rainwater tanks, etc. We’ve also gotten chickens, been gardening a lot more, planted fruit trees in the front yard, etc.
I know that my blogging and my activities at home have been having knock-on effects. One neighbour has already gotten solar hot water and has ordered PV panels. Another has installed a heat pump hot water system (their roof isn’t suitable for solar). Still more friends and neighbours have done things like gotten chooks, planted fruit trees, planted vegies, etc.
Sometimes people just need to see someone else doing something before they feel they have “social permission” to do the same. Often you’ll never know that you were that influence. So keep going!
I’ve also joined several local sustainability groups (SeedSavers, my Council’s Sustainability Advisory Committee, a FutureCare group, etc) and am helping to start up some more (a FutureCare group for my town, a community garden, an environment group at my workplace). I’m interested in following your progress with your fledgeling community group too.
I’ve also been inspired by some local blogs – for some reason, them being local to my home makes them much more compelling to me! E.g. HappyEarth.com.au.