Sustainable Life: Change the world. No, really

Posted on 15 November, 2019

Greta Thunberg began as an ordinary Swedish student.

In August 2018, instead of going to school she began striking outside the Swedish Parliament.

Her action was the beginning of a global campaign for stronger action on climate change, involving millions of people. Just one person—changing the future of life on earth.

Any ordinary person can make a difference. Just a small handful of people become internationally influential, like Greta.

In a small community, every single person matters—simply by expressing their everyday choices through action.

Here’s how you can make a (bigger) difference and change the world—starting in your community.

Start with you

Live your life the way you’d like the world to live. Sound familiar? Mahatma Gandhi is famous for saying, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.”

Keen to see farmers being paid a fair price for their produce? Shop at the farmer’s market.

Wish every person lived carbon neutral? Do the paperwork and live carbon neutral in your life.

People that you know will see what you’re doing—even if you don’t preach. We’re hugely influential on others, simply through our everyday actions and choices.

Convert interested people

Ask your family, friends and neighbours if they’re interested in knowing more about your passion for sustainable living. If the answer’s yes—fantastic, it’s time to share your passion.

Perhaps it’s a tip about soft plastic recycling—‘Did you know that soft plastics can be recycled by taking them into Woolworths or Coles supermarkets?’ It’s a tip that I’ve shared hundreds of times, which originally came from a friend who knew that I was interested in sustainable living. Enthusiasm is infectious—share your tips with passion and positivity.

The approach that you take to converting interested people is crucial. Don’t get trapped by pointing the blame finger or putting them down—this negative approach might work with a few people…but it’s a total turn-off for almost everyone.

Join with other passionate people

Find a group of people in your local community who share your passion. You’ll be able to learn from them, as well as influence action taken by the group.

In Canberra, there are many small environmental groups under the ACT Conservation Council’s banner.

You’ll also find a community of likeminded, sustainable living types through the Canberra Environment Centre, SEE Change, Canberra City Farm, Canberra Organic Growers Society and Zero Waste Revolution.

Influence new people

Reach out to people who are new to your ideas. Where to find them? Here are some ideas.

• Get social with Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Tell your online friends what you really think about sustainable living.  Share some of the Canberra Environment Centre’s Facebook posts and events with your friends, like the one about making natural skincare products.
• Write a letter to the editor. Newsflash! The letters page in a newspaper is one of the most popular pages. If your letter is published, then thousands—yes, thousands—of people will read it, including politicians and policymakers. Not sure where to start with a letter to the editor? Try these practical tips from the Australian Climate Council.
• Start a blog or podcast and build your following. There are a heap of wonderful, blogs on sustainability that are written by Canberrans. You might like The Tortoise and lady grey a blog about sustainable fashion or This abundant life, a podcast about joyful and frugal living.

Influence the bigger picture

Why not write, telephone or meet with your local member of Parliament? It’s their job to represent you, so let them know what’s important to you. Think local (in the Assembly) and nationally (in the Australian Parliament).

You might also want to consider joining a political party. Party members influence the policies that parties develop and take to each election. If local action is your thing, then right now is the time to influence the policies that each political party will take to the November 2020 ACT Assembly election.

You can also influence the public service—especially if you keep an eye out for public consultations on sustainable living. Locally, community consultations are all published on the YourSay website.

We are all ordinary. It’s what we choose to do with our ordinary lives that changes the world and can make an extraordinary difference.