Moral support please?

[QuakerBear]

Hello everyone,

I'm currently batteling with my office mates. I've been told hundrens of times that climate change isn't happening, scientists are doing spin for the government and that no-one cares about the enviroment because we and our kids will be dead in a hundred years, and anyway, we're rich and live in the UK so why sould we worry about others.

I feel deflated.

I've started recycling all the office paper and printer cartridges. I've reduced the air conditioning use by demonstrating that the windows open and I'm in the process of switching the beverages over to being fair trade. I'm trying to do something about the caustic cleaning products used but not having much luck, as for instilling the idea that lights should be turned off when you're not in the room....

Does anyone else work somewhere like this? Do you have any shock tactics that might work Have you had any sucesses? Can one win? Is all futile and we are doomed? Will Daily Mail cynacism and the belief that every urban family should have at least two 4x4's take over the world?

[Martin]

Old Chinese saying "It is better to travel hopefully, than arrive"
smart cookies the Chinese!

[ina]

Don't give up! I just keep doing what I think is right - and slowly, very slowly, there are some changes... Although I still often feel it's hopeless. Shock tactics don't work, I find - or only with very few people. Tell them, if they don't see a reason why they should turn the light off "for the environment", at least they could consider the potential saving in cash, and what nice stuff could be bought with that.

We now use a lot less energy than when I started, and all the coffee/tea, even sugar and milk are organic and fair trade... I proved that it's no more expensive for them, so they didn't mind me doing the changes! And I know there are certain people who never turn off the lights, so I make a point of turning them off while they see me doing it. (There are notices up to remind folks to switch off everywhere, official ones, from the company, because it's their policy to be green - only staff often can't be bothered!)

[Thomzo]

Don't be disheartened, Quakerbear. You have my support. I wandered into our warehouse a few months ago and realised we were throwing away all sorts of interesting packaging. I talked our (one remaining) warehouse person into putting it all into a box for the scrapstore, pointing out that it saved us money by reducing our waste.

Do keep up the good work. If you do keep on, subtley, they will gradually change their ways. This recent spate of bad weather is a foretaste of things to come. All the scientist predict that global warming will lead to more extreme weather conditions. Boiling hot one year and flooding the next. This just proves that.

Zoe

[flower]

you know, I read a very good article (possibly in the Daily mail ) that pointed out how people can become complacement when faced with the enormous problem of world climate change.
It suggested that folks find it too big to comprehend, feel the problems are insurmountable, that their contribution will be insignificant and so on so they just block it out.
Sounds feasible to me.

Maybe you would have more success if you 'spoon feed it'.
Don't tell them about the world.....try to make it relate to them locally or even personally. Organise a car pool to save petrol. Turn down heating to help prevent stuffy noses and headaches.
I know you shouldn't have to.....but people are selfish, so make it about themselves.

good luck

[Thomzo]

That's right flower. If you point out the benefits to the individual it generally helps. If they think they can save money, be a bit healthier etc, they are more likely to try it.

In a way, I am fortunate. I work opposite a huge landfill site. If any of my colleagues ask why we recycle, I just point to the disgusting heap and ask them where the think the rain water goes that runs off it. Straight into their gardens

Zoe

[the.fee.fairy]

How about getting those motion sensitive lights? we have them in our building. Then, if they don't turn off the light, it turns itself off (not sure what the energy savings are thoug - something must run the sensors...).

[pskipper]

Problem with motion sensitive lights is that you have to be moving to keep them on, not good for a desk job (personal experience here along the lines of 'help I've gone blind, oh no its the b****y lights again!)

[ina]

And another problem with them is - folk now seem to have the attitude, well if they want to save electricity, they should install these motion sensors. People just get too lazy to switch off the lights themselves...

[Wormella]

Try coming at it a differnt way - most of these things save the company money (Not having Air Con on etc). If you can get managemnt on board that way it sometimes works - espcieally if you could get them to agree to put some of the money saved towards Christmas parties etc.

[Peggy Sue]

I'm the only one here on that green mission too. But I keep going and pointing out the money savings, and get called eco-warrior!!

[possum]

I would say, first of all stop lecturing them, you are getting nowhere and probably being counter productive.
Also accept that there are valid arguments against climate change being caused by man, don't ridicule their beliefs or you will just alienate them, you wnat them to respect your opinion, so even if you don't agree with it you need to respect theirs. I personally think there are a lot of arguments supportin this - the climate has changed many times long before man was on the planet. But anyway regardless of its cause, I still want to live an environmentally friendly sustainable life. Don't get hung up on this issue if they are convinced that it isn't down to man. Pick another topic that is more black and white - river and sea polution, high electricity bills, landfill etc etc

The old phrase money talks is a good one, put together figures on the savings for themselves and the company for being more environmentally friendly.

If you have the support of management, get them to run a competition to see who can come up with the best environmental/cost saving idea

[Thomzo]

We have water dispensers here. There are plastic cups by the side of them. When I first started I brought in a water bottle and just filled it up and kept it on my desk. I didn't say anything but lots of people saw me do it and commented on what a good idea it was and copied me. I just said it was much easier to fill it up once than keep running backwards and forwards to the water dispenser.

I do think that if people don't care then they aren't going to listen to any environmental reasoning. They only way to get them to change is to point out how it makes their life easier.

Zoe

[Peggy Sue]

We have a water dispenser too, I keep the same cup for a week but I'm hoping I can get them to agree to buying a few glasses (there are only a handful of us) which would be cost effective, I don't mind washing up!

[QuakerBear]

Thanks Chaps. I feel really boosted now.

A couple of you have suggested taking the economic route and I really think that's a good way to approach the problem. I've also come up with the idea of advertising ourselves as a more eco friendly business (I've been asked to promote the business abit), which of course means we must become more eco friendly in the first place. I really think it might work.

One big success is that someone else in the office has asked for a recycling bin at their desk. It's not actually a bin, it's an old cardboard box that I decorate with collages of bits of coloured paper I've scavenged from the waste paper. Sounds naff but looks rather good actualy, I'm hoping they become fashionable.

Anyway, thank you all for your support I'll keep going and good luck and God Bless to you all.