2017 came and went with some crazy and unbelievable stories. To much of our chagrin, the world is not calming down. Consumption is increasing. Pollution is getting worse. National Parks and Monuments seem to be getting smaller these days, not larger. What should we all do rather than look the other direction and ignore these problems? Be smart, be a good human, and plan.
Overall, be a good human being.
Be good to yourself. Eat well, get enough sleep, exercise, spend quality time with friends, and call your mother. Be a good to your neighbor. Buy girl scout cookies, shop local, hold the door, smile to strangers, and donate to organizations that do good. Be good to the planet. You know what to do. Eat less meat or cut it out, recycle everything, cut the plastic, and just reduce your footprint. If you are reading this you probably are already making strides in the right direction. If you can influence someone else, then you are a real star.
Pick one project and pour your heart into it.
2017 gave lots of my friends and colleagues advocacy fatigue. It seemed everyone was spreading themselves too thin between the cascade of social, political, and environmental issues that never seemed to end. So for 2018, just be smart and don’t burn out. Step 1, be a good human. Step 2, choose one project and do it well- start with the “low hanging fruit” to reduce your barrier of entry. Want some examples of environmental projects you can start on tomorrow?
- Choose one restaurant, talk to the manager or owner, and ask them to not automatically give a straw and cocktail napkin for every drink they serve. Have their policy be by request only.
- Local store? Ask them to do the same with bags, or to switch from plastic to paper.
- Small coffee shop? Ask them to replace plastic straws with paper.
- Convince friends, local school, or your office mates to keep electronics like computers and TVs on power strips and flick them OFF when they are done. That is a no-brainer for cost saving alone.
- Ask colleagues to bring their spare mugs and cutlery to work so you can have a small collection in the kitchen and cut out the disposable cups and utensils.
- Want more ideas? Contact us.
If you manage the small projects, then go big.
Everyone you know agrees they should live more green- sometimes they just need that nudge. If you get one success story, don’t stop there. From influencing one restaurant, move onto a chain of stores or coffee shops, there will be an exponential change to your efforts. Or better yet, get involved with local government, sit on a Board, and be a positive gear in an already moving policy machine.
Just be smart, be a good human, plan on one project, and do it well.
If you have any questions or need other ideas, feel free to reach out to me personally. If it sweetens the pot, I am happy to give shout outs or free advertising to any business that changes their operations in a greener direction. If there is any way SEVENSEAS Media can help amplify your impact, do not hesitate to reach out.
SEVENSEAS Media Thanks You
SEVENSEAS Media is the leading free resource that promotes marine conservation through community engagement, online media, and eco-tourism, with readers in 174 countries. We are asking you to please keep SCIENCE at the forefront of your conversations with family, friends, and colleagues. Encouraging them to subscribe to free products and programs like SEVENSEAS Media actually makes a difference by promoting scientific discussion and shining a spotlight on the good work of our partners in conservation.
We would like to thank all our readers and donors for your continued support. Without your generosity SEVENSEAS Media would not be able to continue publishing the work of so many conservation partners and provide capacity building to organizations across the globe, regardless of their size or budget. It is our aim to continue to connect individuals within, and outside of, the marine conservation and eco-travel community while bringing you news, science, jobs, art, and adventure. To make a donation to SEVENSEAS Media in your name or someone else’s please go here. If you would like me to send a personalized thank you note via email or traditional post, for a gift of any size, please include that information in the comments of your donation or email me at giacomo@sevenseasmedia.org
Thank you and happy holidays!
Giacomo Abrusci, Founder
