Self-perpetuating Sustainability
An observation: a person who is remotely interested in some aspect of sustainability, for personal or work purposes, tends to start to delve deeper and broader into the concept.
When interconnections are exposed, it’s natural to want to follow them to their beginnings or ends. Except, with sustainability, you’re not likely to ever “get” to a start or finish. And, that is what makes it so compelling (at least for me!). When you can engage someone with an aspect of sustainability that speaks specifically to them, the door has opened, and it’s up to you (as a change agent) to keep the relevant information flowing so people (consumers) learn and want more.
Take the “frugality” route to sustainability (demonstrated by so many consumers in this recessionary spell), for instance: Perhaps a person has long been influenced by their parents’ or grandparents’ depression-era ways of using the last drop of everything and filling an extra room with all the bags, crates, containers and… newspapers (?) that they just KNOW they’ll eventually use again. That is just who they are. But, wait… point out to this person that it is actually “green” or sustainable behavior, and doesn’t a new attitude emerge? Suddenly this lone, frugal person is instead part of a larger community of like-minded people! The things they’ve always done are now cool and trendy, and other people are madly reading up to learn how to do the same. Wow! Get that sort of energy going and you better believe a tad more attention to sustainability (what they are already doing and what more they can do) will emerge.
On the corporate end of things, we could tell a similar story: Just think about that very traditional company that has long been innovative about fuel efficiency and saving energy, with no “green” about it. (Come on – these are SERIOUS business types!) In fact, they probably haven’t even mentioned it in their ad campaigns or on their site, up until they hired a sustainability communications specialist, that is. Suddenly, this whole green thing becomes relevant and applicable to who they are and why they do things. This is not to say that they are sustainability paragons overnight, but to say that once a company realizes it is already, even a small bit, on a greener path, corporate decision-makers loosen up a little. Their eyes are opened to just how much more money they might be able to save while doing well by the planet, and – oh yeah – being able to show consumers that they really ARE on a sustainable journey, as well.
All of this is just to encourage those of you out there who are involved in trying to engage more people and organizations in this direction. As I see it, once a measure of sustainability is exposed, the drive/inspiration to see more of your business or life practices through that lens will not let up. The one seed sows more.
