How can you make people realise that being environmentally friendly isn't weird?!

[iwouldgoouttonight]

A lot of my work colleagues and some of my friends think I'm bonkers for trying to be environmentally friendly. I try my best with the basics - using energy saving lightbulbs, saving water, recycling, composting, only driving when necessary, trying to use greener cleaning products, etc (although I know there's still a lot more I could do). But people seem to think its just a hobby of mine and just can't relate to the fact that all their driving, not recycling, etc is going to affect them as well.

I'd say over half of the people I know aren't bothered about it at all, my work colleague is buying yet another huge car and joked that I won't be happy with it seeing as how "I'm in to all that weird green stuff"! Am I being naive in thinking he should take some responsibility for his actions too? I don't want to start telling people how to run their lives, and I'm not expecting everyone to suddenly ditch their cars, buy a wind turbine, etc, but it does depress me to think that for all the people who go to so much effort to try to be environmentally friendly, there seem to be many more people who just don't give a sh*t. It does make me wonder sometimes why I'm bothering.

How can you convince people just to make simple changes without seeming like a self-righteous nag?!

Until our 'leaders' take climate change seriously the majority of the public are going to do sod all about their personal carbon footprint.

I find it deeply depressing how short sighted world leaders are about climate change and tbh it won't make a difference if we all drove smart cars when we have power stations and cheap flights glugging out shite into the atmostphere at a rate of knots. Having said that, if more people cared we might get politicians who care too (though I doubt it as politicians of all colours are the most blatently self-serving bunch of liars).

Sadly we are living in an age of consumerism, and people think that more = good.

Also an age when people think "it doesn't apply to/affect me" and "nothing I do will make a difference so I won't bother.

I was listening to a radio programme yesterday when they were discussing the change to fortnightly rubbish collections. People were talking about triple bagging food waste so prevent smells etc.

Wtf....... how long will that take to biodegrade? Utter madness. We'll be leaving a legacy of gas filled putrid bags on landfill sites.

I realise that some people can't compost, but more councils should set up neighbourhood composting schemes.

I really don't know what the answer is but it worries me.

I agree - it is depressing though - and so scary that politicians probably won't anything about it until its too late. All parties are too scared to do anything 'controversial' in case nobody votes for them!

I found myself getting more obsessed with saving the planet when I had kids and started thinking longer term than my own lifetime (correction - the planet doesn't need saving it will be here a long time after we're gone - I just want somewhere safe for my kids and their kids).

It's so annoying when others don't take responsibility - but I think more and more people are starting to realise they need to do something - slowly!

Being green is very 'in' at my work, we are an eco-school and working towards the next level.The school is full of recycling bins and we have an allotment to grow veg on.MOst of the kids help at some point and are all very good now at using the recycling bins.

My dds school does a lot of recycling and has compost bins/allotment and lots of the kids go home and tell parents!

Pester power is one of the best tools for saving the planet

I've had people make jokes about me - being a 'hippy' (hmm, i quite liked that one!), an earth-mother, even people telling other people IN MY PRESENSE! not to offer me something - food, a gift, a token of somekind - really, not to bother as its not green-enough-for-me.

I tend to see this as more about THEM and their own issues than it ever will be about me and my perceived weirdness. I dont think its possible to change what others do though, just as others cant change what i do. Information, feedback and knowledge helped me (plus an overlooked desire to be smaller on the planet) - that is what i offer people who want to know what i do.

In my eyes, more is not better. Less is lovely. But it took me a long time to get there, and that was only the start.

I know a woman I work with who gets upset when other people are being green because she's been green for years and years and everyone else is just jumping on the bandwagon!

oh, MrsWho, what do you have to do to get to the next level?

I think you are spot on, many adults are a lost cause but kids can see the point a lot better.

In fact, maybe kids will be more determined to be green if their parents are not, the old rebellion-against-everything-parents-stand-for refelx!

Living a low-waste lifestyle is good for your wallet and your wasteline too.

OP, I know exactly where you're coming from! I meet with exactly the same reation at work, my boss took the P out of me a couple of days ago because I was moaning about the total waste of packaging by our company. I felt because, like you say they don't seem to realise it's a problem for us all.
Sorry, don't know how to advise though,wish I had some aswers, I probably do come across as as a self righteous old nag.

I think you just have to keep going, and try and be as normal as possible in your attitude so that people can't accuse you of being some insane hippy. And never ever apologise for your green choices or say " oh I'm just a crazy environmentalist me." And never ever lose it with people who are slloooooooow to realise that some of it is their responsibility. It's really insane isn't it, how SLOOOOOOOOOOOOW people are to catch on - it's like - What you mean I have to actually change my lifestyle? YES YES YES YES you do! But it's baby steps isn't it. People do one thing and it leads to another....i hope.

i love being the green oddball, but slowly people are sloooowly coming to realise that spending thousands of pounds on nappies that are then thrown away is pointless in terms of finance, but also in terms of self-sufficency/refuse.

my greatest achievement is converting my sister away from her 4x4 to riding a bike (and she couldn't ride before). she lives in LONDON and shares a house, but wants to save up and own her own place. she wants to be safe when coming home from work because she does un-socialable hours as a bus driver!

i gave her vouchers to get taught to ride by a schoolofcycling and now she is really enthusiastic about riding her shiny new bike and her car, she is going to get rid of it!

one more thirsty petrol eater off the road!!

majorstress- there is an eco-school-council but they have to work on targets and educate the rest of the school and feedback to parents for a set period of time
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