As I really enjoyed the four documentaries they played, they also had short clips in between the movies on other environmental efforts. And while asking the opinions of my roommates, who are average college students not familiar with local agriculture, found that these small clips were what really got their attention.
One clip in particular that I enjoyed was by Volkswagen called “The Fun Theory.” Most everyday people do not even realize when they are being environmentally harmful, but just do it because it is what they are used to. “The Fun Theory” by Volkswagen makes those environmentally better choices easier by incorporating fun into them. In this particular example, an average stair case next to an escalator was replaced with a keyboard, which played a different note at every stair. With this in place, more people took the stairs rather than the elevator; because it was fun and appealing. I feel that simple ideas such as this one would be a very good way to encourage everyday people to make decisions that are more environmentally friendly, without even realizing it. These are the very ideas that can help reduce the cultural norms that implicate harm on our environment.
Another small clip was about a Youth for Environmental Change Group. They were passing out CFC light bulbs while announcing how florescent light bulbs are better for the environment. This front line activism is a simple way to get people’s attention and to encourage people to make simple changes to their lifestyle. Using a compact fluorescent light bulb over a regular one can save up to 600 lbs of coal a year.
I will be traveling to Italy in May to also participate in front line activism, where I will be contributing to a sustainability fair in central Rome. My group and I will be conducting workshops to help the Italians be more environmentally friendly. Some of our main goals are to have people reuse everyday waste. For example, making vases out of old wine bottles, or using broken plates to make a mosaic. If we are successful in this mission, we will have people look at trash in a different way, which I think could make a big impact on the environment. This new mindset combined with waste technologies will help our planet move to a zero-waste policy.
Essentially, I feel that every environmental effort, from passing out free light bulbs, to our garden here on campus, are the grassroots efforts that will drive the environmental movement and lead our community, society, and globe to an eco-friendly environment. It is the community efforts from where it all begins, and they hold the power to make lasting changes.
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