One Million Acts of Green

Upon putting together a presentation on this topic for my Sustainability and Community Relations class I learned a few very interesting facts and it really made me think about the Human Networking Effect.

David Suzuki started the Nature Challenge four years ago. This involves and individual visiting his website, and signing up after completing 10 green acts. Thus far he has had approximately 400,000 people sign up. Hmm, now that I think about it that is equal to 4 million acts....not too bad. Anyway, the OMAoG program reached a million in less than four months (105 days). Wowzers. The exact reason for the success I am unsure of, although I do have some speculations. The nature Challenge required one to complete ten acts, this was likely too much commitment for many people as it is a big first step. OMAoG only required an individual to do one act, well actually you could sign up without doing any. Once people are sign up they may discover that it is not all that bad and end up committing ten, however they have taken small steps at a time.

Also David Suzuki did not really utilize the media to advertise, sure at the end of an article he may have thrown in a line like, visit my site and sign up. However, this was nothing compared to the exposure gained of OMAoG on the hour. TV, lots of air time, and celebrities all contributed.

On the topic of Celebrities, just because I see a famous individual involved doesn't mean I am immediately going to run out and follow suit. However, seeing multiple celebrities kind of sets it as a norm, people are always looking around to see what others are doing and they may decide, "hey I just saw 6 people join up....some of them famous, maybe I should check it out."

It is also very intriguing how fast word can spread. Almost like a small town, sometimes everyone knows about something that happened to you before you hardly even realize that it has happened. I tell five people, they tell 5, and they tell five equals a grand total of 125, all because one person told five others. I think that word of mouth is the best advertising one can get, just as long as they can get it started with something interesting.

Anyway, a quick bit about OMAoG. Go to http://green.cbc.ca/, sign up (all you need is your email) and do one act. That is all I ask, oh ya and tell 5 of your friends about it!!

Super easy to make a difference, even if you are already doing something and have been for 5 years, put it down and count it. Try a new act, and remember it all starts with one small step...and the only way to get things going is by taking that initial step.

The Railway

Trains were once a main source of transportation among communities, and provinces nationwide. Even here in Victoria there was a rail line that ran from the Northern peninsula down to Sooke which is now known as the Galloping Goose, a bike trail. Why one wonders?

Recently local politicians pushed to renew the E&N rail line for freight and commuters. The rail line runs 225 kms along the island, and rehabilitation would be environmentally, economically and socially beneficial. As stated in our environmental relations class, each hour of commuting decreases social capital by 10%. This is mainly because people are in separate vehicles, and focused on driving (hopefully). If they were to be on a train they could read the paper, do office/home work or even chat with their neighbor all the while efficiently lowering GHG's, avoiding traffic congestion and getting to work quicker. I think a light commuter train would be very beneficial, even if just connecting the western communities to downtown. A 40 minute, dangerous drive in traffic or a safe 10 minute train ride to get to work?

I wonder why we have lost such an efficient mode of transport? Is it just because everyone can afford to have their own vehicles? I always thought it would be so wonderful to have a car that drove it-self, you know had a auto-pilot. Hmmm, now that I think of it I guess you could call that the train, or bus. Whether one has a nap, reads the paper, eats breakfast or gets a head start on the work day they would definitely be able to utilize time that would be otherwise wasted by driving.

Social Capital and Communities

A 1998 study of social capital in North America demonstrated that there were various correlations between it and peoples actions within society. One trend line showed that as Social Capital increased so did high school students performance, another showed that the child welfare index rose with an increase of social capital. Low social capital was also related to higher rates in crime and the amount of TV that kids (Grades 4 & 8) watched. There were also apparent trends that related civic equality and economic equality to social capital.

I find this all very interesting as one wouldn't think that social capital could have such a great impact on a community. Although, now that I think of it I guess I can relate to my high school experiences. The students involved in the Student Representative Council typically were in the upper percentile for school performance. Out of the guys that I played sports with none were really big into TV or gamming. It seemed the more involved an individual was the better they did both academically and socially, many carrying on to pursue successful carriers in life. At times I wondered why my parents made me get involved or play sports. Sometimes it was against my own will, but now looking back I am very glad that I was involved as much as I was, and I believe that it has greatly helped me in life after school.

So, I do agree that social capital is a crucial element of happy and successful people. As people feel, trust and safety they are connected and participate in their community, developing a high social capital and this strong social capital is a catalyst for good things to come.