Friday, February 22, 2008

Manage Carbon Footprint Overload

This is a short cautionary post and something of a note to myself as a reminder that all things should be done in moderation. It’s okay to take up the championing of a worthwhile cause such as reducing your carbon footprint while doing your best to raise awareness about the benefits of energy efficiency. But don’t take things too far or you’ll risk having the opposite effect on people.

They say there’s nothing worse than a reformed smoker for taking the moral high ground when around people who still haven’t kicked the habit. The same could possibly be said of people who have recently come to the realisation that we are damaging the planet with our daily lives. No one likes to have perceived faults shoved down their throat at every opportunity, and haranguing people to change their lifestyle to a more eco-friendly one could be the biggest mistake you can make.

It’s all about subtlety. People will change when they want to change. A hint here, a comment about how much money you’re saving on your energy bill there and pretty soon you’ll find that another environmentally conscious newcomer is calculating their carbon footprint.

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