Fantastic Friday – Great Earth Day video to share

If a picture is worth a thousand words, than some of the great eco-friendly videos that are out there online are worth millions.
Here is a great one I found today from EPAGOV

The Original Earth Day – an idea Planted for the Planet

It’s inspiring to me to read about the history of Earth Day, primarily because the seed for Earth Day was planted by one man.

Back in 1970, this one man, Gaylord Nelson, who was a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, was so concerned about the environmental problems of the times, that he announced the idea of a “national teach-in on the planet” to educate the masses about many of the environmental problems the world was facing. Nelson gathered a small group to help get his idea started: Congressman Pete McCloskey as his co-chair; Denis Hayes as his national coordinator and a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land.

Keep in mind, this was before email and cell phones, Facebook and twitter. But the actions of this small team of 88 people opened the eyes of the entire world.

As a result, on the 22nd of April (1970), 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies.

The first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. "It was a gamble," Gaylord recalled, "but it worked." (Earthday.org website)

It is hard to pick up a newspaper or get on the internet without seeing evidence of how this man’s “gamble” has paid off. Businesses and corporations, big and small, are pledging money to environmental groups. Celebrities are putting their names behind their favorite causes. Rallies and events are already being held throughout the country and the world.

According to Wikipedia, Earth Day is now observed on April 22 each year by more than 500 million people and several national governments in 175 countries, but if you visit the EarthDay.org website, you’ll see that the numbers are probably much higher than that.

The point that I hope you will take away from all of this is the power that YOU have, as an individual, to make a difference. Gaylord Nelson took a gamble back in 1970 by planting the seed for Earth Day. Now, we all have the opportunity to help keep this idea growing.

As a Green Gardener, here are some suggestions for how to influence others on Earth Day.

Or you can visit the EarthDay.org website for other ideas about what you can do.

Whatever you decide to do, I encourage you to use the power of social media to let others know about it. Facebook, twitter and other forms of social media are the perfect fertilizers to help keep your positive ideas growing.

Painting the Town Green – How to Influence Others on Earth Day and Everyday

“People don't resist change, they resist being changed.” - Peter M. Senge

I saw a Facebook discussion this weekend in which a gardener was concerned about a neighbor who was spraying chemicals in an adjacent yard on a windy day. The discussion soon led to the inevitable question “How do we influence others?”

As eco-friendly gardeners, or as any environmentally concerned citizen, how do we educate, encourage, motivate and influence others, without offending, angering or annoying them? This, of course, is the answer we all want and need, and it is probably the obvious one: The best way to influence others is to think of what it takes for something to influence us.

What would it take to get you to change YOUR mind about something? Certainly not criticism or condemnation. What, then? What would encourage you to learn? To change? To begin acting differently?

I put some thought into what tactics might influence me, and here are the tips I came up with:

16 tips to help encourage more “green” gardeners

1) Get rid of the attitude "It's My Way or the Highway" - Extreme environmental opinions are a sure way to turn many people off.

2) Do it for them, not for you – It’s easy to look at someone else’s actions and see how they may be negatively affecting you. But that’s probably not the best attitude to take when trying to influence others. Adopt the attitude that you want to help them learn, NOT that you just want them to stop what they are doing.

3) Make friends with them – Most of us are more readily influenced by friends than by strangers. If you want to influence your neighbors, take the time to get to know them. Knock on their door. Smile. Introduce yourself. Take them some flowers or produce from your garden or some homemade cookies.

4) Find out what motivates them - By getting to know someone, you can determine what it will take to influence them. Talk about nature. Talk about money, family, health or yard work. See which topics spark their interest. Knowing how they feel about these topics will let you know what tack to take in educating them.

5) Adopt the “We’re in this together” attitude – Don’t assume the role of educator . No matter how much you think you know about eco-friendly gardening, you probably don’t know everything. Take the approach of learning with them, not teaching them.

6) Ask for advice, don’t give it –Instead of saying “Why are you spraying those awful poisons all over your yard” try asking their advice instead. Say “Do you know anything about eco-friendly pest control? I’m trying to cut down on the chemicals in my yard.”

7) Compliment them – Take a look around their yard and pick out some of the best features. Compliment them on the aspects you see that are eco-friendly. Do you see butterflies? Is there mulch in the garden? Are there permeable paths? They may be helping the environment and not even be aware of it. Teach them by complimenting the benefits of what they are already doing.

8) Keep your own yard looking nice – One of the best ways to influence others is by example. And as green gardeners, one of the best examples we can set is to keep our own yards tidy. In an article, Why Visual Appeal Matters , which I found on a Sierra Club website, writer Arvind Kumar says this: “your garden influences people every time someone walks by or drives by. People form impressions and opinions based on what they see; they are much more likely to emulate you if their impression is favorable”.

9) Show and tell – Invite them to your yard. Show them the things that you have already learned about eco-friendly gardening. Show them how beautiful native plants can be. Explain how your rain barrel works. Show them the caterpillars munching away in your garden and explain to them that they will soon be beautiful butterflies which help pollinate the flowers.

10) Make it about people , not about the planet - Studies show that people are more willing to make the right environmental choices if they understand the benefits to people, instead of the planet. Share what you have learned about the personal, physical dangers of pesticides or herbicides rather than more abstract ideas such as global warming.

11) Share the green goods– Nothing tastes better than fresh, home grown food. If you grow your own fruits, vegetables or herbs, share them with your neighbors or bake them into scrumptious snacks to share. If you have some extra insecticidal soap or other eco-friendly products, offer to share them. Or share your recipes for home-made products. If you have a rooted cutting or seedlings of a native plant, share it with them. Explain the benefits. If you are going to pick up a load of free compost, offer to share it with them, too.

12) Get their kids involved – Your neighbors may not be excited by your earthworms , hummingbirds and butterflies, but their kids probably will be. Converting the kids is often the best way to convert the parents.

13) Challenge them – Friendly competition is a great motivator. Once they start their “green” gardening, make it a competition. Take our Eco-Friendly Landscape Quiz together and compare scores. Participate in critter counts or other Citizen Science programs together. See who can attract the most birds and butterflies or who can achieve all of the steps necessary to get their yard recognized in a certification program such as the NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat Program.

14) Offer to lend a hand – You may have already learned the steps to install a rain barrel or start a compost pile. Offer to help your neighbor with theirs.

15) Show them the money (savings) –Explain how rain barrels can save money. Tell them about some of the local rebate programs or where they can get free mulch in the area.

16) Share The Metro DC Lawn and Garden blog and other websites - There is a lot of great information available online. Sharing some of your favorite blogs and websites with them is a great way to help them learn more on their own. Maybe they’ll even learn something that they can teach YOU!

It's Earth Day - Pick a Cause, Any Cause

As a baby-boomer, ex-hippie, I've been celebrating Earth Day longer than some of my readers have probably been around. Like many, I am still over-whelmed by the questions that "being green" presents on a daily basis.

Is it better to rinse plastic bags and re-use them, or does it really make sense to waste that water? Are cfl's good now, or have we decided they are bad? Is it okay to turn my A/C down a few degrees in the heat of the summer if my middle-age hot flashes are making me downright miserable?

This year, I was inundated with emails about "new" green products and techniques that PR reps were clammering to draw a little attention to. For someone trying to make the right environmentally friendly decisions, the options can be overwhelming.

A study conducted in 2008 indicated that having too many choices can actually result in people not making any decision at all:

Having choices is typically thought of as a good thing. Maybe not, say researchers who found we are more fatigued and less productive when faced with a plethora of choices. 

Researchers from several universities have determined that even though humans’ ability to weigh choices is remarkably advantageous, it can also come with some serious liabilities. 

People faced with numerous choices, whether good or bad, find it difficult to stay focused enough to complete projects, handle daily tasks or even take their medicine.

So in order to help ease the burden of those who think that "being green" is too stressful, here are a few tips from a boomer who's been there:

1. Protecting the Planet is not a competition. Don't make it one: It's a little frustrating to me that there are so MANY organizations out there (each with their own website) that are trying to be the SINGLE number one source of info for protecting the planet. Wow! What power we would have if we all worked together instead of trying to compete! Let's try to look at it that way.
2. It's the Ecology, stupid. Not the economy: Keep a wary eye on the websites that claim to be trying to protect the planet when they are obviously just trying to sell a product.
3. Good green deeds deserve recognition: There are many people and organizations that devote countless hours of their lives trying to help others make the right decisions for the planet. If you can afford to make a donation to their cause or volunteer time for any of their projects, do it. Many of these organizations, including some great eco-friendly bloggers, allow you to make donations through their websites. Keep in mind that some of the smaller groups (and individuals) can really use your support more than the larger ones. Personally, I don't make a donation to groups that spend more money each year TRYING to get me to donate (by sending free wrapping paper, calendars and greeting cards) than I can afford to even give. If you can't afford to donate time or money, a few kind words sent in an email message in support of what they are doing can go a long way in keeping eco-activists energized. Even something as simple as liking their Facebook page and commenting every now and then or subscribing to their blog helps to show that you care.
4. We are all still in the learning stages when it comes to protecting the planet. Teach each other: I'm certainly not an expert on anything. Are you? If you are, then great. Share that knowledge with others. Instead of condemning an incorrect opinion or action, offer to share your knowledge or expertise. Environmental groups AND green bloggers are always looking for contributions from experts.
5. You can't do everything, but you can do something: The Earth Day network is running a campaign called A Billion Acts of Green in which they ask readers to post what action they Pledge to commit to for a greener planet. Pick one or add your own. You DON'T have to try to do all One Billion of them. Here's mine: 

By creating an eco-friendly landscape, I pledge to: eliminate chemicals,  conserve water,  create compost,   

choose plants compatible with my site conditions,   cut down on stormwater runoff and garden for wildlife.

Create an Eco-Friendly Garden