If you are passionate about the environment then it’s likely you’ll want your friends and family to embrace the green lifestyle too. However, it’s not always easy to convince someone to go green. Here are a few tips to get them around to your way of thinking.
It’s not that difficult
Tell them they can start off small by recycling and taking showers rather than baths. From there they can start to think about switching energy providers or starting to buy locally grown food rather than items that have been flown halfway around the world.
Give them a few practical tips to get them started. They can start small and only change one element of their lifestyle at a time.
They’ll save money
Most people in these harsh economic times are motivated by money. Living the green lifestyle can really help save a few pennies at home. So, tell them exactly how they can save money by using real-life, everyday examples, such as:
- Driving more economically will allow their car to do more miles on a tank of fuel while reducing carbon emissions. Furthermore, as well as with fuel, they could also save money on their motoring costs by switching to an eco-friendly, electric vehicle – not only does it abolish fuel costs, but being an owner of one could cut down your insurance costs with insurers such as BudgetDirect. Many companies now look to reward those that make big changes in their lives to become more eco-friendly.
- Only boiling as much water as you intend to use will save on electricity and water bills.
- Wrapping up in a jumper before turning the heating on will save on gas bills.
Tell your story
Let them know how you got into going green and whether or not you wondered if it was a good idea at first. Your story might inspire them to start living a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Especially if you tell them how simple it was.
You should also let them know what triggered you into wanting to switch to a greener lifestyle.
Give them all the facts
You can’t jump into the situation lecturing about global warming and how everyone should be living a green lifestyle.
Give your friends and family all the facts and allow them to make up their own minds about how our lifestyles are affecting our planet. Not everyone believes in global warming so be sure to present two sides to every argument.
The person you are trying to convince will be grateful for your honesty.
Give them real facts and information to back up what you are saying. If you tell them that saving water will save money, give examples. How much could they save by having showers? How many more MPG could they get out of their car by driving 10mph slower on the commute to work?
Answer questions
Offer to answer any questions they might have about the green lifestyle, including how to save money and how their actions affect the environment. They’ll be more likely to stick with something if they have someone to talk to about it all.
You don’t have to be a font of knowledge about everything from how paper gets recycled to the effects we are having on the ozone layer. Just share your experiences and what you’ve learnt from your own green way of life.
If I am at a social event, such as my sisters wedding this past weekend or the BBQ at a friends this past weekend, I usually have a smile on my face. This smile is not fake, although it may seem that way to others. One thing I have found out about myself is that I feed off of other people’s energies, that means if I am around friendly people who are kind then my smile is permanent and real because I am full of that happy energy. This happy energy usually leads me to talk really fast, ramble about everything and not want to leave for the happy energy is simply something I love being around.
In the past I have always felt that negative energy & tried to make those negative people change. Assist them in a new, positive direction but I found out the hard way that we can not change another person nor can do more than simply attempt to enlighten them with positive vibes. It’s up to that negative person to take action for their own self, just as I did years ago. My mission is not to force change upon those who are not ready to be changed, my mission is to help change those who want to think happier, be more positive and truly see the good a positive energy source can do!