KAPOOKABABY

Jan 19 2012

Speak up! The world is listening

Misschu Sydney

Last week I stumbled across a cute little cafe called Misschu, down an alley near Bondi Beach. As I sat down and ordered a coffee, I noticed on the table a holding cup full of disposable chopsticks. It’s not something that would have struck me before, but since starting work at Greenpeace I’ve become aware of how disposable chopsticks seriously eats into our forest resources.

Then I took a look around at the tables of other patrons. Their food was being served in throwaway cardboard boxes. My coffee arrived served in a takeaway cup, even though I was eating in. And this bothered me. What a waste! I was used to seeing that prevalence of disposable packaging in Asia but I had always given Australia credit for being fairly environmentally conscious. (Note, this was a Vietnamese eatery and thus took aesthetic cues from that habit.)

I chewed my bottom lip. Do I say something? I wanted to but I was certain the waitress would roll her eyes at me and think to herself, “here we go, another one of those annoying greenies.”

Well, I figured I could bring it up nicely, and that nothing ever changed in this world without someone speaking up. And maybe they have a legitimate reason for the throwaway packaging. That’s the other great thing about speaking up – sometimes you’re wrong, and you learn something new.

I inquired with the waitress and she looked at me embarrassed and apologetic. “Quite a few people have mentioned that, but that’s just how this place has been setup. As a [take-away] canteen.”

While it may appear that my words had little effect, who knows. It has joined the words of other ‘speaker-uper-ers’ past and future that will perhaps accumulate to the point in which Misschu’s owner decides to offer a non-disposable option for diners eating in.

Vegetarianism too is something that dawned on me slowly (technically I’m more of a “social meat-eater”, in the same way that some people are “social drinkers” or “social smokers”.) It was like losing contact with a friend, but realizing that maybe it’s for the best. There was a major contributing factor to this new found eating habit. I became friends with a vegetarian couple, even living with them for one month while I was homeless. The guy of the couple was quite hectoring about vegetarianism. He’d rattle off statistics and facts about the environmental benefits of vegetarianism, or more often, lecture me on the health dangers of eating meat.

Sometimes he’d say things like, “One day we’re going to think of meat the same way we think of cigarettes. There’s going to be sold in the 18+ section with warning labels all over them.”

At the time I though little of it, and would humor him by nodding with eyes glazed over. Little did I know his words were squirreling their way into my mind. His nagging motherly ways finally got to me.

Other small factors: many of my workmates and other friends are vegetarian and in eating with them I was introduced to a lot of yummy vegetarian dishes. And now that I’m cooking for myself more, meat dishes is more expensive.

In activism, it’s not uncommon to face the question, “but don’t you think this is all a waste of time? People won’t listen. Or they’ll listen, but they won’t actually change.” I like to remind people:

1. You don’t know what impact your words or actions might have. Just as I, at the time, seemed pretty unresponsive to my vegetarian friend’s lecturing, with much persistence he eventually wore me down.

2. You are one drop, of a large tidal wave. My friend alone probably wouldn’t have converted me into vegetarianism, but together the multitudes of influences did.

Tagged becoming vegetarian, change, misschu, speaking up, sydney dining, vegetarianism

Jan 18 2012

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Is it better to ask citizens to stop bad behaviors or start positive ones?

Yesterday I talked about ‘positive vs. negative messaging‘ in activism, but today I want to talk about something I’m not exactly sure the terms of. But for now I’ll just name it ‘start campaigning’ and ‘stop campaigning’.

‘Stop campaigning’ is all about asking people to stop or reduce how much they do something. ‘Start campaigning’, as you can guess, is all about asking people to start doing something. I’ll use a few examples to illustrate:

Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer incidence in the world, and accordingly also an ongoing skin cancer awareness campaign for over thirty years now. Back when I was a kid in the 80s SunSmart Australia had a super-catchy decade long campaign with the line “Slip! Slop! Slap!”. Even now I can remember what those three words meant – slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, slap on a hat. It’s a great example of ‘start campaigning’. Thanks to this successful campaign Aussies around the country started wearing sunscreen, hats and other protective gear.

According to the SunSmart site, “as the public became more aware of the Slip! Slop! Slap! message, SunSmart began to focus on telling people how they can reduce their skin cancer risk and how to identify changes to their own skin that may be a sign of skin cancers.”

And one of their most recent television ads is a good example of ‘stop campaigning’, with the message being ‘stop tanning because it’s unsafe’.

The environmental movement is a big fan of ‘stop campaigning’. The entire simple living movement is all about reducing one’s possessions, ecological footprint, energy usage etc. While it’s a message that works well with people who feel overwhelmed by modern day materialism and conspicuous consumption, there’s also the danger you’ll come off as a kill-joy.

Recently Emily and I launched ‘The Winter B-icicle Challenge‘, in which we encourage citizens around the world to bike to work or school every day throughout winter. We’ve employed ‘start campaigning’ and I guess the ‘stop campaigning’ equivalent would be World Carfree Day which asks drivers on September 22 to leave their vehicles at home.

While both the ‘Winter B-icicle Challenge’ and ‘World Carfree Day’ have similar goals: stop climate change by reducing the number of CO2 emitting cars on the road, the methods in which we achieve that goal is different. Our ‘start campaign’, I believe, is more fun, and much easier to create content or engagement with the challengers. But at the same time, it’s very specific (we exclude those who might walk or catch public transport) and the environmental messaging isn’t as clear as ‘World Carfree Day’.

In the end, as was the case with the SunSmart campaigns, you need both. You need people to reduce harmful activities (and know why they need to reduce) but they also need to be informed and encouraged to take up positive alternatives.

Tagged activism, campaigning, environmentalism, slip slop slap, start campaigning, stop campaigning, sunsmart, Winter B-icicle Challenge, world carfree day

Jan 17 2012

Positive vs negative messaging in campaigning

Here in activist land, we often talk about ‘positive vs negative messaging’.

Quit smoking ads and skin cancer ads almost always make use of ‘negative messaging’. Sad ads featuring puppies in the RSPCA or starving children in Africa are others examples. It appeals to people’s inborn fears – fear that they’ll die, fear of pain, fear of losing one loved ones, fear of poverty, fear that their life in undeservedly more comfortable than that of others. The hope here is that people become so sad, so guilt-ridden or so afraid that they’ll get up and do something.

It’s a powerful tool because it has the power to move people deeply, but it can be dangerous if overused. People can become ‘turned off’ and thus discouraged.

Environmentalists used negative messaging at the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Summit. Their platform was “it’s now or never” and “this is our last change”. The sense of urgency was meant to instigate change. Of course, nothing miraculous happened at COP15. So with all their chips spent what were environmentalists to say at this year’s climate change talks in Durban? “Um, you know how we said Copenhagen was our last chance? Actually, THIS is our last chance. For reals this time.”

These days most campaigns try and use positive messaging. Positive messaging tries to inspire people to strive for a better and more beautiful world. One of the best examples must be the recent and incredibly successful GetUp! campaign ad. If you haven’t seen it yet, you really should.

It’s simple, beautifully made and leaves you feeling all gooey inside about how awesome love is. No wonder it’s garnered over four million views in less than two months. The campaign for marriage equality usually relies on ‘negative messaging’ – the tone is normally one of indignant anger, or sadness, about the injustice of a homophobic law that bans same-sex marriage. So I think this ad is unusual in that is uses ‘positive messaging’.

In truth, both positive and negative messaging have their place. (Note, when I use the word ‘negative’ that doesn’t mean bad, it’s just a technical term.) And sometimes great campaigns make use of both. Take the Occupy Wall Street poster:

Occupy Wall Street

The rioters at the bottom is ‘negative’ – they represent anger against an injustice system. But the ballerina is ‘positive’ – she inspires us to prevail and create something wonderful.

Tagged activism, campaigning, negative messaging, occupy wall street, positive messaging, poster

Jan 16 2012

A peek into the office of Greenpeace Hong Kong

I recently attended training at the Hong Kong branch of Greenpeace, and snapped some photos of my co-workers, who had also come from the Beijing and Taipei offices. The Hong Kong office is pretty funky – smooth concrete floor, open space office, big windows looking out over Hong Kong’s signature high rises. And the reception features a sculpture that spells out “anti-nuclear” in Chinese along with a stack of yellow nuclear cans.

Hong Kong Greenpeace office

Miles and Jude

Saving climate is not a crime

Greenpeace sign

Zeno in Greenpeace

The dude in the second photo, Miles, looks like the baddest mofo on the planet. But in reality is the gentlest most chilled guy I’ve ever met.

A lot of people are surprised when I tell them that the very large majority of staff in all the East Asia offices are locals, not foreigners. Yes, there are Chinese environmentalists, and they’re a very committed, talented and passionate bunch.

Tagged china, chinese environmentalists, environment, greenpeace, greenpeace east asia, greenpeace hong kong

Jan 12 2012

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The five ways one can change the world

Almost a bulls-eye

Conversations about the woes – the many woes – of the world often end with a throwing up of the hands, a sigh, and a “it’s just all too difficult”, or perhaps a “nothing’s going to change.”

To that I’ve always had a one-word counter argument. Feminism.

We’re by no means living in a post-sexist world, but one cannot deny that if you look back at history, amazing, great strides have been made in regards to women’s rights. In another era, as a woman, I couldn’t own property, I couldn’t vote, I might not have even been able to choose who I wanted to marry.

Women’s rights happened slowly. It was not one singular cause, movement or leader that did it – it was many small battles fought and won over many, many years. It was a multitude of things, seen and unseen. And it required faith that the fight was worth fighting, and that in the end justice would prevail. Even if that justice was unseen – even unseen in one’s own lifetime.

And that is what is required of anyone working for or making difficult choices in the name of a better world. An ability to be satisfied with small wins, and a large degree of faith that the bigger war is heading the right direction.

As Emily and I brainstorm about what to do with Lane Change, I wanted to sit down and really analyze what an individual can do, to bring about positive change. Here’s what I have. Please send in anything you feel I might have left off:

1. In work

Every single person has an opportunity to change the world through the paid work they do. Of course some people will have more opportunities than others. For example, politicians have the power to bring in laws that will radically change the way society operates. The CEOs of major multinationals can transform industries, industry practices, and wipe out or preserve acres of forests, oceans, rivers and mountains with one flick of their hand.

The work and ideas of economists, engineers, scientists, researchers, lawyers, teachers, artists, designers and journalists too have a disproportionately large influence on society. And that influence is a responsibility to civil society and the green earth.

But really, all business owners have the power to change – through the support of certain industry initiatives, or by trying to include (or even better, make central) certain practices and ideas.

And as an employee you can pick who you choose to work for – does the work your company do, and the way in which they do it, align with your values? Remember, working for someone is a form of support!

No matter what your industry, you have a chance to be creative. Creativity is just about new ideas, or new ways of doing things. Don’t accept the status quo. Make an impact by doing something better, and differently.

2. Support, join or start an NGO

There are a million non-profit organizations, charities, lobby and activist groups, unions, co-ops and movements who want you involved. What do they want?

Your time. Volunteer or participate in actions!
Your money. Donate!
Your influence. Can your company align/partner/sponsor?
Your public support. Spread the word!

3. Vote

Despite the gargantuan power that the corporate sector has in our society, the democratic political system is still one of the best (and few) ways that citizens can have their say. Politics is only weak when we choose not to participate in it – one of those chicken-and-the-egg dilemmas. Luckily it also means the more we exercise our political voice, the stronger our political power becomes.

So:

Write or e-mail your local representative.
Join a party, and volunteer your time.
Vote. On behalf of society, for a better future, and for the earth.

4. Make individual changes

Much like your vote in the political system, your purchases act like a “vote” in the corporate sector. By taking into account certain dimensions – not just aesthetics, or good design – but also green design, energy efficiency, consideration of working conditions etc. – you are sending to the corporate world a message of support in regards to certain design, editorial and production choices.

Likewise, choosing to bike instead of ride a car, or consuming less, or altering other aspects of your life, not only contributes to a system of supply and demand, you’re also sending a message to those around you about what kind of life we should be living.

That said, I’m hesitant to emphasize this point because too much emphasis is placed on this already. Individual choices, though important, are not enough alone. They are only effective when working in conjunction with the other points. In fact, I often find them more useful as a form of “daily inspiration”.

5. Express yourself

Don’t be afraid to speak up and tell people what you believe in (that said, gentle persuasion usually beats obstinate hectoring.) You never know what effect it will have. Write, make art, make music, make films and videos. Tweet it, Facebook it. Share the work of other people who you feel have said it better than you could have.

Image (cc) Glenn Waters

Tagged change, changing the world, how to bring about change, positive change