Good families go green | Queen of Green | David Suzuki Foundation

Have you got what it takes to coach five families to move beyond apathy to action? (Credit: Tovah Paglaro)

I'm into exploring "how to's," from choosing eco-friendly flowers to recycling cell phones. But how to combat apathy? Answer: a good coach.

According to this article, apathy sets in when you forget what you want. Maybe you don't have goals? Or you're working on the wrong ones!

I know a good coach can get me unstuck. Last spring, I trained four amazing, green living coaches to lead five families each in a "How to combat apathy" boot camp. (Okay, we didn't call it that.) The idea was to propel participants out of "What can I do?" mode. And we did it!

Families like the Popes of St. Albert, Randalls of North Vancouver, and the Strobels of Waterloo plowed through eight weeks of gritty tips and no-nonsense advice. The results were amazing:

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• About half said coaching made a difference, that they learned green living skills, were now able to effect positive change, and got advice to share with family and friends.
• Three-quarters said they were able to reduce household waste. Many embraced litterless lunches for kids, two families started composting, one now avoids take-out food containers, and another switched from being a "paper towel monster" to reusable cloths and rags.
• Three-quarters also reduced their exposure to toxics in products. Many now read labels and use the Dirty Dozen shopper's guide. Ten families switched to nontoxic home cleaners.
• About 70 per cent now make greener food choices. Many planned Meatless Monday's, vegan potlucks, and a few joined Community Supported Agriculture farms and bulk food buying co-ops. One family planted a veggie garden, another put up a bee house and bath, a third started cooking more from scratch, and a fourth started to grow food within public green spaces.
• About two-thirds went on to promote green living in their communities. A few families hosted green cleaning workshops, a group now gets together regularly for a play date potluck at a local park, and a few attended their first City Council meeting ever! One family joined the environment club at their child's school, another held a block party, and a third organized a garage sale with proceeds going to a charity.
• Almost all (95 per cent) said they had fun, too!

Congratulations everyone!

Have you got what it takes to coach five families to move beyond apathy to action?

Comment on this blog for a chance to participate in my next coaching session, starting in late September.

Sincerely,
Lindsay Coulter, Queen of Green

Source: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/blogs/queen-of-green/2012/08/good-families-go-green/

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