how many people have you changed?

I was just wondering that we, th members of this forum are all very environmentally concsious and I am sure we all do what we preach…
But then there are so many people around us, our family friens, children, husband/ wife who may not be as alert as we are. So are any of you really trying hard to change others perspective…and the way they do things?

I would really like to hear your anecdotes and even take some useful inspirational hints….

I work on my students, but I have to be careful. Too much negative information and “doomsday if we don’t do this” scenarios can overwhelm them. They feel powerless when they hear too many depressing news items.

You are right lyndsey..if you say too much on a subject people really start considering you as a nono stop preacher…so u do have to be careful as what to say when and how…but still a little effort may go a long way and as you say they are students..young people are more open to new ideas than older ones so it is really a good thing to try and change their perspective…

I don’t preach, people preaching at me usually makes me want to do the opposite. I try to set a good example and to do my bit to take care of the environment.

Practice is definitely better than preaching…and that may help people look at issues a different way…

It took a few years, but now my mum eats vegie-bacon exclusively, and so does my sister-in-law. They had a munch on some of my vegie-bacon, liked the taste and then saw how much less fat there was in them. Voila! It only took about ten years and it’s a little step, but I’ll take my triumphs where i may…:rolleyes:

I have actually gotten my inlaws to have their own garden. They have also taken to the idea of taking their own bags to the grocery store.

It took a few years, but now my mum eats vegie-bacon exclusively, and so does my sister-in-law. They had a munch on some of my vegie-bacon, liked the taste and then saw how much less fat there was in them. Voila! It only took about ten years and it’s a little step, but I’ll take my triumphs where i may…:rolleyes:

My daughter has been a veggie for about nine years and she has gradually influenced the way the family eat quite significantly. We have many more meat free meals and we are more thoughtful about what we eat.

I host working holiday makers via wwoof, so I hope that our guests go away inspired and perhaps better informed than when they arrived.

that is great green moo…I beleive we all can really do little things that can essentially change the way other people look at the world…and as mollyl says…it may take ten years but atleast it is a change…

I don’t try to change people, but I hear all the time that I do… I am passionate about my job, which is working with endangered sea turtles and shore birds the habitats they utilize. I just talk with people who seem interested, and let my love for my work come through. I was greatly surprised to see/read of the impact I had on people recently — they sent letters to my employer about me in such numbers that my boss’s got upset… but the letters were all very positive. I guess that just shows that we change people’s views by being a living example, not by preaching.

I did alot of volunteering at my local Obama office and all day long I was having very interesting conversations. I talked to hundreds of people about the environment in general, the candidates and their stands in specific, breaking news of all sorts. I don’t think I’ve had such interesting natters in a long time, and I learned alot and imparted what I could. Of all the people I talked to this election season, I know I changed at least four people about their presidential choice, a dozen on various ballot measures, and influenced a few more on veggieness and our beautiful world and how it should be treated.
Well, it’s all over now. Obama won (!), and now the real work begins.

I don’t preach, people preaching at me usually makes me want to do the opposite. I try to set a good example and to do my bit to take care of the environment.

I agree. I generally do the opposite of what someone preaches at me to do. I generally try to influence others by example as much as possible.

I think volunteering for activities asuch as saving the turtles is a great way to show the whole world about your care for the environment and thus also influence other friends and family to join in…this is no preaching…