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We often wonder if we really have power; if our little gestures are worth it.
What's the point of refusing that plastic straw or going so far as to use washable toilet paper when there are probably 7 billion people who make no effort anyway?
Everyone has said that to themselves one day, right?
I thought about this for a long time myself.
WE WILL NOT MAKE EFFORT IF THE EFFORT IS TOO GREAT
Telling you to stop eating meat when you're a fan of steaks and roast chicken, even if it's for the sake of the environment, will just turn you off the cause.
And if someone takes away your roll of toilet paper and says “fix it”, you won’t find it funny.
Those are too big steps, too quickly.
You have to start with small gestures. And at its core, it's all about comfort and ease.
Let's say the straw is made of cardboard and cardboard straws disgust you because they decompose a little in your mouth when you drink; you will think twice before accepting it next time! This is when you will consider finding a reusable straw of your liking and bringing it everywhere, in case you come across a damn cardboard straw.
Comfort.
Snack bags. We agree that between buying a pack of Ziplocs or ordering superb snack bags made in Quebec for lunches, the second choice, eco-friendly, local and delivered to your home is much more fun!
Ease.
In short, we have to start with actions where we say to ourselves: “well, I can do that for the environment”.
Let's say recycling. Easy!
ONCE YOU'VE MADE ONE SMALL ACTION, WE'RE READY FOR ANOTHER
Cut the beef this lunch and try Beyond Meat, just for fun.
Then another…
Buy a bar soap instead of a shower gel in a plastic bottle.
Afterwards, we realize that there are even small gestures that are better for us!
Like for example (yes, I'm going to say it): the Bateau Bateau handkerchiefs which prevent your nose from being in tatters.
Or even: the washable menstrual bottle which means that we never again stain our sheets at night with cracked butt discharge. (Never have sanitary napkins, even the longest maxi-night-worse ones, managed to avoid this recurring problem)
You may not realize it, but there are a host of small ecological gestures which are liberating, pleasant, which do not interfere with your comfort and do not change your lifestyle habits that much. And they are the ones we must find and do first.
And by opening ourselves more and more to these possibilities, we realize that we ourselves have become a little greener.
Our next pride; reduce our amount of waste. Reduce our footprint.
And when we take a little moment in the middle of the journey to look at everything we have accomplished, we find ourselves with 50 million people beside us who are looking at us (too) with astonishment. Wow, we are not alone! And do you know what is beautiful? Behind these 50 million people, there are children who follow in the footsteps of their parents and for whom all these actions have become normal in their daily lives.
YES, SMALL GESTURES HAVE AN IMPACT
They may not have a direct impact on the environment, but they do impact:
Your state of mind.
This shift in mindset will give you the openness you need to make bigger changes.
Your entourage.
Seeing your efforts; to see your beautiful snack bags, to test your bidet and find it cool or even to try your tissues once and notice that they are really softer... they will open and in turn set an example for others. But it's like RRSPs, you have to start early if we want to see the curve rise exponentially and if we want our small gestures to become big quickly so that they really have an impact! I'll tell you about these big gestures next week. In the meantime, if you want to share your ideas for small gestures with others, the comments are open to you!
