3.3 Other ways to raise awareness
As it was mentioned earlier, learning is not always planned, structured, or intentional. Therefore, you don’t need to be an educator or volunteer or organize an event to raise awareness on the environmental issue. You can contribute in more subtle ways:
Be an influence to your social network.
- Being environmentally conscious and acting in such a way sets a good example for people to follow.
- Challenge your friends and family to reconsider some of their habits, urge them to get informed and realize that small actions matter. Remember to keep the balance between trying to influence people and attacking them for their choices. No matter how frustrating it is to see people refusing to use a reusable grocery bag, for example, blunt confrontation will most likely not make them change their ways.
- Use the social media to share information and support organized causes.
Use your skills and talents
- If you are an artist, a writer, a photographer, a performer and so on, you can use your art to communicate the problem to the public. Art has its ways to touch sensitive chords in people and can result in having a great impact.
- Your job might be related to some environmental problems. Use your knowledge to debunk myths, offer solutions and spread awareness. For example, if you are a lawyer, you might be able to explain why the latest decision of the government that will impact endangered species in your country is against the conventions and recommendations of the European Union, or if you are an entrepreneur you might have an eco-friendly business idea to implement.