sandra
david this is the best thing ever but can you write about your personal live and so i can do my project for school.

please please please help me

lora bruncke
Mother.

gloria breu
I think you are bang on. Teaching kids is powerful. I came to Canada from Switzerland 20 years ago. We did so many things already over there, I was shocked when I arrived in Canada to see just how little was done to protect the environment here.

I was taught at school about becoming more of an environmentalist, my parents were not ready at that time, but me bringing back home these new ideas made it easier for my parents to embrace a more environmentally friendly attidude. So I think you correct.

I talk to my kids a lot about these issues, but I realize, since they are in High School, they get to watch movies like Inconvinient Truth and to me it appears that seeing them at school has a greater impact on the kids rather than just hearing it from my side.

Two of my daughter's friends have become vegetarians due to the input they have received in school. OUr household is trying to have about two or three meat free dinners every week.

Then I think "punishing" us folks with simple things may also help. In Switzerland I remember we had to pay like for each garbage bag. We also had to purchase bags that were approved by them or they would not collect the garbage. That meant consumers did not want to purchase anything that had lots of packaging in the first place and recycling took on a far different meaning.

I don't know how things are done these days in Switzerland, but to me it appaears that Canada lags behind by about least 25 years behind..... schools are great to introduce new ideas.

Thanks for all your work.

Erika Rathje
From the title, I thought this was going to be about washing dishes by hand!

In looking at my own family, I've noticed it takes time between "hey Mom, why are you still using (x)," e.g. a Teflon pan, and her actually switching to the healthy and/or environmentally-friendly alternative. And it's not just daughters to parents, the education and even inspiration happens vice versa and is even shared between siblings (myself a decade younger than the next oldest). In certain cases I think the shift happens when a suggestion has been reinforced by news articles, or perhaps after we've shared positive experiences enough that finally it sinks in and we give it a try. It turns out, quite often, that the new lifestyle is much more pleasant, if not addictive. It's important, in my opinion, to communicate how good one can feel by making a difference, no matter how *small.* And if by some chance we see this difference through our health and happiness, or better results (safe cosmetics for example), more money saved or even the culmulative effects of many people changing behaviours (increased recycling in North Van), this is proof for ourselves that our committments have meaning and are worth sharing with others. All it takes is one person to try something and say, hey, I really liked how this made me feel, you should try it, too! I see smiling faces on cyclists and farmer's market attendees... and there's a reason why.

Linda McKinlay
The extraordinary 'shift' to handwashing is a prime example of the power of healthy early childhood education. Families, caregivers and all of those who live in the lives of the very young have taught young children an everyday process that reinforces a 'proactive regard' for the health of their bodies. Yet another example of why we must pay much closer attention to young children and the power they can wield in tomorrow's world.

Allan
I'm sorry, you lost me at "Pissing".

I think you can extend your behaviours to Recycling. I remember when blue boxes came out it seemed such a hassle - but now I'll carry my can or whatever longer if I'm out just to Recyle it.

Remember that the examples you give came about over a long time. Smoking became unacceptable around the same time as it disapeared from restaurants and bars. All of a sudden we weren't exposed to the toxins as much, and so being around it became that much more obvious. But it took a long time - first, segregating the behaviour, then putting walls around it, and finally moving it outside.

I believe that climate and polution shift needs a similar "long term" plan. Yes, we can not afford to wait, but we also have to realize that we can't also do it immediately.

Nancy Whyte
Hi Dave,

I think the propaganda machine of hand-washing has been embraced by the school system, and perhaps that is why men have become more sanitized. I have two boys that are in Kindregarten and Grade one. We are only in the second month of the school year, and already they have had two hand-washing seminars, where adults and grade five students have come into the class to teach them how to properly wash their hands, and when it is appropriate to do so. It's great! Maybe we won't get so many colds at my house this year. I think having the older kids alond with the big people helps the younger ones take more of an interest and become more motivated to emulate what the other kids are teaching them. Maybe we need to get older kids to teach the younger ones about how to care for our earth as well?

Sharon
Re: handwashing, as someone who has worked in elementary schools for a decade, I can tell you that children are taught from the first day of kindergarten to wash their hands before eating and after using the bathroom. In addition to time, teaching and attention being given to this activity, children are helped to connect emotionally with the need to wash hands by education about bacteria, both by school staff and by special speakers brought in; though physical demonstrations of areas of the hands that require special attention in order to be adequately washed (special light display technique); and being coached to sing through the alphabet or "Happy Birthday" song to time the length of time necessary for actually removing the microbes from one's hands. Soon, social pressure from peers aids teachers' reminders to practice handwashing. Of course, if mom and dad encourage handwashing at home, students tend to be more faithful. However, nowadays, many children spend more waking hours at school and in child care than they do with their parents, so the effect of teaching outside the home cannot be underestimated.