Seeking information on community campaign directed at Time-poor. Im looking for literature and information that identifies barriers and offers practical solutions to assist in having our Sustainability Officers invited into residents homes so as to assist them in sustainable practices. I am currently working on a local government, community campaign that is seeking to find ways to engage a specific group, described as Time Poor between the ages of 25 to 55, who preferably, have not previously been involved in campaigns designed to promote sustainable practices. Once the initial research and forums are done two Sustainability Officers will be hired for two years to visit these time poor people who have been engaged so as to assist in making sustainable practices more simple to access. The area being researched is in Sydney (Australia). The residents generally fit into the higher socio-economic bracket. A documentary style video will be made following the process and the first instalment will be available on DVD and on the web when completed in February 2009. The project will run until the end of 2010. The campaign is to begin quite soon and some assistance in identifying relevant literature, journals and experts for my initial literature review highlighting barriers and incentives before the project begins would be much appreciated. In particular I am looking for practical solutions to engage the above-mentioned time poor. The scope of this project is very wide. It will be covering everything from backyards adjoining national parks and/or waterways, help in purchasing solar systems and water tanks, monitoring energy consumption, transport etc, in fact it covers just about all the major areas for sustainable practices involving households. The breadth of this project makes it virtually impossible to concentrate on any single aspect in regards to the preliminary research. So, I want to focus the research on
1: Identify barriers to engaging the time poor between the ages of 25 to 55 in sustainable practices.
2: Identify successful campaigns and road-tested methods previously employed in attracting this (or a similar) demographic.
This project is not so much about educating people as it is about helping them IMPLIMENT sustainable practices. Of course education is essential but the success of the campaign will be gauged in how many water tanks, solar panels are installed etc. etc. and not on how many people agree that sustainable practices are important. I have come to this project late and as mentioned it is about to begin in earnest very soon. A little help would be much appreciated.
Howard Jackson.
Seeking Information on Community Campaign Directed at Time-Poor.
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This research sounds fascinating, as many sustainability practitioners believe that sustainability starts with sane personal lives, and that if we don't address that then we will get nowhere. Do you know if the literature, etc. review is going to be publicly accessible i.e. how could we get access to it?
Thanks
David Thomson,
Vancouver BC
Hello Howard and others
I was interested to see mention of the expression, 'time poor' in the listserv. I explored this and other ideas relating to the balance between time and money in a book which was published last year by Murdoch Books (Australia and UK). It's called Time Money Happiness. Glad that you are aware of your wealth!
Best wishes
Alison Haynes
When the subject of time comes up, I always think back to a book my brother recommended years ago "Momo" by Michael Ende. It is actually a childrens/young adult book but has is thought provoking with the young girl juxtaposed against all the men in grey suits who "steal" time. I highly recommend it. When all is said and done we all have the same amount of time, we can't "save it" or "kill it" or... Fun stuff to ponder.
Thanks & Adios,
CJD
Carol J. Dollard, P.E.,
LEED AP Utility Engineer
[email protected]
(970) 491-0151
Mailing Address: Facilities Management
Colorado State University 6030
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Fort Collins, CO 80523-6030
the relationship between reclaiming personal time and sustainability is a great discussion and might have more resonance with the economy in a downturn - perhaps people will re-examine the relationship between money and quality of life? there is a great podcast on this topic from the Bioneers called "Time is Not Money: Waking from the Workaholic American Dream". It is from 2006 but can still be downloaded free from iTunes music store. there is also a whole thread about reclaiming time on the New American Dream website, here: http://www.newdream.org/live/time/index.php here's a sample: "If you are trying to live consciously, buy wisely, and make a difference, time is important. When you take back your time it not only benefits you, it benefits others. Studies demonstrate that overworked people tend to consume and waste more, while people who have more time drive less, cook more, choose less throw away stuff, devote more time to community service and civic participation." they even have a "more time" poster you can download.
Hi Howard
I'm afraid I can't be of much help on your project, but I just wanted to say that this is the first I've heard the phrase "Time-poor," and I think it's wonderful. I've recently retired (although I'm plenty busy with climate work), and at age 62 it's crystal clear to me what time is worth compared to money. Although I live at the US federal poverty level, and at a fraction of my former income, I feel wealthier and happier than at any period in my life. It's mostly because I'm rich in time.
Thx!
Adam