Green websites: Be Sustainable - Ryan Wiseman interview
Posted by DavidM in Green websites | 11 March 2007
Ryan Wiseman has run Be Sustainable since January 2006, with a mission to "to speed the rate of diffusion of the word sustainable and sustainable thinking and to promote collaboration amongst groups and individuals towards sustainable action."
This has included weekly chats about business and the environment and is now supported by his regular podcast - Sounds Sustainable. The latest includes an interview with Paul Bubelis, the executive director of the the Sustainability Network.
In addition, Ryan works on the Green Majority radio show on CIUT 89.5 FM in Toronto and has built a community resource for Owen Sound and the Grey-Bruce Area. Check out his video.
I had an email chat with Ryan to find out what has driven him to become so involved with environmental communications.
How did you get interested in sustainability?
Not sure I can define an exact moment per se. I had an influential geography teacher in high school and the opportunity to take a new (at the time) outdoor/environmental course with lots of hands on learning and the opportunity to teach environmental issues.
Going back to high school as a geography teacher was the real tipping point in my interest in the environment and sustainability. A great deal of my schooling previously was in the physical sciences and when I began teaching I became increasingly aware of the role of humans in causing environmental impacts.
How have you reduced your own impact on the environment?
The big one is that we have been without a car for over 18 months. In Toronto it was a breeze to get around on transit then 8 months ago we moved to a small town a couple of hours north of Toronto. A major part of our home purchasing decision was based on the ability to walk/cycle everywhere we needed to go and there is still no thought of a car in our minds.
Aside from the huge cash savings and the reduced carbon footprint, getting rid of the car has been great from a health perspective. Seriously, get out of the car for a while and you can feel stress disappear not to mention the physical fitness. There is also a smug sense of satisfaction cycling by cars stuck in traffic.
There have been many other changes that have evolved over the years - conscious consumption being a major one. We consume a great deal less than we did years ago. We do all the "good environmentalish" lifestyle changes (energy efficient lighting, appliances...), buy as much local produce as possible from the farmers market Saturday mornings and fair trade for the goods that travel a greater distance (like chocolate and coffee).
What are the biggest challenges for environmentalists?
TV and hour long commutes, and soccer practice and all the other things that many North Americans pack into their day to day lives. It can be tough to get their attention, which we need in order to get across the ideas of a reduced impact lifestyle.
For the little things (changing lightbulbs to CFL's) it is pretty simple to get that across in about the same time as a 30 second TV spot. For the bigger picture, such as the long term benefits of giving up the car, switching to solar power, or purchasing locally, we need a lot more time and attention to make these ideas stick. An Inconvenient Truth has had a great impact on the thinking of North Americans but the question remains whether they will give more time to research and put in place the systems to live busy lives while reducing their overall impact?
What progress do you think has been made?
The Internet helps exchange information and now we can do it in much richer media and at ever increasing rates of speed. It has also given the environmental movement a new face - in fact many, many new faces - especially evident with the evolution of the "green blogosphere". No longer is there a typified "environmentalist". We have more "environmental rock stars" these days and they are far more accessible, tangible and real than a Leonardo DiCaprio or an Al Gore (not to dismiss their great work). So readers of my blog can contact me with a question and I'll get back to them. Same goes with any green blogger out there whether you read Sustainablog, or Groovy Green, or Green Options or Jetson Green or Real Life News or...
What are the barriers for environmentalists?
Reduction. We have a real tough product to sell we want people who are immersed in a culture of bigger better, faster, and more to cut back on things. How are we going to do it? One to one, or one to a few - it has to be local. If I see someone like me reduce their impact and not seem miserable because of it, I might just give it a shot. And while the internet has a global reach it might be even more effective at scheduling and connecting people, face to face, within their own communities, such as Green drinks.
How did you get into writing Be Sustainable?
While teaching I spent a bunch of time researching and lecturing about environmental issues to relatively small classes of students. BeSustainable was a perfect extension of that with a slightly larger audience. In reality I do all the writing I thought I would but I become increasingly immersed in the web and new media so the site shifted from largely text-based posts to audio content. The Sounds Sustainable podcast has been the focus of my efforts lately and I hope to continue producing shows for some time to come, hopefully on a more regular basis. I could really use a co-host, researcher, or a producer or a bevy of field correspondents to make that happen. Any takers?
I also work on an environmental radio show. It has a number of hands on deck, all volunteer, and it is live on air every week. Anyone not within transmitter range of CIUT in Southern Ontario can get the show every week as a podcast.
What's the aim of Be Sustainable?
Share green experiences and ideas, collaborate with others and promote the work of the cool and interesting people I meet every day who are making sustainable and positive things happen. Something I aspire to do more of with the site is to address the attitudinal/sociological/cultural aspects of the green movement.
It used to be something to do in my spare time although spare time is something I haven't got a lot of lately. I've left the teaching gig and I now run my own web strategy/new media production company. I suppose then a new aim for the site could be to find some green inspired clients? Maybe I should add that to the site somewhere?
Has blogging changed your perspective of environmental issues?
While teaching I found myself becoming increasingly concerned that we might actually be screwed, that it might be to late and we had let things go to far. Since I became a green blogger I have a renewed sense of possibility. Positive stories from all corners of the world, and the instructions to recreate in your own community shared on the net. This has been very uplifting.
What would you like your readers to do to make a difference?
Start a green conversation. With anyone, anywhere. Then do it again and again. And then start another one with their observations about that first green conversation with a variety of people. Rinse. Repeat. It is highly unlikely that you can carry on repeated green conversations with a variety of others without coming across an idea/lifestyle change that will stick with you. And if it's a real good idea, I'll bet you start a conversation with somebody about it!
