The pitter patter of little footprints

The results of this week's buzzword competition are out.  'Resilience' is the clear winner, followed at a respectable distance by 'Sustainability' and "Eskom' who appear to be holding hands on the podium but are not on speaking terms.

This weekend welcomes the launch of the Renewable Energy Festival at Green Point Urban Park complimented by a host of related activities also being 'activated' (fourth place) in the City of Cape Town. Voter registration is at the top of my personal list of ways to participate in saving the environment.

Now that I have shamelessly utilized journalistic techniques to motivate you to scroll down past my 140 character opening, here is the 'Going Green' story I really want to tell you.

Over the last few weeks, our family has participated in the hustle to be selected for the GBCSA Green House Project. An initiative by The Green Building Council of South Africa to test understand and overhaul the energy consumption a middle income home (and its inhabitants!) The selection process is not complete yet and while it may seem counter-intuitive to comment or post before it's resolution, that is precisely why I must. My experience this week in the events and exhibitions on sustainability have been in digesting the product rather than the process of arriving at the sustainability ideals we wrangle over.

Sustainability in my opinion, is about behavior change as individuals and as organized society. Whether we recycle glass and paper in the same bin or in colour-coded hanging baskets, it still requires the same commitment to pause and consider the impact of our consumption. 'Greening' is entirely about process, iterative design and the recognition that proposed outcomes and targets are constantly in flux as what we believe and how we think is shaped moment to moment.

"Mom, please tell the lady from the competition that I won't be disobedient at bath time anymore.." says Grace (5) after this weeks vetting and home visit of short listed project participants.
"...If all the kids bath together, we can save the world." She meant the environment!

I have seen countless changes in my children's behavior and our own as a result from participating in the vetting and application process for this project. Wonderful discussions around the viability of installing a windmill and a 6yr old's mathematical calculations of the volume of water used when showering have been the order of the day. From simple things like all 3 squirts agreeing to being in the bathtub at once to watching my 8yr old son quietly pack his already worn clothes back in his cupboard before they 'tell him' they need a wash...they are changing. The outcome is in flux yet the process is already bearing fruit.

When my children ask me what sustainability is, my new definition of this weeks 2nd place buzzword will be this: "Sustainability is when your heart tells your hands its okay to do things differently because you love the world that God made"
Process. Behavior change. Parenting.
  
So who won the GBCSA Green House initiative, you ask?
Every family that participated in the process.

Official winners announced next week. Watch this space!