Twitter is what happens when the Internet farts.
Unfortunately this is the view of quite a few people that I have come across lately when I mention that I was on Twitter earlier in the day. But unlike these people, I have managed to weed my way through some of the nonsense that is on there, and have discovered it has an amazing potential to do a lot of environmental good. And I am glad I persevered and figured it out.
Yes, there are a lot of posts on Twitter that make you roll your eyes and – I myself do not really care much for reading posts about the fact that someone just had an emergency call of nature… or how to explode my Twitter following with some fancy new viral marketing program…etc
But if you know what interests you, and take the time to learn how Twitter works, you will be surprised to see what an amazing tool it can be in terms environmental justice. It is like a microcosm of the issues across the internet ranging from animal rights, eco-friendly lifestyles, renewable energy, wildlife trafficking, climate change and global warming, industrial pollution, and more … Type in a topic that interests you in the Twitter search field and you’ll be surprised at how many tweets you’ll find about that topic.
So how can Twitter help save the planet? Here are just a few of the ways that I came up with this morning while I was checking out some of my eco-focused favourite twitters (whom I’ll share in a later article):
1. It connects people together who share the same passions and interests. The more people that work together for the common good of the planet, the more likely we are to effect a positive change.
2. It opens your eyes to issues that you may not be aware of – issues that don’t make it on the 10:00pm news or the front page of the national newspaper. Taken individually these issues may not seem that important, but when pulled together we start to see how every small act/problem has a major impact on the world around us.
3. You learn how other people have accomplished their goals and realize that anyone can accomplish their goals and that change for the better is possible. It gives you hope to never give up on something that you believe in.
4. You can easily connect with other people to work on projects/goals while minimizing your carbon footprint in terms of travelling for example. Besides, once you’re hooked, you may be less apt to hop in your car and drive around town!
5. If enough people start talking about an issue, the more likely it is to show up as a Trending Topic on Twitter, which then in turns reaches more people. It becomes viral! And since we are not talking about swine flu, viral is good.
6. It’s fun! It is not always all serious, and depressing news … people are not always bashing and lashing out … Sometimes we just like to have a bit of fun and throw an odd joke around or tell a funny story. It helps prevent the burnout that can happen sometimes when you feel like you are fighting an uphill battle in terms of environmentalism and conservationism.
7. It puts the power in the hands of the people to make changes because it seems that governments will act most grudgingly or simply issue press releases to present the illusion of them taking action on the issues facing the world. You can have a direct impact on Twitter.
8. It is a great way to share links, eco-friendly products and resources. The more information that people have easy access to, the more likely they are to make educated and proper lifestyle choices. There is no longer a reason to say one didn’t know better.
9. If you have a question, there is ALWAYS someone there to help. Usually more than one person – it is a friendly community of people who all share similar ideals and passions.
10. It is addicting! Once you start and figure out how to get the most out of Twitter, you’ll be hooked and will be constantly craving more information, more interaction and more opportunities to help.
Twitter is an exceptionally valuable viral social marketing tool which has huge implications in the realm of environmental justice. As long as it is not allowed to be abused, it can really have a huge positive impact on changing the plight of the world around us.
While I am a relative newbie in terms of Twitter, I must admit that signing up for a free Twitter account and diving right in, was the best choice that I have ever made in terms of pursuing my passion for the planet. I don’t look back at all and hope that others will give it that chance it deserves, no matter what your interests in life may be. I’ve made a lot of great friends on there, have learned a lot, and have accomplished a lot in a relatively short time period.
Let’s tweet soon!
Yours truly,
Candace
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