Applying the Soft-Touch Theory

photo by Jaime Kowal

Last month a reader wrote in and browbeat us for supporting the use of cars—namely our Test Drive Day at North Shore Auto Mall, during which time you could come out and try all the hybrids and flex-fuel vehicles. In fact, it was a very successful event, with some 300 test drives taken during this promotion in honour of Earth Day.

While global warming would likely moderate if we outlawed cars altogether, that isn’t going to happen anytime soon. We’re a car culture and you can’t ask a mom with three kids to strap kid seats to her bike for a trip to the grocery store or nag a businessperson into biking—I have a 20-pound briefcase, a big, hulking purse, and my Jack Russell terrier that I haul to our dog-friendly office.

Oh yes, you can shame people into doing something, but they generally do it reluctantly and resent it. My mother used to say “you get more flies with honey than vinegar.” It’s the kind of adage they use down there in Iowa where I grew up. But regardless of its regionalism, I find the honey/vinegar hypothesis quite prevalent, and used often by smart people dealing in controversial subjects.

John Mayer, the 30-year-old American musician who won a Grammy Award this year for his song “Waiting on the World to Change,” talks about a “Light Green” approach. The idea is that you’re not extreme in either direction—not completely fearful nor completely ambivalent or ignorant of global warming. He says, “Pick one thing to change this year, and keep the rest of your life the same.” His own contribution is converting his tour bus to biodiesel.

Closer to home, take our feature story character, Carmen Mills—and she is a character. Carmen’s MO is “serious fun,” and it draws tens of thousands of us to her Car-Free Commercial Drive Festival that emphasizes issues like the twinning of the Port Mann Bridge. No rallies, no pickets, no railing against cars. Simply raising awareness. In fact, she says it’s not about being anti-car. It’s about the intelligent use of cars. That’s the honey, not vinegar approach—particularly when you figure that the majority of the fest attendees are going home to their vehicles.

Derek LaCroix is another who practises a soft touch. Derek, a former criminal defense attorney, helps lawyers recover from addictions that are fomented by the often mean-spirited adversarial practice of law. These are not broken people, he says; they’re stuck. He knows because he was one of them (see page 22).

HomeVISION
This month we introduce a feature that offers the soft touch to feathering your home in sustainable ways. Whether you’re interested in adding energy-saving components or eco-design, or purchasing “greener” properties, we’re looking at them all. This month, we profile Vancouver developer-celebrity Heather Tremain, who shares her inspiration as the queen of green building.

Win This!
Check out our amazing contest that sweeps you off to the Organics Island Festival on Vancouver Island July 7-8. It starts with a night’s accommodation at the luxury Sooke Harbour House, and includes eco-savvy gift certificates, an organic gift basket, and free admission to the Festival with a wine tasting and lunch! You’ll find the details and entry info near the HomeVISION section.

All of these things remind us that nurturing a softer footprint on this planet can be done in a spirit of joy and plenty. It’s all good. It’s all a SharedVISION.

In gratitude,
Rebecca