W W W . C H A N G E T H E M O M E N T . O R G
Building a connection:
When you start out with an idea, you have about a week to go before you forget about it, seriously. Take your idea public and stretch it out to what you believe is its extent. Now start writing about what your idea means to you. You will probably start to notice that there are no extents to your idea. You will probably believe you have come up with a genius idea. Indeed you may have. I would recommend taking a piece of the original idea, and thinking big with the new small idea. It will not only make your idea more feasible, but give you more options on where to take your new idea.
Creating a foundation:
Get yourself into the habit of believing you can save the world. I may start sounding like a know it all, but in fact, I don’t know it all, but I am curious about it all. I always ask questions and am always looking for a solution. In fact, I try to convince people of this idea almost every single day. It is my thought that if we all work together as a group, all believing in one common idea, that we all, as a group and as individuals can save the world, then we shall all be on the track for a more efficient lifestyle. You can certainly question whether or not the world is dying. It is my belief that the world is not dying, but it is definitely suffering the consequences that we all, as human beings are doing to it. Our mere habits that we all share, using gasoline as an energy for transportation, to staying warm in the winter using oil and other fossil fuels. We will never solve this problem fully, but we can definitely go a little easier on our friend, planet earth. But we have to think! All together now, we have to think! You don’t have to be an entrepreneur, you don’t have to have your masters, doctorate or PHD, you just have to be a concerned citizen of planet earth. Even if you are not concerned, we desperately need you!
CREATING A FOUNDATION, FOR REAL!
A senior at Briarcliff high school, who is enrolled in a program called New Visions AP Environmental Science Academy, has always looked at those “rain puddles in NYC,” as more of an “oil” spill rather than a simple indent in the earth containing water.
Upon meeting Catherine Ludwiczak, I knew her based on the fact that she was an employee at the same restaurant I worked at in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. None the less, I had not spoken to her before.
After conversing with her for a period of time, I kept getting this feeling by the look in her eyes and by the tone of her voice that she actually cared about what we were talking about, and that she was enthusiastic about everything we discussed. I came to the conclusion that she can successfully convince anyone that anything is possible and to always shoot for the stars. She always wanted to put across strongly though, that the idea of shooting for the stars contains a strong ingredient that cannot be forgotten about. That ingredient is now. The moment we are living, the moment that we are thinking about anything and everything. It comes down to the moment. Changing the moment is the answer. Thinking towards the future is great, but we cannot forgot about this very second.
So I decided to forward her an interview, partially to write this article, but mainly to understand and celebrate her logic behind her decision in starting up her non-profit, Share The Green.
The Interview
(Matthew)
When did you decide that you loved everything about our world, our animals our water, and our forests?
(Catherine)
To be honest, as far back as I can remember. By the time I was four years old I was scaring my Grandmother half to death jumping off a boat in the middle of the ocean in Aruba to snorkel and see the fishes, so I can't imagine what I put my family through previous to that for my love of the environment.
(My response)
You can see where her drive for change derives from- jumping off a boat in the middle of the ocean! Now that’s a mighty big change!
(Matthew)
What inner power made you want to say enough is enough, I want to start focusing in on my career path, and join New Visions AP Environmental Science Academy rather than attending the norm, a public high school?
(Catherine)
I think about a year ago, I just kind of woke up one day and decided that I was done learning all the life lessons that high school had to teach me and I wanted to move on and do something more meaningful with my life. I didn't want to waste a year when I had more to do and more to see in the world. Oddly enough, the first alternative classes that I applied for turned me down and for months I believed I was going to have to go to normal high school. Then two weeks before classes started I got a call from my Aunt about a much better opportunity that was strictly related to Environmental science and was almost all College or AP courses. That was 4 days before I left for a vacation to Hawaii and the next day I met with the teacher and the day after I came back from vacation I was in this alternative school.
(My response)
Always go with your instinct! As you can see, it usually has a positive result.
(Matthew)
When did you start to feel that people just weren't getting the going green thing?
(Catherine)
I guess it got to a point when I would see a rain puddle in NYC and it physically looked more like oil then water to me, and then someone would throw some trash into it and that would make it just that much better. When I saw that millions of people walk past something like this every day and it just gets worse… I guess that’s when I realized people weren’t getting it.
(My response)
Her idea was at its boiling point!
(Matthew)
How did you know about marketing, and getting the word across via social networking?
(Catherine)
Look at Justin Bieber or thousands of other people that became huge off of social networking. Something about it just works, people believe and appreciate what their friends have to say and nothing moves faster than word of mouth, so sneaking something awesomely positive and intriguing into people’s news feeds just seemed kind of foolproof.
(My response)
Bieber fever gone green! Couldn’t ask for a better alternative.
(Matthew)
Did you research or read books about marketing, going green, or environmental facts stating that the way we live our lives is negatively impacting our environment and causing a global climate shift (formerly known as global warming)?
(Catherine)
I’ve never read books about marketing, but I’ve read books about psychology, so I think I understand how people think, rather than how to trick them into thinking the way I want them to. I have however read a few books on the environment, and the one I like and use most in my posts is “The Green Book” by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen. A lot of our tips at the moment come from that book, and I definitely suggest it for anyone to read if they want direct and to the point facts on going green.
(My response)
Cannot complain about the facts!
(Matthew)
Tell us a little bit about what Share The Green and your website www.changethemoment.org are all about. What is your main goal?
(Catherine)
Share the Green is a non-profit that was made to just get interesting facts that would appeal to anyone about how to help the environment to the public and in social networking feeds. We want to target people who really don’t care, but at the same time we need the help of those who do care to achieve that goal.
(My response)
The hardest part is getting the facts to those who don’t show an interest. I love that you are aiming to achieve the attention from those who don’t show an interest by keeping the content simple and to the point, while using social networking site to convey your information.
(Matthew)
Have any incidents in the past year persuaded you to focus your attention on Share the Green and finally do something to change the mess that we all share?
(Catherine)
I guess just being out of the normal high school routine and meeting the right people inspired me and showed me that it doesn’t really matter how old you are to try and get someone’s attention and that really made me get off my rear and do something.
(My response)
I like the sound of that, change is good, and getting off one’s rear is an excellent thing as well. I think we should all take Catherine’s lead and get off our rear. We cannot sit around any longer, our world needs us!
(Matthew)
Is there anything else that you would like to mention?
(Catherine)
Just that the point of Share the Green isn’t to shove rules down people’s throats or force anyone on our beliefs, but to just spread some facts and hopefully it will hit home for some people and inspire them to try one or two. We’re normal people just like everyone else, so we get it, some tips might be too hard or unreasonable for whatever reason. We get it. But at the same time, some tips are just too easy to pass up.
(My response)
Dig in! Go through the site check out their tips, they are very useful for everyday activities. You will learn something new daily! Stay updated, their page is always changing!
Thank you very much Catherine.
Now get off your rear and go check out Share the Green’s Website- www.changethemoment.org.
Well, get off your rear after you check out her site! If you feel like getting up right this moment, then at least check her site out on your smart phone!
www.changethemoment.org
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Sharethegreen
http://twitter.com/#!/Share_the_Green
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Sharethegreen
http://twitter.com/#!/Share_the_Green
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