I will never forget the look of resignation I saw on the face of an old friend and colleague who also happens to be a top air quality consultant.
He walked into the office after a public meeting for a big environmental impact assessment and slumped down at his desk. ‘What a waste of time,’ he muttered. ‘It was full of grown men in T-shirts.’
That one line spoke volumes for one of the biggest errors that green activist groups often make. Make no mistake, if all other avenues have been exhausted then there comes a time when you need to bite the bullet and chain yourself to a tree or drive a rubber duck between a Japanese whaler and a mother and calf, but until that time comes, be aware that how you present yourself affects the way you are received.
Showing up at a large industry’s boardroom in your dirty jeans and 1986 Green Peace convention T-shirt makes you come across as a lightweight before you’ve opened your mouth. But an activist in a pinstripe suit and polished shoes, now that can be truly scary to someone trying to pull a fast one.
Source: Going green: 365 ways to change our world by Simon Gear