Blogging for Change
No… “blogging for change” doesn’t mean blogging for pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters.
By ‘change’, I mean using your blog to make things happen!
Case in point.
On Earth Day night, I couldn’t help but notice the ugly glare from the HUGE lamp standards at our local baseball field than burned for hours on end while no one played… AGAIN.
As a local taxpayer and someone concerned about the environmental damage caused by wasteful energy usage (not to mention how we should be conserving every precious kilowatt), I had already phoned City Hall about the issue.
However, despite assurances to the contrary — nothing happened.
So, that night I took photographic evidence of the bright empty field, uploaded the pics to Flickr and then blogged my utter disgust in a post at Roamsters.
What do you think happened when I phoned City Hall the second time and said “Oh and by the way, if you Blog search Google, you’ll see a blog post entitled “Wasting Energy: How Penticton Celebrates Earth Day” right at the top of the listings?
You’re right! Changes started to happen the very next day!
The Parks guys programmed the system so the lights turned off at 10PM the following night, rather than 10:30PM. A couple of nights later, one of the Parks guys went out to the field on his own time and seeing that is was empty, turned the lights off at 9PM.
A couple of days after that a switch was installed at the field so the lights will only work when the team is there and actively turns the lights on and a discussion was held with the local baseball league to inform them of their responsibility to turn the lights OFF when they leave.
And best of all (from my selfish perspective), a Parks rep visited our home and a link to the blog post was sent to the company that installed the lights. By result, in the next few days the company will adjust them downwards to reduce the glare from our (dis)advantage point.
How’s that for effective blogging? 
For me personally, the effect is hugely satisfying… moreso even than if I’d made a pot full of money blogging about something else. It feels really good to be able to effect quick change on a level that benefits both my community’s environment and budget.
Would the response have been as quick if I’d said, “go take a look at my website” instead of “blog search Google”?
Based on previous experience, I don’t think so. I believe the quick response was by and large a result of how effective blogs are in scoring points with Google.
And I’m sure I’ll have opportunity to test that theory sometime in the not-too-distant future… but next time I’ll upload video to YouTube!
Related Posts
- What I Love Most about Affiliate Blogging
- Lights Out on Google
- Change Your Permalinks Without Losing Traffic
- Blogging Bootcamp Opens at Noon Eastern Today
- Blogging Conference Call Tomorrow Night…
Posted / Revised on May 1, 2008 under Build Your Site  |
Need more info?
Rosalind Gardner is a Super Affiliate blogger, author, speaker, and Internet marketing consultant. For more info, subscribe to her No-Hype, No-BS, No Spam NPT newsletter and join Affiliate Blogger PRO to get answers to all your affiliate marketing questions. Thanks for visiting!
Obviousl proactive blogging is much more effective then complaining to the powers that be. Forced transparency is the result.
Way to go Ros! Who says you can’t fight city hall – and win? Especially when you tell them to ‘google this!’
Your triumph just goes to show that the blog is mightier than the sword.
Sharon Bray-McPherson
Heck Yeah! Now THAT’S sticking it to the man!!
We had a similar note hit the paper earlier this week (about waste in general). The subject was the city parks waste of water with their automatic sprinklers. In a desert state where you hear about conserving water on a regular basis.
The article told a tale of how long it took to affect the change.
-How many people complained.
-The cost, and loss, to the city.
-etc. etc.
(And of course, the excuse. ie: the cost to modify the system)
Anyway, they finally made the changes needed.
It makes one wonder how much quicker the change would have happened if the city’s neglect would have been featured on the first page of the mighty google.
Good Job Ros!
Glad that someone has the nerve to speak up about things
Brad.
Energy wasters: Good for you, Ros… What a better world this would be if more of us followed your lead and took ACTION to help preserve our world and its resources. Waste has just become an ingrained part of most of our lives so that we don’t even notice it. Glad at least YOU NOTICED and then, took the next step to “stick your neck out” to publicize it.
Nice Going!!!
One person CAN make a difference.
Way to go Ros!
Lowell
Hey Sharon,
I’m totally gonna steal your “the blog is mightier than the sword” line… that’s excellent!
Cheers,
Ros
Hey Brad,
Not sure that action was propelled so much ‘nerve’ as concern and selfish interest, but hey.. whatever works, eh?
And I used to write letters to the Editor of the local rag, but haven’t found that it’s had any effect on the terrible drivers in this region. LOL (They cross the line like they’re driving in Beijing, but a lot more aggressively and therefore more dangersous).
So, ya… go for the Google-effect every time!
Cheers,
Ros
Hi Dan,
Ugh. Don’t get me started on the topic of how wasteful we are in the first-world (particularly North America). Let’s just say that you don’t want to take a drive with me on garbage day… I do rant.
Guess I’m ‘lucky’ that I was raised by parents who went through a depression and WW2. My mom, at 93, is still one of the best conservationists I know.
So… what’s it gonna take to get more people to ‘stick their necks out’ as you put it?
Cheers,
Ros
Absolutely!!!
Way to go, Ros! And, as you commented, the use of Google and YouTube are becoming much more effective in bringing about change. It’s especially good when it’s positive change!!
Congratulations! Hope your evening on the patio are much more romantic!
Be Well — Be in Peace …
Ros -
What a great success story with your lights out blogging strategy. I am a bloggin’ Real Estate Agent of Change practicing in the metro Atlanta area. My blog, EcoHomeGuy.com, is a great tool for me to educate, enlighten, empower and entertain my past, current and future clients.
I am currently embarking on a “Right to Dry” initiative in Georgia. The idea is to reclaim people’s freedom to use their own backyard to do something as simple and practical as dry their clothes outdoors. By doing so they can save up to 10% of their electric bill. The problem is that this is a real solution to energy-efficiency and climate change mitigation immediately available to scores of citizens– BUT! — is illegal in most areas of the country due to HOA covenants and zoning laws.
A blog can be a super effective way to begin rallying support for change.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery said “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”
This is the power of the blog. Through the power of story and narrative and the voice of the common man, real change can be sparked.
~ Burke Sisco
Way to go, Burke and what a worthwhile cause in your “Right to Dry” campaign.
Because truly… how flippin’ absurd is it to have bylaws that actually make best-practices illegal.
BTW, bringing up my mom again… at 93, she still hangs her clothes outside (in the basment in winter) to dry. So, the added benefit is that work keeps one fit.
What a concept!!
Cheers,
Ros
That is great, Rosalind and thanks, Sharon for sending me the link to this blog.
I am wondering if it would do any good to blog about the 30% rate increase on our electric here that is keeping most of the residents of my tiny town broke just paying the power bill and have some of them even shut off coz on fixed incomes they cannot pay! Heck, that is also the main reason I had to retire my real-world general store, no one could afford to shop when the electric rates went up and I could not pay the electric bill for my store!
anyway, great job, Rosalind!
Jan
Hi Ros!
Thanks so much for this post – one person definitely can make a difference! I’m so glad to spoke up…it drives me crazy when lights are on when no one is using them!
Reading your post is great timing for me: I’ve been debating forever whether to push forward full steam ahead with my environmental blog and this post was the little kick in the butt I needed to realize that change can happen through blogging!
Thanks Ros. You continue to inspire me every day.
Gina
Thanks Rosalind for sharing such a nice piece of information.
You have proved that one should never underestimate the power of Blogging.
And we must have certain responsibilities towards our community too.
On the whole it’s inspiring for all of us.
Cheers,
Codrut Turcanu – “Succeeding Against All Odds!”
dear rosalind
i thank you very much for all your effort and for this information.
happy to meet you !…i wish you so much luck
yours…mustapha
way to go ros! when i was 17, i’m 47 now, our city baseball leagues used to leave the lights on at the park closest to my parents house. my brother and I would go ovver there when i got off work around 10pm and “pretend” play tennis right behind the field. we had to turn the tennis lights on an off, so i figured the baseball lights were pretty much the same. i would always stop and turn them off because they were always on! i’m surprised i didn’t get electrocuted! to top it off, the field was right behind the fire station. i had a police stop once while i was turning them off one time asking what i was doing, i told him i was paying for those lights and nobody was playing so i was turning them off. he told me he would get the fire station to keep an eye on it and they did. i grew up in a house with solar panels on the roof for hot water and my dad would go for walks and pick up cans and bottles and put them in a bag for recycling. my mom would tease him for looking like a homeless man with his bag of goodies. it’s in my blood…
as you can tell i’m behind on reading my email. just had to share my baseball lights story.
thanks for all that you do to help all of us aspiring to work from home. you are an inspiration.
Cindy
SC, USA