‘Many a mickle makes a muckle’ or The importance of small decisions
What a curious title, you might think. It might have even piqued your interest. Well, that’s the purpose of titles, isn’t it?
It is the title I chose for a talk I will be presenting this weekend at the Kakariki Sustainability Conference at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch.
I think the old Scottish proverb Many a mickle makes a muckle (loosely translated into “a lot of small things make up a big thing”) is the perfect motto for anybody thinking about sustainability. It is the sum of our small decisions that accumulate enough momentum for much bigger changes.
In my opinion, tea - as a commodity that’s found almost anywhere in the world - is a great example to demonstrate sustainability “from the bottom up”. I’ll show how, by making conscious (and good) decisions, consumers have the power to enforce sustainability - from the soil the tea plant is grown in, through the livelihood of small, dedicated producers and merchants, into your cup and body (and maybe your garden).
The rewards of a sustainable chain are great and include social justice, environmental responsibility and improvement of personal health.
If you live in Christchurch or nearby, I encourage you to come and visit the conference (a program is available at the above link). Registration is just $10 for 2 days. Numbers are limited to 100 participants, so registration through the website is recommended. My presentation is scheduled for Sun, 5 Oct. 11-12 in the Coppertop Room, level 2 of the Commerce Building. Maybe I’ll see some of you there this weekend…
Here’s the abstract I’ve submitted for my talk:
Jo Bind - ‘Many a mickle makes a muckle’ or The importance of small decisions
‘Sustainability’ can be seen as a modern umbrella term for a whole range of issues that societies around the globe are facing today. Sustainability starts at home but affects the whole planet.
Using tea as an example of an everyday consumer item, Jo will show how you - with your decisions as a consumer - can assume social and environmental responsibility as well as improve your health & well-being.
Update: I just read Seth Godin’s latest blog post and his chosen subject of today fits very nicely with this subject.
A nickel, a dollar, a dime… it adds up, drip, drip, drip.