Moving Blog

I probably won't be posting here anymore, in case anyone is reading this. I found svbtle.com and I really like it. So far I've posted there about my experience getting solar panels installed last summer. Check it out: http://mikefeldman.svbtle.com

What To Do Next?

Well it has been just about a month since just my second post on this blog. Other things in life like a new baby, classes and work are taking higher priority. Hopefully I can make progress in this area of my life. I have only been to one Toastmasters meeting in the last 4 or 5 months. I never used to miss any. I am trying to decide whether to take a break and get reinstated later when I have time or just renew and show up when I can.

So what do I want to do next? That is the big question.  I want to inspire people and get them excited to make changes that have a positive impact on the environment and on their lives. I think from my previous speeches, the negative speeches about what is wrong are not effective unless those problems directly affect people on a daily basis and they can make that connection.

I need to stay positive.  There are a lot of good solutions out there but I don't see how I can avoid talking about the negatives that need to be stopped. That is what I'll need to explore. Maybe there will be some balance.

I also want to find other places to take my message. TM meetings are great but that is more just for practice. I need to speak at other events and in front of other groups to make an impact. Also some members of my Toastmasters club have mentioned how they like that most of the speeches have been more positive and non-political and non-divisive. That may be because I have not given a speech in a while. Comments like that have kept me from wanting to give a speech in my club. It really shouldn't be that way. The issues I want to discuss should not be political even though they are.

I have a new topic I want to write a speech about. It should hit home more with people in my local area. I need to give it more thought and I will probably get into that next time. Hopefully less than a month from now.

As always comments are welcome.

Past Green Speeches

I joined Toastmasters back in the beginning of 2008. The first goal of the communication track is to complete the first 10 speeches in the Competent Communicator manual. I chose green related topics for seven of those speeches. Here they are:

"The Enemy of the Human Race" (4/2008) - About the damaging effects coal mining and coal plants. This speech was my second speech. I had recently learned about mountain top removal coal mining so I was very upset by it. I think it showed in my passion. But overall it was probably a real downer for the audience and not enough of a call to action.

"Blinded By The Light" (5/2008) - To convince the county board of supervisors to adopt a light pollution ordinance to save energy and save our view of the night sky. This one was mostly educational. It probably got too technical. I went into the types of outdoor lighting and all of the factors that go into whether lighting is good or bad. Mostly dry. I actually did take this speech to the board. But nothing has come from it so far.

"In The Kitchen???" (1/2010) - About worm composting and my experience with it. Educational. Most of the club never heard of worm composting and were amused by the idea.

"Plug It In, Plug It In" (3/2010) - About existing and future electric vehicles. I tried to address some of the myths about electric vehicles and how they can save you money. I tried to make this one more upbeat and exciting. Some of the vehicles I discussed then are finally out. Some never made it or are still in the works.

"Watering From Down Under" (4/2010) - About my first season experience with sub irrigation container gardening. Mostly educational. The pictures were nice but there were probably too many.

"Sustainable Choices" (4/2009) - Reasons for making more sustainable choices when making purchases. This speech was probably too serious and partially a downer.

"Follow The Green Brick Road" (5/2010) - To inspire the audience to take action by greening their homes. Included a handout with many actions to take. I included things I have done already. I tried to include fun ideas like including the kids or to try to start a competition with neighbors. However I think I was not as successful with this one as I had hoped.

Next time I'll get into what types of speeches I'd like to do in the future.

About this Blog

EcoToast. Why that title? Well, if you read my profile you know I'm a toastmaster and I'm interested in green issues. I thought it might be a good idea to write my thoughts for speech topics and maybe get some advice. I prefer to talk about things I am most interested in which would be "green" issues. 

By the way, I think the word green is used way too much now. I suppose that happens to a lot of buzz words in our society. Almost all of the blog titles I could think of with the word green in it were already taken. So that's why I switched to trying "Eco".

Also, If you want to improve your communication and/or leadership skills, I highly recommend joining Toastmasters. Go to www.toastmasters.org to find a club near you.