To be honest, I don’t want to talk about anything while getting a haircut. Just get it done?
This hairdresser gives lessons on how to discuss climate change with clients
As the effects of climate change have become more serious, many people without much political or financial influence have asked themselves what they can do to address the situation.
Paloma Rose Garcia, who owns a hair salon in Sydney, Australia, was one such person. What she discovered was that merely talking about global warming with customers could have a positive effect — and that realization has led her to create climate change education and communication workshops for others in her profession.
“As I was on my own personal journey with climate and understanding more about climate change and the effects that it’s having all around us, it just became a conversation that came up with guests,” Garcia told What On Earth host Laura Lynch.
You know one thing I really loathe? This whole “journey” thing. People keep using it, it shows up in commercials, and it’s just very, very silly. Perhaps it’s just me
“It can start off as something very small. It’s as simple as, ‘Oh my god, isn’t this weather just crazy? It’s really sad to see the effects of climate change.’ It’s a simple little comment or remark like that that can turn into a bigger conversation,” Garcia said.
My response would be “so, what kind of car do you drive? Oh, it’s a fossil fueled one? Huh.” And that tip would be going way down
As a member of Sustainable Salons Australia, she’s making every effort to minimize her salon’s footprint, which includes reducing water consumption and using a power supplier that provides emissions-free electricity.
Her positive interactions with customers spurred her to encourage the hairdressers employed in her salon to have similar conversations. Since then, she’s run three climate workshops, with hundreds of hairdressers.
Obviously, the reporter failed to delve deep into how much that carbon footprint has come down, what she and the others are actually doing, and if they’ve given up their own use of fossil fuels.
