Ailsa's iThink: Sustainable Americans, jams jars and me

The other day, there was an American guy in my kitchen. In fact he was one of many American guys and assorted others who have been to our place in France over the summer thanks to the heaven-sent http://www.helpx.net/ - an organisation that brings together people. We provide accommodation and food and the helpxers provide labour. It's a great deal!

Anyway, there we were in kitchen while this guy is talking about sustainability and telling us all the reasons why the 'American Way' is not a good way at all. He really talked a good game, his arguments articulate, heart-felt. As he talked, he walked to the bin and dropped in a just-emptied jam jar with an ominous clang.

"Can I just stop you there?"

Now here's the thing. Over the summer we've met some really great people about 50% of which came to us from the US. The surprising thing for me has been that, contrary to my prejudiced expectations, the kids (and I say kids, which means anyone up to the age of 30) who came to us from the states were not bullish, confident and self-assured. Not at all. In fact most, if not all, came across as apologetic, unsure, naive, nervous and pretty ignorant of the world outside of their own. Don't misunderstand! All of them were also helpful, polite and very willing which made them pretty great to be around.

Our kitchen has been full of chargers. iPod, iPad, iTouch, Lap Tops, Palm Tops and lots of other tech gadgets that I didn't even recognise. Everyone had to post to Facebook - and that's a great way to keep in touch - I like Facebook. So there it is, all that access to knowledge. All that potential. But despite all our wonderful 21st century communication system, the questions that were asked and statements made were pretty unexpected. Some examples....

"Can you eat that? " Looking at a pea plant in the veg garden

"Do you have bees here?"

"You don't wash your jeans every day?" On learning I wear my work jeans for 4 or 5 days before they go in the wash.

"Where is the AC?" When the temperature reached 30 degrees

"I didn't know cream was liquid to start with!"

"I don't like to eat anything that comes out of the dirt"

And so on... What struck me so forcibly was the extent to which these kids had been advertised at. The Americans seemed to have an almost pathological fear of dirt and the contents of their backpacks were testament to this. The cosmetic, soaps and deodorants outnumbered even the gadgets. Lever Bros have certainly made good returns on their ad campaigns. And yet, the theme each night at the dinner table was sustainability and these kids knew their theory. Only trouble is, like their disconnection from nature, they seemed also to suffer the same kind of disconnection between the theory of sustainability and the actual day to day reality.

When you understand nature, you understand the interconnected, interdependant way it works. Sustainability isn't a new thing, nature has been doing it brilliantly for a long time. It's the little things that add up to big changes. I like to campaign myself against soil being referred to as 'dirt'. It's not dirt - it's the substance from which almost all our food comes from. I'd like to suggest that it isn't bad that humans smell like humans - not that I'm suggesting we all have to smell rancid. That to wear an item of clothing twice or even THREE times will not bring down international governments or lead to rioting in the streets, but will cut your electricity bills and carbon emissions.

These kids knew about global water shortages and still wanted to shower twice a day. They understood that bee populations in the world are at risk and still wanted to zap them in case they might sting. I applaud their enthusiasm and genuine desire to learn and contribute - it makes me much more hopeful for the future. But please, DON'T PUT THE JAM JAR IN THE BIN. Recycle it!