Darren Patterson
This week’s Green Collar Job Q&A is with Darren Patterson. SIFT caught up with Darren at last month’s WasteMinz Workshops and thought he would be great Green Collar Job Q&A candidate as he spends his days helping others to reduce their impact on the environment and has a wealth of experience in waste and environmental sustainability. Based in Christchurch Darren is a consultant specialising in helping businesses to operate sustainably. Darren aims to work with each client to seek pragmatic solutions that will work for both their business and the environment. You can see more of what he does at www.pattersonenvironmental.co.nz or his blog here. To make contact email him on
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or even speak to him one on one by phoning 021 440832. You can also follow him on twitter here, or Facebook here, or LinkedIn here.
1. What do you do to live more sustainably (with a low impact) in your life?
I walk or ride to work, compost at home, recycle, and reuse what I can. We have a solar hot water system and energy and water efficient appliances and monitor our energy use with a Centometer.
2. How do you live more sustainably at work?
Providing the right advice to businesses helps them reduce their impact on the environment and their liabilities. It can also reduce their operating costs.
3. What do you think is the biggest environmental issue we need to deal with in Christchurch/New Zealand?
The biggest global environmental issue would be climate change but more locally the poor management of waste and hazardous substances impacts directly on the water we drink and the air we breath.
4. What makes you smile?
My children.
5. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Apathy
6. What is your favourite colour and why?
The colour blue of the sky at sunrise and sunset. Reminds me of my travels.
7. Do you have a favourite place in the world? Describe why?
To live: Christchurch – sorry to the rest of the world buts its just right for me.
To visit: Pagan in Burma (Myanmar) amazing town with over 3000 Buddhist stupors/temples. However, it’s controlled by an oppressive regime that persecutes its people.
8. What’s your connection to Sift?
I’ve worked with Sift during my time at Environment Canterbury.
9. Do you remember your favourite teacher and why they were your favourite?
Miss Camsey: she was the deputy head of my junior school and had a very progressive approach to teaching 10 year olds.
10. What do you want to leave behind?
Two successful sons that live in a world that’s better than the one that I entered.
11. What do you think the future will bring?
Opportunities that we don’t yet know.
12. Who is someone you really admire and why?
John Campbell; I love his enthusiasm and his willingness to ask the questions that get him to the nub of the issue.
13. What is happening outside your window right now?
Leaves are falling off the tree and a bird is hunting through them for food.
14. What is your favourite breakfast?
Pancakes
15. What is the best piece of advice you can give us?
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. – Emerson
