As so often I had arrived too early for my appointment. I hate it when someone comes too late! So I was able to sit outside in the beautiful weather and drink coffee and read the newspaper. A light breeze was blowing, the sun was already up but not yet really hot and the day was awakening to its daily bustle.

I worked my way through the Business Section and then my attention was drawn to a short article with an impressive picture of Miss Switzerland, Jastina Doreen Riederer, in the Jet-Set Section of the paper. I must say that I don’t have much time for the concept of a Miss Switzerland. It’s great if someone has the genetic gift of looking good, but how that should qualify someone to offer a leading opinion on all possible different topics, is beyond my comprehension.

This picture-perfect (and she does look really great) Jastina is spending her vacation on the Maldives and from the Maldives she is sending us the message that we should do more for the environment. She herself was setting a good example, because in the morning she fetches her Gipfeli by cycle – when she is not staying on the Maldives.

But wait a minute!!! If this article was meant to be the joke of the month, it is a complete success. If this is meant to be a message to be taken seriously, one either has to fire Jastina’s PR agents or best of all replace the Miss elections by Miss Kind Heart or something similar.

I note that many people get involved in environment protection but mainly when it doesn’t affect themselves. The good deeds should be done by others. I have no idea what environmental damage such a trip to the Maldives causes (hello CO² ), but my gut feeling tells me that one could perhaps fetch the Gipfeli each morning for a year or perhaps even years by (electric) car before the pollution would approximate the amounts of a long distance flight.

Time and again I experience that one holds the opinion that we should do more for society, for the weak, the environment, but as soon as one should be consistent oneself, the fun stops.

As a team we have tried for years to give something back to society. We helped the animal sanctuary Tante Martha and supported Caritas and its efforts for poverty-stricken children.

A little more than half of my team stated in an anonymous survey that they want to continue doing so. Let’s begin to bring some change to our world, each and every one.