community norms, share information, and
director of corporate consciousness at Seventh
provide group reinforcement. Indianapolis
Generation. When the diet was introduced in
area residents who attend “Living
2000, the Portland, Oregon, residents who
are among the worst
Lean and Green” lectures at their local
participated cut their household emissions
polluters on earth,
library are recruited into Carbon Diet’s
by an average of 6,700 pounds, an enviable
responsible for
groups, which promise big changes:
weight reduction by any standard.
approximately
“Lose 5,000 pounds in 30 Days!” The
program, pioneered by David Gershon
Whether mass media advertising,
of the Woodstock, New York–based
like the kind the Alliance for Climate Protection
of greenhouse gases
Empowerment Institute, is modeled
intends to deploy, can effectively motivate
per person
on one of the few environmental
large groups of Americans is a question that’s
interventions that studies show has
open for much debate. McKenzie-Mohr cites a $26
produced
long-lasting
environmental
million anti-global-warming ad campaign in 2004
behavior changes: The Eco-Team program.
sponsored by the Canadian government that auditors
Eco-Teams bring together neighbors, friends,
later found did nothing to change viewers’ environmental
club members, or coreligionists for six to eight monthly
behavior. “It didn’t tackle the significant barriers that exist to behavior
meetings, where they learn and track behaviors that will improve change,” McKenzie-Mohr notes.
their impact on the environment. The meetings tackle topics such
Brown agrees with McKenzie-Mohr on advertising’s drawbacks.
as garbage, energy use, transportation, and consumer behavior.
“I don’t think advertising alone leads us to deep learning,” she
A three-year Dutch study that followed demographically similar says—the kind of learning that changes the way we see ourselves
Eco-Teams and control groups found that Eco-Team participants and interpret the world; the kind of learning that can release our
“changed half of the 38 household behaviors examined, with inner primates from cycles of destructive consumption. If there’s a
corresponding reductions on four physical measures of resource use.” place for advertising in environmental-behavior-change campaigns,
Moreover, Eco-Team participants maintained or improved their pro- McKenzie-Mohr says, it’s “to sketch out what a sustainable future
environmental behaviors for two years after group meetings ended.
is going to look like and why it’s preferable to where we are now.”
“When you bring together a group of individuals,” McKenzieGore’s Alliance, however, has great hopes that its advertising
Mohr say about Eco-Teams’ success, “you
will lead people to see themselves as
have a much higher likelihood of being able
participants in the fight against climat e
The consumer,
to address barriers because of pooling of
change. “We’re confident, and the
knowledge. At the same time, you have the
[former] vice president is confident, that
who inadvertently
opportunity to create a new social norm, and
this is a unique moment,” says Alliance
you have a lot of social support.”
communications director Brian Hardwick.
In Indianapolis, “the Low Carbon Diet
“There are plenty of examples of social
[movement] is making global warming a frontmarketing that have created significant
burner issue,”says Paul Chase,who manages the
changes in behavior and policy.” Hardwick
program for the area’s Citizens Action
cites the famous early-1970s People Start
Coalition Education Fund. There are two Low
Pollution, People Can Stop It campaign
Carbon Diet groups of eighteen members
featuring actor “Iron Eyes” Cody as a
and ten Living Lean and Green workshops
Native American, and studies show that
scheduled for the spring.
the more recent Truth campaign made a
That might not seem like a lot. But
significant dent in teen smoking.
Indianapolis is in the heart of coal country.
Will the Alliance’s campaign work? Only
The city of not quite 800,000 doesn’t even offer
time will tell. But in our efforts to bring a halt
unsustainably
recycling in most neighborhoods. Indiana has
to environmental destruction that threatens
one of the highest rates of CO2 emissions per
us all, let’s not forget the things we know
sourced foods,
capita nationwide. As a result, Chase says,
work for sure, like developing real-world social
is by contrast,
“I’ve really been surprised at the level of
networks where green is the norm. School
says Brown,
participation. The program has developed a
children are our natural allies. So are green
“a member of
life of its own.”
movie stars, green pro-wrestlers, and green
The strength of this small-group interaction
mega-church pastors driving plug-in hybrids.
society and
is something Gershon intends to build on with
And remember: Nothing says, “Hey, I can
culture and
the help of green cleaning-and-householdafford it,” better than one of those $1,375
products manufacturer Seventh Generation.
reusable shopping bags that high-end
Together, they hope to roll out the Low Carbon
retailer Barneys hawked at Christmas. If you
Diet nationally through a project Gershon calls
got one as a gift or bought one with your
Cool America. “The Low Carbon Diet is easy
own hard-earned cash, then flaunt it. In this
and really well done,” says Gregor Barnum,
environment, status matters. ✤
Americans
26.5 tons
every year.
damages our
ecosystems
through
the
purchase
AND use of
SUVs,
air travel,
and
is subject to
a different
set of
influences.”
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