photo: George Riley

One of the founding principles of earthscreen is that saving the planet should not be viewed as a sacrifice: that we need to underscore the benefits of a sustainable planet and go about seeking change from that perspective. We've been stressing this point since 2004.

NPR today released an article about how quick we are to reduce gas consumption when prices are high but that we jump right back into our SUVs once the prices come down.

Instead, they say they need something more fundamental to motivate people. So efficiency boosters are turning to social marketers to find out how to change energy consumption habits. Social marketing is the use of public media to get people to make the right choices for society.

 

But what works? One effective tactic: fear of death. Social marketers give themselves high marks for getting people to stop smoking. But energy is different. As social marketer Merrill Shugoll of Shugoll Research explains, Big Oil is not the same as Big Tobacco. People need energy, she says — they don't need cigarettes.

The article wraps up with:

Social marketers say there are some things to avoid when you're trying to make people change their energy appetites. A big one is the idea of sacrifice. President Jimmy Carter tried that when he put on a sweater and told Americans to turn down the thermostat. It didn't work.

We couldn't agree more.