A recent TIME Magazine article states that people are more likely to behave altruistically, or in layman's terms, behave in a good manner, if their actions are more likely to draw attention back onto themselves. While environmentalists may not like these findings, there is a sense of truth in it.
Much like people have begun using Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites to relay the events of their daily lives to their friends and family, people have begun to buy eco-friendly and green products because it will reflect back upon themselves positively.
Likewise, in a recent article titled "A Room With A View: Using Social Norms to Motivate Environmental Conservation in Hotels" researchers discovered that hotel guests are more likely to reuse their towels if they're told that other hotel guests do the same, rather than simply requesting they do so for the sake of the environment.
Forgoing Luxury for the Appearance of Green
Traditionally, economists have presumed that if people are seeking status, they will simply buy the most luxurious product they can afford. Yet researchers have begun to theorize that when given an eco-friendly alternative, competitive altruism would compel people to forgo luxury for environmental status.
Eco-Friendliness and Status
Yet, at the same time, researchers uncovered that if green products are too cheap, they might undermine the buyer's ability to signal her status — a desire built into our evolutionary psychology. The same researchers have suggested that companies with green products (the Prius, for example) continue to remind consumers that celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio buy their product, thus driving up the status associated with the product, and even the prices too, therefore preventing the undermining of status.
Staying Green (The Non-Altruistic Way)
Despite this talk of altruism and the sense of failure that many environmentalists may be feeling when they are told that people only buy green products for the status it endows, there are some very simply ways to stay green for the sake of being green! Perhaps the two largest areas of waste in our society are water and energy, and here are some simple tips to conserve both:
- Get a new shower head: You can save more than half the water by buying a newer, more efficient shower head that keeps pressure high, and water waste low.
- Flush with grey-water: Grey-water is the name for collected rain water or water saved from doing loads of laundry. This water can easily be used for purposes that do not require clean water, and one of the prime examples, is in the toilet.
- Control the thermostat: Turning your thermostat down by one degree can shave 10% off your heating bill. If your heating system has only a basic on/off switch, or runs on one basic thermostat, a more sophisticated panel can help save enormous amounts of energy by puttin you in control.
- Vanquish those vampires: Vampire electronics are an enormous waste of energy. These are products that don't come with proper on/off switches, and are running all the time even when we don't use them. Products like the VCR (or DVD player now), game consoles are notoriously bad, and units that are fully charged yet still plugged in and charging (laptops and cell phones). Turn these items off when not in use!
These few tips are just the beginning of how you can be greener, but will not deliver the same sense of achievement or community reponse that a new Prius or solar panel on your roof might. Yet, it is critical to remember that it is these small gestures that go a long way in helping to save energy, and the environment.
Sources
- Berry, Sian. 50 Ways to Save Water & Energy. Kyle Cathie Ltd. Amadeus, 2007.
- Cloud, John. Competitive Altruism: Being Green in Public. Time Magazine.
- Goldstein, Noah, Robert Cialdini, Vladas Griskevicius. "A Room With A View: Using Social Norms to Motivate Environmental Conservation in Hotels." Journal of Consumer Research Inc., Vol 35, (2008)
- Hardy, Charlie L., Mike Van Vugt. "Nice Guys Finish First: The Competitive Altruism Hypothesis". Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 32, No. 10, 1402-1413 (2006)
