How to Talk Green with Anti-Environmentalists
Good article on Triple Pundit about how to discuss environmental issues with people who either don’t care or are actively hostile to the Green perspective. Five talking points you can use to reach people via their own self-interest.
The list includes the sweeping headings of population, education, “natural capital,” and the economy.One particularly thought-provoking point in the natural capital category: the easiest and cheapest half of any natural resource is always extracted first, meaning the environmental and economic impact of continuing to extract starts climbing very steeply once the low-hanging fruit is gone. This is why gasoline was only 30 cents a gallon when I was a kid, and floats between $2 and $4 in my area currently (much more expensive in Europe, by the way).
But on the whole, this article doesn’t give a lot of ammunition to environmental advocates in the trenches. The next step is to take these categories and make them specific and actionable, and really appeal to the self-interest of those listening.
Examples?
- Whether or not you care about climate change, you should care about the huge inflationary spiral caused by soaring fuel prices. If we can reduce our fossil fuel consumption by 50 percent, that means your dollar will continue to go a lot farther than it would otherwise. Otherwise, it will continue to get worse because the oil that’s easy and cheap to get is already used up.
- Do you know I saved 40 percent of my paper costs in my business, just by switching to a two-sided printer and using the double-side feature? Do you think that could work in your business?
Thanks for bringing this up, Shel!
I am fascinated by how people are swayed (or not) by various arguments. Certainly, “gloom-n-doom” isn’t the way. Anxiety, blame and shame may be decent short-term motivators, but are nowhere near enough to sustain us over the long haul that is necessary.
Showing people the upside is where it’s at. Show how it’s in their best interest. But HOW this is done is just as important as the content.
For instance, the question of future generations can be a phrased as a heavy moral issue or simply a question that helps people see how much we all have in common (we all care about the fate of our children and grandchildren).
I highly recommend reading both of Dan and Chip Heath’s books — “Made to Stick” and “Switch.” They are full of great stories and examples, as well as the science behind how to change and how to sell your ideas.
I’ve read and linked Made to Stick. I think I even reviewed it. For the how, I’d also recommend Stephen M.R. Covey’s wonderful Speed of Trust.