DC-2-Changing Consumer Behavior - Rose GardenThis is a featured page

What creates or changes particular behavior?

What can help people build bridges to change? How can we foster responsible choices?

  • Zero Waste Designs: new products to reduce need for waste
  • Sytems design that doesn't even make it a choice or simplifies the choice...CFLs
  • A question of economics...need-driven v. new products: what are options if you only have $900 to buy an old gas guzzler?
  • What are different cultures' approaches?
  • Often products from other places are much more creative, efficient and appropriate than those developed here?
  • Our cultures contribution is around motivation--we can do it if we get there: HOW TO GENERATE DEMAND?
  • Economics (and ACTION) is both about push and pull (legislation and inspiration)?
  • Where are the degrees and jobs in environmental marketing? We don't have the expertise to compete?
  • We need game changing ideas (what is history of environmental success stories?) and this requires learning from a variety of sectors?
  • What are successes?
  1. Vegetarianism/Food Issues
  2. Energy Efficient Cars
  3. Ozone Depletion
  4. Acid Rain
  5. Species Loss
  6. Global Climate Change?
  • Need forms for changing human behavior--work experiences, education, social interaction
  • Sharing profound experiences and stories is critical: not just a list, although that can play a role

Other Resources: Books, Websites, Etc.

GIBU09 DC 043 by you.

(Additional partial notes from Rose Garden – Changing Behavior - (Seeger)

- Embed environmentally friendly education
- Change for participants was affected by life-event, not b/c someone told them to change thinking/behavior (Seeger’s example of hearing the song “Garbage”)
  • Understanding/acting on the profound moments that caused behavior changes
- Are choices available? Who makes those choices to be more sustainable/environmentally friendly?
  • If choice is always available and we’re all operating individually within the parameters, change will not be made – there needs to be some system of structure - Need for innovation that drives change so consumers never have to make choices – there are consumer behaviors that are choices and those that are need based
    • necessary to change need based choices to that more sustainable options are available
- If consumers don’t start demanding the right products, they won’t be developed

  • what comes first, producing or consuming?
  • push/pull of consumerism – economics shapes consumption
  • need the motivation to change and once that happens, change will happen quickly
- Challenge of desire for change towards sustainability in face of minimal demand for these products
  • Need a paradigm shift, which is difficult for the government to implement
- EPA and Dow – government basically embarrassed them by saying they were the worst polluter (80’s) and Dow did a broad staff change and reorganized their priorities - professions exist for environmental marketing, but…

  • Environmental products not successful next to others b/c the price is not genuine to environmental impact of that product
  • How do we stop environmental degradation?
- Game changing steps necessary - There are major sectors in society that need to band together (i.e. consumers, business, academia, government…)
  • Vegetarian diet is consumer driven
  • Poople pay attention to academia/scientists
- Need to cross boundaries between all major societal sectors
- Changing habits is a long term endeavor (90 days)


No user avatar
lmacintyre 		Latest page update: made by lmacintyre , Jun 19 2009, 12:16 PM EDT (about this update About This Update lmacintyre Edited by lmacintyre


view changes
- complete history)
Keyword tags: None
More Info: links to this page

Threads for this page

There are no threads for this page.  Be the first to start a new thread.