wild places | wild happenings | wild news
make a difference for our wild places

home | links | search the site
  all articles latest | past | articles by topics | search wildnews
wild news on wildsingapore
  The Guardian 16 Jan 05
Make green message cool, activists told
James Randerson, science correspondent

The green movement needs to rebrand itself because people are being put off by its "sackcloth and ashes" image, according to a report backed by major environmental groups.

The report argues that to appeal beyond its core audience the movement must become cool.

"Selling sacrifice will never, ever work," said Stephen Hounsham of Transport 2000. Most people are either scared off by threats of impending doom or dismiss the solutions as "do-gooding", he said.

"We do adopt a position of sitting on a high pedestal and issuing commands," he said. "If there is one thing that puts people's backs up it someone telling them how to live their lives."

The report tapped the opinions of 60 "green thinkers". It also includes a survey of 600 people about green attitudes and 400 people on their actions over the last six months.

When asked for a green role model 63% of people could not come up with a name. Alan Titchmarsh, David Bellamy, David Attenborough and John Craven were mentioned by the remaining 37%. One person suggested Wayne Rooney.

More than 80% said they recycled rubbish, 54% had refused plastic bags in shops and 61% bought organic food. But only 19% said they avoided buying fish from threatened stocks such as cod, 11% avoided air travel and 12% decided to do without a car.

Mr Hounsham acknowledged that car use and flying would be the hardest behaviours to alter, but said the green movement must learn from advertisers.

"We've got to become more normal and speak to the people as if we are like them," he said. "We've got to work towards inspiring people so they want to do these things."

"Neither morality nor self interest is enough if it is not cool," said environment minister Lord Whitty.

"The challenge for opinion leaders, marketing experts and designers is to make green behaviour, green products and green services fashionable."
links
Related articles on Singapore: general environment issues
about the site | email ria
  News articles are reproduced for non-profit educational purposes.
 

website©ria tan 2003 www.wildsingapore.com