For perhaps the first time since the inception of the environmental movement, activists have succeeded in convincing most Americans that the environment matters. To capitalize on this consensus and broaden avenues for reform, environmentalists are now attempting to persuade the public that their everyday choices are significant. While targeting consumption patterns will make a difference, consumer skepticism and confusion mean real change may not come from a revolution in green lifestyles. Instead, the most enduring effects of the microchange strategy will be a heightened awareness of environmental issues and greater support for environmentalism and its political objectives.

Problems of Persuasion
To alter consumption patterns, environmentalists must persuade Americans that their individual lifestyles matter. Environmental challenges occur on a worldwide scale, but individual contributions must aggregate to create change. Taking such a global view, some Americans understand their environmental footprints to be nearly insignificant and see little to be gained by changing their consumption habits. Sheila Jasanoff, a professor of science and technology studies at the Kennedy School of Government, told the HPR that Americans worry whether “their little bit of action will be just an ideological statement like wearing a t-shirt or whether it will be effectual.” Such worries can easily inhibit green decisions. Samuel Thernstrom, director of the American Enterprise Institute Press, explained to the HPR that Americans’ “level of interest [in environmentally friendly choices] correlates to the potential effectiveness of their actions.”

Despite facing such skepticism, the environmental movement has convinced many Americans to choose a greener lifestyle. In order to do so, however, Americans must sift through massive amounts of information to learn which choices are green and which are not. Jennifer Hattam, senior associate editor of Sierra Magazine, told the HPR that “there’s a problem now of information overload. So many companies and products claim to be ‘green,’ …that people can get a little jaded about it and be unsure whether or not the claim is for real.” Consumers can easily be discouraged by confusing and conflicting information, creating obstacles to green choices.

Even if a consumer can identify a green decision, he or she will not necessarily make that decision. For a product to transform consumption patterns, it must not only be environmentally friendly but also competitive with similar products. Hattam noted, “It’s definitely easier to get people to do things that provide other benefits – like saving money or being healthier – than things that are just seen as something you should do.” Some green choices have such supplementary perks. Compact fluorescent light bulbs, for example, last longer than regular light bulbs. Thernstrom argued that most consumers are likely to adopt the paradigm of American businesses, only making environmentally friendly choices that are cost-effective and do not compromise convenience.

Activism and Awareness
While the adoption of green consumption patterns cannot alone solve macro-environmental problems, it will play a role in creating the awareness of environmental issues needed for political solutions. Jasanoff explained that by targeting individuals and their lifestyles, environmentalists make them more aware of the environmental problems their consumption patterns cause. She said that such awareness has already begun to penetrate American society, as a generation of environmental activism has created “a kind of consciousness change among citizens” and moved green issues from the fringes to the center of American politics.

Still, according to Thernstrom, there remains a substantial gap between the actual and potential amounts of environmental activism. While a vast majority of Americans consider themselves sympathetic to environmental causes, far fewer are actively involved in the environmental movement. As Hattam explained, “Environmentalists are recognizing that pointing people to ecofriendly options for food, home, transportation, and other areas of their day-to-day lives can help…provide an entry point into activism for people who might otherwise never have gotten involved.” An accessible environmentalism is one that can ultimately integrate more Americans and broaden its base of political supporters. As issues like global warming and sustainable development continue to enter the mainstream American political discourse, a continued shift in consciousness will be necessary to transform discussion into results.¨ ]]>