The author's main points in this article centered around how peer pressure can affect environmentally responsible habits. Recently, some places have instituted economic incentives to be environmentally friendly. For example, Washington, D.C., imposed a five-cent tax on every disposable bag at any retailer that sells food, candy, or liquor. The number of bags handed out by stores in the city dramatically decreased. Although this strategy successfully decreased pollution, it came in tax-form, which many people are reluctant to accept. In comparison, the author spoke at length about ways to turn consumers green that do not involve raising taxes, but rather focus on putting peer pressure on consumers. An important quote from the article came in the third paragraph, where District Councilman Tommy Wells said "it's more important to get in their heads than in their pocketbooks." While the government can try to (and often does) take action to reduce environmental impact, it is more beneficial to have people make their own decisions that reflect environmental awareness. The author provided numerous examples that exhibited how peer pressure can make consumers more green. One of these examples was the study conducted in hotel-room bathrooms, in which different signs were used that encouraged people to reuse their towels. Signs in several of the rooms said "Help save the environment," while the signs in the other rooms said "join your fellow guests in helping to save the environment." The visitors who stayed in the rooms with peer pressuring signs were 25 percent more likely to reuse their towels. Another interesting point that the author discussed was how certain companies are making attempts to allow consumers see their environmental impact while leaving the door open for peer pressure. For example, Microsoft Corp. calculated energy efficiency ratings for many homes in the United States and made the information accessible to the public online. This not only allows homeowners to see their own impact, but also allows others to access the information, and thus puts pressure on homeowners to be environmentally conscious.
I do not think I am affected at all by any kind of advertisements or promotions for being green. Often times, this can be misunderstood as "I don't care at all about the environment." This is not at all an accurate statement, as I care about the environment very much. However, I make my own decisions on how I can reduce my environmental impact. For example, there has been a great deal of controversy lately about driving large SUVs, and many people are pushing for smaller, more fuel efficient cars. I do not care how many advertisements I hear about how I should be driving a small car; I will be driving a large car for the rest of my life. Last year, I was involved in a very serious car accident, and I am very thankful that my SUV kept me safe in the accident. If I had been driving a smaller car, I might not be here to be writing this post. Still, this does not mean that I will not consider environmental impact when buying a car. I will always search for a car that has good gas mileage, both because it makes financial sense and also because I do not want to damage the environment more than I have to. However, the fact that my peers are driving small cars will not affect the way that I think about my own safety.
Although "environmental design" may not be the most accurate description for my example, my family and I have been buying organic food for many years. The primary reason for this is that we believe that we are protecting ourselves from harmful chemicals and pesticides that may be present in some (but not all) non-organic food. In other words, we are looking out for our own health. However, at the same time, we are spending money on companies that have reduced their negative impact on the environment, which in turn encourages other companies to become more green. If more people would buy organic food, companies that use harmful pesticides would feel pressure to become more environmentally friendly.
As discussed in the answer to the second question, many cars have become more environmentally friendly as part of a recent push for more fuel-efficient vehicles. Many cars are becoming smaller, and some are even experimenting with different sources of power, including electricity. Many institutions are also using motion detecting lights to save electricity. I am currently sitting in the second floor of Upjohn Library, and can see lights in distant parts of the library turning off after a certain amount of time passes without any motion being detected. Another environmentally friendly act that I can observe in the library is more efficient printers and printing techniques. When we attempt to print a paper from a school computer, it is automatically printed double sided, which helps reduce the amount of paper consumed.
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