The Attraction of Influence in Communicating Environmental Issues

What resonates with me about the field of Environmental Psychology (or ecopsychology) is the role of influence. Influence is at the core of each of the theories and Influence is what we want to achieve when we are communicating about environmental issues.

Needless to say, Influence does not infer that we are influential in the direction we desire, in fact, we could unwittingly be influential to our opposed direction. So how can we have more confidence in achieving the kind of influence we are interested in?

In pulling apart the underbelly of influence (I refer to an underbelly because underneath our preferred word lies a concept, even we environmentalists prefer to avoid) is the "Cause/Effect" law.

At the heart of ecopsychology theory are two questions: 1) What is the cause? 2) What is the effect?

Now, to revert to my statement that even environmentalists shun the Cause/Effect law, before any disagreements arise to quickly, I refer to green technology innovation. As humans, one thing we love is something new (once we finally embrace it, that is). We rush head-long as if in love. We rapidly make decisions with little thought of the consequences (effect), because we are so convinced that our technology (cause) is the solution.

Millions of dollars later, our innovation tar pit traps our hopes and dreams, financial capital, careers, and public confidence. Our mammoth technological revolutions jut out of the quagmire like abandoned beasts. But these failures, unfortunately, are not forgotten, as the public and some of the media retort, "Oh, it was green? It failed? Of course, green never works." The refusal to be completely honest in our green technological development process, our overlook of the weakness of our systems, creates our own legacy of skepticism and buffers the ability of the exceptional green technologies to garner sufficient financial investment and public adoption.

Deeply incorporating the Cause and Effect law into the innovation design process may seem expensive, tangential, or even painful – but it is part of responsible innovation. Taking the time to consider the consequences of our darling technology, and identifying its limitations (or even problems) is as unromantic as staring into the face of an attractive person you just met (and you think you want to date), only to suppose and develop a laundry list of "why nots." Essentially, saying, "Look, I know we just met and I really like you already – but before I kiss you, let's get things straight – tell me all about your baggage." It is a buzz kill.

But no matter how fond of them we are, our environmental messages, services, and technologies aren't prospective mates. No matter how exciting they seem at first, they are actually our tools of Influence. In order to Influence in our preferred direction, we must muster the courage and take the time to scrutinize our innovations in light of the Cause and Effect law. In doing so, we can abandon a concept earlier (if need be), preserve our precious resources; or we can push forward with all our energy as we are now armed with an explored, tested case.

One of the favorite metaphors among environmentalists is the Butterfly Effect; wherein even slight behaviors (causes) of say a butterfly flapping its wings, can be felt (effect) at significant distances from its source. At least at the level of cognition, we recognize the validity of the Cause and Effect law, but that recognition all too often fails to permeate to the level of our behavior. When it comes to our own personal favorite habits or ideas, isn't it tempting to think they are exempt from this law?

About the Author:  Allison Frederick writes on environmental and sustainability related issues, particularly as they relate to environmental psychology and green brand strategy.