The Dark Side of the Green Side

Today, during one of my endless surfing sessions, I read a Blog entry by Dan Ariely (author of Predictably Irrational) discussing a forthcoming article (Do Green Products Make Us Better People?) on the various implications of the green effect on consumers. The findings of the article, let me warn you, are kind of unexpected. As discussed in a previous post in this blog (Are You Into Ecopornography?) we have witnessed, in the last years, an incredible increase in the amount of green products offered in the market. This probably reflects the fact that consumers not only choose what to buy on the basis of the price and/or quality, but also on the basis of social and ethical factors. Being green is seen as cool. Being green is a socially desirable attribute. It makes you fell good. No doubts.

After a series of experiments, the two researchers (Mazar & Zhong) found out that:

1. the mere exposure to green-related concepts and/or products through priming would lead to a subsequent activation of our social responsibility and therefore to a more likely altruistic/green behaviour.
2. However (and here comes the interesting one): people act less altruistically and are more likely to cheat and steal after purchasing green products as opposed to conventional products.

The findings reported in point 1 are in line with the research on the phenomenon of priming. A precedent series of stimuli can influence our subsequent behaviour. For example some studies found out that exposure to a series of exclusive restaurant pictures was positively influencing manners in a subsequent "eating situation". Otherwise as described in M.Gladwell's book Blink an exposure to a series of words recalling old age was affecting the speed at which people were walking out of the laboratory after the experiment.Therefore accordingly to previous research green priming (let me call it like that), influences subsequent behaviour in a positive way.

The findings reported in the second point are more interesting and unexpected. It looks like that, after a green purchase we would be more likely to feel like: "Ok, I've done my part. My conscience is now clean. Let's rob a bank!" (or something like that). The authors explain their findings like that: "our studies suggest that social and ethical acts may contribute to a more general sense of moral self than previously thought, licensing socially undesirable behaviors in distant domains." (i.e.: cheating or stealing money).

Doing good would make us feel OK with ourself and therefore more likely to act in a anti-social or self interested way in a latter situation. Therefore if you did something good today, pay attention to what you may find yourself doing this evening!

Are You Into Ecopornography?

You have probably noticed that today practically every firm out there is claiming to be, in one way or another, environmentally friendly. Words and expressions like green, biodegradable, recyclable, non-polluting, etc... have become extremely common everywhere. I am sure that if you walk around your home right now you will be able to find at least one product promoting its greenish attitude. This phenomenon is so diffused that even oil companies, which are probably among the greatest polluters in the world, are claiming to be the environment best friends. Someone would say that this thing smells fishy, isn't it? Especially when, on one hand, you see ads from oil companies on Tv promoting their efforts in protecting the planet, but, alas, on the other hand they are selling products helping to ruin it. Moreover you are also told that it was discovered that some of them are constantly lobbying with governments to relax environmental laws and regulations.

That's probably what Mr. J. Westerweld must have thought when he coined the term greenwashing. He was probably struck by this ambivalent nature of some firms and industries' behaviours. He once noticed that some hotels were placing green placards in rooms promoting various types of good behaviour like the reuse of towels, etc... Though, he later noticed that these hotels were making no effort in recycling waste. The main reason for that was that it was not worth economically.

Even if you have probably already got the point, the term greenwashing defines the practice of deceivingly promoting one's products or services as being environmentally friendly. The main purpose of these actions is obviously to gain the public approval. Classical examples are the use of less natural resources, the development of new products with lower environmental impact, energy-efficient goods, etc... To define more or less the same thing also the term that I used in the title of this post (ecopornography) was created by J. Mander.

The informed consumer has to be aware of such things. The risk is otherwise to inevitably fall into the trap without even noticing it. There are of course firms actually promoting good behaviours and acting accordingly, but how to distinguish the good apples from the bad ones? It is probably very difficult. Anyway, information asymmetries can be levelled to some extent. Internet and a critical attitude are already good wapons to defend oneself from being greenwashed.

For example, Terra choice, an environmental marketing agency, has published an interesting study called The six sins of greenwashing. In their study they found out that more of 99% of the analysed firms were guilty of greenwashing in some way. Here are the six sins:

1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off: e.g. “Energy-efficient” electronics that contain hazardous materials.
2. Sin of No Proof: e.g. Shampoos claiming to be “certified organic,” but with no verifiable certification.
3. Sin of Vagueness: e.g. Products claiming to be 100% natural when many naturally-occurring substances are hazardous, like arsenic and formaldehyde.
4. Sin of Irrelevance: e.g. Products claiming to be CFC-free, even though CFCs were banned 20 years ago.
5. Sin of Fibbing: e.g. Products falsely claiming to be certified by an internationally recognized environmental standard like EcoLogo, Energy Star or Green Seal.
6. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils: e.g. Organic cigarettes or “environmentally friendly” pesticides.

If you want to read the complete study and find other interesting advices on how to defend yourself from being deceived please go to the following link: http://www.terrachoice.com/files/6_sins.pdf