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Ron Dembo

Ron Dembo

Professor, author and founder of Zerofootprint.net

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Josh Dorfman

Author and radio show host known as The Lazy Environmentalist...

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Jennifer Hattam

Journalist and blogger at The Green Life

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News

The latest news on this change — carefully culled from the world wide web by our change agents. They do the surfing, so you don't have to!

What Does "Green" Mean?

What Does "Green" Mean?

According to USA Today, the American Psychological Association is interested in getting to the bottom of “thinking green,” specifically what results in environmental consciousness in some but not in others. Psychologists currently at a four-day conference in Boston will delve deeper into these questions, but already some findings have been made public.
 
Much has been discussed about carbon footprints, but research is suggesting that “negative feedback can backfire.” In other words, if you discover how negatively you are affecting your environment, but you weren’t very eco-conscious in the first place, you may just give up because of the overwhelming amount of information. On the other hand, if you're already going green, the same information can motivate you further in your efforts.
 
Other psychologists are also looking at the general confusion about going green, how news stories edited in certain ways affect the public’s reaction and how something as simple as walking outdoors—versus walking indoors—can make people happier.

What kind of “green” news and statements seem confusing or misleading to you?
 

Posted: 8/14/08