Helpful tips to prevent pollution. Helpful tips to save energy. I’ve published quite a few lists of tips in my day, and I bet you have, too. It’s kind of an evergreen activity for us nature protection and pollution control people. Alisa, who blogs at Ecotrekker just sent me her list of 53 easy tips to use less water. So how effective is this really? I’ve developed some mixed feelings. Here’s why:
The undeniably positive thing about giving people tips is that it really nails one of the key concepts underlying the words that work — most people have a hard time figuring out what to do about water issues unless you tell them very explicitly. That’s why some of the words that work are: what you can do.
But research has consistently found that everyday citizens have a hard time sticking with behavior like turning off the water when they brush their teeth, even if you tell them that it helps. Here’s one quote:
Not receiving feedback was the number one reason preventing Georgia residents from adopting water conservation behaviors.
Source: Understanding the Georgia Public’s Perception of Water Issues and the Motivational Messages to Which They Will Respond: Final Report, Responsive Management, 2003
I interpret findings like that to mean that everyday citizens appreciate learning what they can do about a water problem, but still need some encouragement that their participation will make a difference.
So here are the questions that the Ecotrekker’s tips raise for me…
- How can we provide feedback to people?
- Most people feel silly if they’re the only person doing something, so what are the words and pictures that would signal to the person reading the tips that other people in the community are working together to save water?
- Is it good to provide people with 53 different options becuase people like choices?
- Or is it better to focus your effort on just one or two behaviors and really put some muscle and some followthrough into it?
This is a common activity, and I’m sure there’s some opinions out there on it. Please share.
