Not only does this subway poster use “Balance,” a word that works — it really doesn’t say anything else at all! That’s a testimony to just how powerful this particular word is. I’d be interested in seeing the market research that lead the the West Virginia tourist people to choose this particular phrase, but I’ve got plenty of studies in my collection to that suggest they’re on the right track.

Here’s one nugget:

The balance of nature as a reason to protect the oceans speaks most directly to Americans.

Source: Communicating About Oceans: Results of a National Survey

For whatever reason, whenever I use the word “balance,” I often find myself using the word “responsible,” too. Sort of like this:

State officials in West Virginia should strike a responsible balance between meeting America’s energy needs and meeting their own residents’ needs for clean water by putting a stop to mountaintop removal mining!

Have a nice weekend everybody.