Why Leading By Example Matters: It's in the Science - Green Behavior Develops through Peer Pressure

The Wall Street Journal ran a story recently on how to nudge consumers to go green, and concluded that the secret is not education or even financial incentive, but guilt.

The article reviews social experiments, expert opinions on the topic, and peer-reviewed papers all showing how peer pressure is the most effective way to people's green hearts. For example, a hotel guest who reads a sign saying that nearly 75 percent of guests who stayed in this room reused their towels is over 25 percent more likely to also reuse the towels than when there is no such sign, or even if the sign says something like, "Please help the environment by reusing your towels."

Read more at the Journal for more of the really interesting background, but the relevant message for Planet Green really lies in the proof that leading by example can have a powerful effect on people's behavior.

Nothing goes unnoticed

If you take a reusable bag to the store, the person behind you in line is likely to feel more guilty about using a plastic bag and just might bring his own bag next time. Or if he has few enough items, maybe he'll even carry them out of the store bag-free.

Change needs to go beyond lightbulbs and reusable bags, of course. If you're meeting friends in town and you bike

Changes on the individual level can be hard to sustain, since sometimes it feels like it's all for nothing. What's the point of saving a few watts of electricity when your neighbor has the A/C on while the window is open? But if you engage in conversation and explain the reasons not to, how easy it is to save energy and how many people you know have made the change