Environmental awareness overkill: Are we overdoing it?

We extol the virtues and benefits of businesses moving towards more green practices, but we also believe individuals have a responsibility as well. People are just as important in the day-to-day preservation of our environment as multinational corporations. We’re one of many who use blogs, Twitter, video sharing sites and newspaper stories, not only to spread the message of green practices and sustainability, but to help educate people about these topics as well. While there are many people who contribute to this community, we always think there could be more. But how much is too much? Are we overdoing it? And is the general public growing tired of the message?

According to a new Harris poll, it seems they might be. Compared to the summer of 2009, many people claim not to be as active with green responsibilities as they once were. There was an exception, with members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT) group still showing concern for the environment, and environmental issues still affecting their voting and purchasing decisions.

While committed groups are certainly needed, it’s quite disheartening to read that many are less likely to engage in even simple everyday tasks such as using less water or turning off bulbs in unoccupied rooms. Scarier still is the drop in the numbers of those who are concerned overall about the environment, down from 43% in 2009 to 36% now.

There’s no single reason why this should be the case, since there are many reasons to consider. The first one that comes to mind is that perhaps people are tired of repeatedly hearing about the debate on climate science. Heated discussions from many sides can certainly become wearing over time, especially when there is no clear cut answer on what to do. Another issue could simply be that there are more pressing issues on the minds of consumers. Trying to take care of your family’s priorities will always take precedence over issues that don’t carry as much weight or aren’t as important to you at the moment.

There’s no question more needs to be done to advance sustainability, however forcing it in front of everyone is not the solution. We’ll continue to do our part to make sure our goals are reached, and hope others will do the same without running the risk of alienating those who matter most – individuals.