Buildings Don’t Use Energy, People Do: Saving Energy by Changing Behaviors
September 17, 2012
As I write this post on a beautiful day in Peru, on the eve of a trek to visit Machu Picchu, my sustainability work for A Better City seems to be following me on my journeys: a National Geographic article from 2009 entitled “It Starts at Home” has conveniently presented itself at my Peruvian coffee shop.
The author, Peter Miller, develops a sort of sixth sense for identifying all the little things that use energy in the home: “One night I sat up in bed, squinted into the darkness, and counted ten little lights: cell phone charger, desktop calculator, laptop computer, printer, clock radio, cable TV box, camera battery recharger, carbon monoxide detector, cordless phone base, smoke detector.”He invites his neighbors into a friendly competition to save energy at home.
The energy saved as a result of this personal awareness could potentially eclipse any technological invention.
Join the Cool Group
In her book Eco-Mind Frances Moore Lappe points out that humans are doers. We all desire to be perceived in a positive light by our family, friends, neighbors, classmates and colleagues. This motivation for positive social recognition is the most powerful motivator for change. I have seen in my own family how a culture or community can have a positive effect on behavior. It happened first for my siblings and me, and it's happening now with my parents. One by one, we moved from suburban Atlanta to Madison, Wisconsin – where we each lost up to 35 pounds. The Madisonian culture entails biking for work, school, and errands; a farm-to-table food ethic; and an outdoor recreational mindset (think outdoor beer tastings in 20-degree weather and cross-country skiing). People do these things because their friends, co-workers or family members invite them, and before they know it, they’re hooked! Community values in Madison encompass health, happiness, and environmental awareness. We need to make that the standard in communities across the nation.Professional Networks
I have seen a similar dynamic in the workplace among the professionals who participate in ABC’s Challenge for Sustainability, a voluntary environmental program for Boston businesses and commercial properties that want to “green” their operations. Just by virtue of their participation in the Challenge, these individuals have self-identified as caring about energy conservation and sustainability. They attend monthly meetings, where they look forward to sharing best practices of sustainability in their workplace. We never so much as mention climate change or greenhouse gases, but just by talking through the issues a kind of social norming occurs. Call it inspiration, but the participants take back what they have learned and share it with other office departments to engage fellow colleagues. This had led to a real impact: in 2011 alone, Challenge participants reduced their electricity consumption by 8.5 million kWh – enough to power 730 residential homes for a whole year.Behavior Change Workshop this Friday
To take a closer look at changing energy behavior in the workplace, ABC is hosting a workshop this Friday, September 21, with Mary Ostafi, my Machu Picchu trekking partner who worked with Toronto Dominion Centre on their energy campaign. Together we’ll share a community-based, social marketing framework. Then Cone Communications will present a case study on their work with L'Oreal’s energy engagement campaign. Participants will walk away with a turnkey energy campaign and resources to implement in their own organizations. Our hope is that by educating others on successful campaigns, we can cause energy awareness and conservation to “snowball” across workplaces. I have faith that if people are given tools, resources, and community support and pressure, we will create a million Peter Millers that identify energy waste not only at home and at work, but everywhere they look.
