What you don’t know about inspiring behavior change could kill you

Project Update and Second Reflection

Please excuse the title, I’m just having fun with some of the behavior change things I’ve been learning. Titles that spark curiosity are particularly effective. Titles that in themselves are a big, challenging call to action are not effective (such as “Give up your car!”). If you’re here for just the behavior change fun facts, scroll down to the next section.

Fun with Real, Practical Examples of Sustainable Behavior Changes

Project Update and First Reflection

The world abounds with examples of what doesn’t work when trying to inspire behavior change, so I was really interested to dive into a deep exploration of what does work. So far, my placement with Sustain Dane has been dominated by research, and sprinkled with meetings. I may not be going out in the wilderness and tagging wildebeests, but so far this work has been really fascinating.

One of Sustain Dane’s promotional images – this effectively evokes community, which helps encourage people to take action. Credit: Unstuck Communications

Here are a couple teasers – these are two of the themes that are coming up in my research so far:

Inspiring Behavior Change Towards Sustainability in Madison

Me (right) with Deb, gardener extraordinaire, at Echo Valley Farm, one of three organic farms I’ve worked at over the last few years

What experiences inspired me to make the changes in my own life that have made it more sustainable? The stirring images of the growing plastics piles in the ocean. The infographic showing how meat creates more greenhouse gas emissions than transportation does. My conservative mother-in-law who stopped using disposable plates and silverware when hosting parties because she realized they were wasteful and unnecessary. The blogger Mr. Money Moustache, who touts the self-interested reasons to bike for transportation whenever possible and promises “punches in the face” to anyone who lazily wastes money on gas.

What makes experiences like these inspiring to me, to the point where they actually made me change the way I live? Are there any universal rules, or best practices, that we can use as conservation professionals to encourage people to change their behavior and join us as we work to save the world?