Next week i am mostly working at with groups...

>> Work in progess <<


In my quest to try and keep these posts related back to my life, i am this time going to conceder the topics;

(a) What do you think needs to be done to get people to behave more sustainably

AND

(b) Do you think better advertising will be enough to bring about sustainable consumption? What effect does advertising have on your consumption behaviour?

in relation to my work plan for last week.


Monday 19th Oct
10.00-11.00 Camp In meeting
The campaign and outreach teams meet at the beginning of the week, to share what we have been doing, successes and plans for the next week. This process at a functional level helps the different campaign and outreach teams to be aware of what each other and allow links to be explored. At a psychological level it probably helps individuals to feel part of something larger, leading to feelings of empowerment as shared organisational ownership is fostered. (a) Team based environmental citizenship.

11.00-12.00 Go Green Week meeting
Planning meeting for the Go Green week to discus different viral videos. One will be for the network to promote a variety of ideas for activities that groups could run, this will be made out of photo stills and a tongue and cheek date in a comic strip style will add some comedy. This video is heavily targeted at the ‘positive greens’ associated with People & Planet groups. The second video will be aimed at non-engaged students and will advertise the Carbon Blind Date (see earlier post). I will try and incorporate ides from New Rules: New Game (Futerra, 2005), into the second video and continued communication strategy (expect sprawling post on this subject some time soon. (a) Social Marketing (b) Although these are both examples of using advertising to trigger pro-environmental behaviours, I don’t believe that advertising alone can lead to sustainable consumption. Structural changes are needed as well as psychological to move societies to sustainable futures. Advertising can play a role, it was very interesting reading Futerra (2005) ‘Help people to help’ section:

‘People really want to be good, important and useful. Strange but true. Much climate change communications makes people feel bad, irrelevant and useless. Help people to understand (and trust) that they are making a difference.

Climate change isn’t yet in most people’s ‘locus of control’; it feels like a big nasty threat they have no influence over. Until people feel on the inside that changing their behaviour will make a difference, no amount of information, price cuts or haranguing will bring about the change needed.’

Although I agree with the statement in respect to needing to make individuals feel empowered to make change, I think that part of the problem is the lack of action and hypocrisy that people see in government. I don’t think advertising that sustainable consumption without sustainable citizenship can make the changes needed is a positive move.


12.00-14.00 Run through Going Greener Workshop

14.00-18.15 Ring SU contacts

18.15-20.00 Going Greener Workshop for Bath Group


Tuesday 20th Oct
10.00-11.00 University Team Meeting

11.00-18.00 Website development


Wednesday 21st Oct
10.00-11.00 Climate Change Team Meeting

11.00-12.00 1 to 1 Louise

12.00-19.00 Recruit Campaign Advocates


Thursday 22nd Oct
10.00-12.00 Prepare lobbying workshop

13.00-14.30 Deliver lobbying workshop

14.30-17.00 Design brief Carbon Blind date


Friday 23rd Oct
Day of study for sustainable consumption