Where Are The Ads?
Whenever one wants to make big things happen one usually starts with an advertising campaign. Not just product releases but political campaigns and war propaganda (WWII posters are probably very collectible now). So where are the ads for energy conservation?
It’s not enough that there are ads, they have to be effective. This takes the considerable effort of very creative people, meaning this take large sums of money. Ususally this means large corporations or government.
Part of the problem is the message. It is in no one’s financial interest (except the consumer) to encourage conservation. Even the gov’t benefits from the taxes on everything you buy. So why would either business or gov’t encourage conservation - especially paying for advertising to encourage it?
There are a few exceptions where corporations send out goodwill messages trying to help educate the public. Other times they tout their own conservation in hope of showing they are a good corporate citizen. Sadly, in many of those cases the company is attacked by fanatics who claim the comapny is either lying, greenwashing, or could do so much more. Except in the case of lying, if it is true, not rewarding an effort to improve is like telling a child who got an A on their report card that all the grades should have been A’s. Well sure, but be reasonable. Maybe if you encourage the achievement of one A next time there will be two A’s. Even corporations need encouragement. Believe me, the person who sponsored the ad at the boardroom meeting is being evaluated on the results that ad got.
There are companies that do benefit from conservation, like home insulation and window installation comapnies, but typically they are not national and do not have the budget for large ad campaigns. That advertising would have to come from the manufacturers. Given the increase in home energy costs I’m not certain why they don’t have a national campaign. I guess they want the distributors to do it. Applance companies sell energy efficient products (compared to their predecessors) but you are not going to buy a new appliance until the old one wears out. They’ll pitch efficiency when they get you in the store, the ads compete on price.
There are companies that sell devices which help replace energy sources (such as solar PV and solar heat) which is kinda like conservation without having to give up useage - just money. There is a payback for spending the money but it requires a large energy useage for people to be interested. These companies are also regional in nature so no national ads for them.
So there are no real national champions for conservation. What to do? We are doing it. We are talking about it. Sharing our experiences with others. Grassroots efforts are cheaper than national ad campaigns but they are slower and typically less productive. The problem is we are “preaching to the choir”. We all already believe conservation is a good thing and, often, any attempts to convince an “outsider” are met with skepicism. Indeed, I believe many rabble rousing lunatics do more harm than good when dealing with the mainstream population. That is why a national ad campaign is so effective - it gives the message some legitimacy. Well, maybe not those idiotic ads about your brain on drugs but that’s why you have to pay the BIG bucks to get people who are actually talented.
So can grassroots efforts turn into national drives? Certainly. Look at the success MADD has had. They have not only sponsored a national ad campaign but they have convinced legislators to pass completely absurd laws (they needed the national ads to do that).
There is no such current effort for energy conservation. There is a large push for renewable energy sources but that is not the same thing at all. Big business is behind RE all the way because they are going to make money whether it is a good idea or not. They don’t have to make a competitive product, they’ll just live off the subsidies. In fact it is in their best interests for you NOT to conserve, just like every other business. You can bet there are laws being passed to ensure RE has a market but that doesn’t change the use side of the equation.
Energy use is a social phenomenon and has to be addressed with social measures. Sure, you can keep raising the cost of energy and the wealthy will then be forced to conserve, but you hurt the other segments of the population while doing that. If it becomes fashionable to conserve, much like the ads during WWII, then people would move in that direction without the financial pain. So ask your reps what the gov’t is doing to conserve energy, not what they are doing to make more of it. Then shut down the house and go to bed early, sleep is good for you. It’s warm under the covers - and you’ll save money on your electric bill.
- Posted in : Environment, Philosophy, Pictures, Positive Change
- Author :Rt
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[...] Even though things may look bleak we can not throw our hands up and despair. We must take action, we must curb our carbon heavy lifestyle immediately. Renewable energy should be the only energy that is considered moving forward. Efforts to plant trees to sequester Co2 and even efforts to remove it from the atmosphere must continue and increase. Conservation also plays a key role. [...]