Fueling environmentalism the feel good way
By Shelley Smith, D-Code
May 31, 2004
Polluted lakes, climate change, extinct species, toxic land, water, food, and air - it's enough to make you want to run for the hills. As characters on the CBC comedy This Hour Has 22 Minutes recently exclaimed, "We get it David Suzuki - nature is in danger!" So do these dire warnings about our endangered environment result in increasing numbers of people 'turning green' and joining the environmental movement? Is environmental activism on the rise?
Not according to D-Code's Citizen
Re:Generation study that explored active citizenship and the Information
Age Generations (15-34 year olds). Young people are often under-engaged in environmental
organizations despite their total contribution of $1.1 billion to charities
in 2000. Environmental organizations received a mere 2% (totaling $17 million)
of all charitable dollars donated by this age group in 2000. In fact, environmental
organizations are the third lowest recipient of charitable dollars by young
people. In contrast, religious organizations received $541 million in donations
(51% of all charitable donations by this group), and health organizations received
$190 millions (18% of all charitable dollars by this group). These ratios are
similar for the older 'Boomer' generation. What's more, few young people are
supporting environmental organizations through volunteer activities. Environmental
organizations received only 3% of all volunteer hours by this age group compared
to social service organizations, and culture, arts and recreation organizations,
which received 22% and 18% of total volunteer hours from this group respectively.
Despite low participation in environmental organizations, D-Code's research
shows that young people rank environment as the third highest priority for the
Canadian government after health and education. What explains this discrepancy
between what young people care about and their degree of involvement in organizations
engaged in this issue? Why the gap between what they feel and what they do when
it comes to the environment?
The challenge: alienation and inefficacy
One possible explanation for the lack of involvement of young Canadians in environmental
organizations, says Jeremy Murphy of the Youth
Environmental Network (YEN), could be the often confusing, mixed messages
we hear in the media about environmental issues. The polar ice caps will disappear
by the end of the century according to some scientists, while others dispute
the evidence of climate change altogether. Are oil companies plundering the
earth, or as some commercials would have us believe, are they the ones looking
for sustainable energy sources? How 'green' are green products? Is the Kyoto
Protocol the right approach? Environmental issues are complex - who are the
culprits and what are the solutions? If it appears that scientists and environmentalists
can't get the facts straight and messages consistent, then how can the average
environmental neophyte know who and what to believe? The problem may not be
lack of information, but too much and from too many contradictory sources.
Another deterrent to involvement in environmental organizations could be that
the timeframes of environmental initiatives are hard to grasp for many people.
Time intensive projects with goals far in the future may contribute to a sense
of futility in any seemingly small steps or immediate actions in the present.
Young people may not understand that our current patterns of waste, pollution,
and overconsumption affect our own immediate well-being. Instead they may think
of our environmental legacy in terms of our grandchildren's children (or is
it our grandchildren's grandchildren?). Large scale and long term environmental
initiatives are critical in the overall efforts for environmental sustainability
and to confront the cause and effects of climate change (eg. The Kyoto Protocol),
but at the same time they may be taking the role of the individual out of the
equation and creating an environmental timetable that overlooks the present.
Short-term goals need to be identified, achieved, and celebrated. People may
be thinking of environmental consequences the same way they do about credit - consume now, pay later.
Another challenge facing environmental organizations may be a feeling of helplessness
among young people ("what can one person do?"). Contributing to this sense
of inefficacy and powerlessness may be the predominant doom and gloom messages
about the environment. It is difficult to capture the imagination of donors,
volunteers, or activists if they feel their efforts won't have an impact and
the challenges feel insurmountable. But what young people may not realize, says
Murphy, is that small victories are occurring regularly in the fight for environmental
sustainability. These success stories are less likely to grab the headlines
so environmental organizations need to work harder to get the message out in
compelling and empowering ways.
Many may claim that young people's lack of participation in environmental organizations
further illustrates a general apathy among youth. Young people are often accused
of caring more about their high tech gadgets than they do about social and environmental
challenges. However, D-Code's research shows that young people are not apathetic
but instead are often under-engaged by civil society organizations and feel
a lack of efficacy in the face of societal challenges. So how can organizations
empower young people to get involved in environmental activism?
The opportunities: make it personal and practical and show the payoff
Enabling a personal connection to an issue is critical to engaging young
people, according to Citizen Re:Generation. For environmental organizations,
this means drawing connections between our understanding of issues and our
own behaviour. Karen Kun, co-founder of Waterlution,
an experiential learning program that hopes to make water issues more accessible
to Canadians, believes "it is important to speak to people according to their
level of understanding of environmental issues and to draw a connection between
the issue and one's personal experiences." Waterlution tries to tap into
each individual's 'personal relationship with water' and spur an intimate
connection to the issue.
This personal connection to an issue can be made through education and public
consultations, as in the case of Waterlution. It can also be enabled through
successful, well-researched and targeted social marketing campaigns that get
the message of environmental activism to young people in a language and tone
they understand. For example, D-Code worked with the British Columbia Endangered
Species Coalition to help them connect young people to the issues of species
extinction. The Coalition recognized that if it wanted to connect to its media
savvy young target (18-34) it would need to understand the messages to which
young people respond. It embarked on a market research and development process
in the same way as would a soft drink, clothing, or automobile manufacturer.
The research found the most impactful messages were those of the inter-connectedness
of species extinction - how species extinction can ultimately affect human
health and thus their personal well-being and the ways people can get involved.
The Coalition successfully launched an interactive online awareness and advocacy
campaign targeting young adults, with concise messages and steps for young
people to get involved through online action tools, including e-petitions,
faxes, and 'how tos'.
Empowering young people to express their concern for the environment through
their consumption habits (buying organic food or recycled materials), and
through daily practices (recycling, taking public transit, reducing waste,
etc.) is an important part of the picture. Earth
Day Canada is an organization that involves young people in environmental
activities that they can do in their everyday lives and that have measurable
outcomes. The Eco-Mentors program trains high school students to become workshop
facilitators and to mentor elementary school students about what they can
do for environmental sustainability. According to Niki Popper, a program coordinator
at Earth Day Canada, this proactive approach addresses values and behaviour
in a positive way and builds a sense of efficacy among high school and elementary
school students. Another community-based initiative developed by Earth Day
Canada engages people in self-organized Eco-Action Teams. The goal of Eco-Action
Teams is to provide the resources and support needed for Canadian households
to achieve a healthier lifestyle. The simple actions outlined in the program
will help participating Canadians save on their household expenses year after
year as well as reduce their environmental impact. These actions have a starting
and an ending point so successes can be measured.
The Citizen Re:Generation study shows that young people have a desire,
an expectation even, to participate in civil society. D-Code's research also
shows that young people consider the environment an important priority but
this concern may not be translating into action. Participation in environmental
sustainability is not just for environmental activists, tree-huggers, and
granolas - the responsibility for the environment is shared between individuals,
corporations, governments, and industry. Positioning the environment (and
its advocates) as something that is 'sexy' and getting positive, empowering
messages through to young people with practical ways to become involved could
open up opportunities in the movement for environmental sustainability. Showing
how everyone has the capacity to be an environmentalist in some way, no matter
how small the actions may appear, is a message young people (and all citizens!)
need to hear.
For more information about the key success factors for engaging young people
in civil society organizations, please refer to the case study organizations
profiled in the Citizen Re:Generation report, available at
www.d-code.com/citizenregen.html.
This article first appeared in the April 2004 edition of D-Brief,
D-Code's monthly newsletter. If you have any questions or comments, please
contact Shelley Smith at shelley@d-code.com.
