Welcome to another article series I’m testing: Sustainable Brain Candy. This series will bring you tasty thought snippets, gathered from events and other sources of inspiration.

Today’s batch of goodies is the aftertaste of Sustainable Practice Network’s “Green Consumerism as Paradigm Shift” discussion. I’ve included info on the panel’s topic and participants at the end of this article. In the meantime, here are some summaries to savor:

• “Buycotting” instead of “boycotting” to use your money to support what you want to see. [Marisa Guber]
• Advertising hasn’t taken responsibility for the problems resulting from the products the industry helps market. Since advertising and design have the power to exacerbate these problems, they also have the power to ameliorate them through the transmission of knowledge. [Jeff Cooper]
• Move from “citizen activist” to “consumer activist” because government doesn’t move as quickly as the market could. [Wendy Gordon]
• “Titanic Model,” a term coined by the Jamie Cloud of the Sustainability Institute, refers to the attitude that if we’re all going to go down, we might as well go down in style. [Marisa Guber] It’s a concept useful in considering why some individuals choose not to change their consumer behavior in response to climate change science.
• Green choice is becoming the smart choice. People will act because energy prices continue to increase. [Wendy Gordon]
• Consumerism is not in fundamental opposition to sustainability. Some products are simply necessary and are even using cradle-to-cradle design. [Jeff Cooper]
• Consumption varies by, and is reinforced by, culture. Americans use paper towels, whereas many other cultures use cloth towels. Can Americans return to using more sustainable cloth towels?

I hope you enjoyed the tasty tidbits I shared; feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. If you ever want to attend events like these, be sure to check out what’s on return on good’s calendar.

Sustainability Practice Network

Green Consumerism as Paradigm Shift

Overview:

Lately, everything seems to be “going green” - from TV ads touting eco-friendly products to news articles on carbon offsets and magazines that glamorize low-impact living. It is said that 16% of U.S. adults belong to the $208 billion market segment known as LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability). But at the end of the day, are we becoming a truly conscious society, one that will eventually live in harmony with nature? Or are we simply finding a “guilt-free” way to continue our consumerist patterns. Robert Reich, author of Supercapitalism, claims that the problem partly lies in our own modern self-conception as consumers, rather than citizens. Evan and Freda Eisenberg, in their New York Magazine feature “Greener Postures,” describe some eco-chic products that are hilariously useless. Others argue that we’re witnessing a sustained and meaningful change: authors of The Cultural Creatives say there are 50 million people who seek “deep, integral change” in the cultures of industrialized nations. This panel will discuss the role of consumers as “green” - are they an oxymoron, or are they leaders on the path to sustainability? Not only will we list steps individuals can follow to reduce their environmental impact, we’ll also provide skeptics with business and personal reasons to do the same - so, bring along a skeptic!

Moderator: Michael Block

Panelists:

Jeff Cooper, Partner and Creative Director at Groundswell

Wendy Gordon, Founder of National Geographic’s Green Guide

Marisa Guber, Curator/Shop manager, ABC Home & Planet