Don’t talk about energy efficiency, focus groups say
Katie Nekola, Energy Program Diector for Clean Wisconsin and a member of the board of directors of RENEW Wisconsin, looked a focus group results on energy efficiency in the latest edition of Clean Wisconsin’s monthly newsletter The Defender:
Recently I attended a meeting where the topic was “how do you talk to people about energy?” What messages make the most sense to most people? We discussed the results of polls and focus groups where the researchers had tried various approaches, to see which ones got the best response from folks. From that, we are supposed to be able to tailor our communications to fit what people will listen to and what “resonates.” Since I spend a lot of time talking and writing about energy, I was eager to hear the results.
The research showed that (drum roll…) here in Wisconsin, people recognize that our rapacious appetite for electricity has serious health and environmental consequences. They know coal is dirty and pollutes the air and water. They understand that our insatiable thirst for gasoline has given rise to a political regime that will stop at nothing to position the United States as the absolute controller of worldwide oil supplies. They don’t trust the utilities or the government to provide solutions or act in our best interest.
So, what did the folks in these focus groups think would solve our energy problems? In a nutshell, the answer was simple: technology. There was general agreement that good old American ingenuity could find a way to fix things. For example, energy efficient appliances can save lots of electricity. Buildings can be designed for efficient
heating and cooling. More fuel-efficient cars save gas.
All this is true, of course, but I wondered: what about conservation? What about reducing the enormous amount of energy that’s simply wasted in this country? Can we talk to people about taking individual actions to use less electricity and petroleum?
Well, no, according to the research. People don’t want to hear it. It reminds them of Jimmy Carter telling them to turn down the thermostat and put on a sweater. (Quick poll: how many of you remember that?) The consensus was: nobody wants to give anything up. Nobody wants to make personal sacrifices. Better to talk about how somebody else
will develop the technology to solve our energy problems and all we need to do is buy it, or better yet, hope someone else buys it and we don’t need to do anything at all.As you’ve probably guessed by now, I don’t agree with the recommendation that we avoid talking about energy conservation. There are many things people would probably rather not hear about, but I
don’t think our job is to pander to myopia and wishful thinking. Rather, we can help others understand that the real American value needed right now is not a blind faith in technology, but a sense of personal responsibility for the future of our planet. There are real, down-to-earth things each of us can do that will make a difference, and yes, one of them is turning down the thermostat, or in the
summer, turning it up a couple of degrees. Does it really make sense that we need to take a sweater with us to visit a public building in the summer because we know it will be chilly? Hundreds of new power
plants are being built in order to make enough electricity to keep buildings too cold in the summer. Do you really want to put your faith in that kind of American ingenuity?Of course, please buy Energy Star appliances. Please replace your standard light bulbs with compact fluorescents. Insulate your house, and if you can afford it, get a hybrid vehicle. But (psst!)
please try using less energy in your daily life. It’s painless and you’ll feel better about yourself.
