None of this could have happened without consumer demand. In a survey conducted, half of Americans polled said that protecting the environment should be given priority over economic growth – to think that the survey was done amidst a recession and unprecedented record unemployment.
Consumers are doing their own calculations and they would prefer comparatively more expensive cars that get better gas mileage, will save them money in the long run, and make them feel good in the process. Walmart, once the poster child of ruthlessness, a retailer whose business in the past was to undercut all its competitors, has resolved to change its way of doing business for the sake of the future of the planet.
thinkahol * on 03 Aug 11Prompts in the environment make their way beneath your conscious radar and into your mind, affecting your mood and behaviour. Past research has shown that a briefcase, as opposed to a rucksack, on a table, leads people to behave more competitively. A wall poster featuring a pair of staring eyes increases people's use of an honesty box. And a 2009 study found that pictures of companionable dolls increased the likelihood that toddlers would help a stranger pick up sticks they'd dropped. Now Mark Rubin at the University of Newcastle has added to this literature with an adult study showing that pictures of companionship don't just increase the giving of help, they also increase the intention to seek help.
