“I’M NO TREE-HUGGER”: PERSISTING STEREOTYPES PREVENT THE FULL-ON ‘GREENING’ OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC

What comes to mind when someone says ‘environmentalist,’ or the oft synonymous word ‘tree-hugger?’ For many, these words conjure up a particular stereotype that has been traditionally associated with fringe groups. This has the unfortunate effect of marginalizing the idea of a ‘green’ way of life, and creating a perception among some groups in society that environmentalism is only for certain types of people.

But in this day and age, environmental problems exist on scales never before seen (e.g. climate change) and solving them will require that everyone adopt the ethos of the ‘hippie environmentalist,’ to some degree – a philosophy of harmony with nature and a low impact lifestyle. Regrettably, some major media outlets continue to perpetuate this stereotype, even as ‘going green’ becomes the new trend in American society.

Environmental issues have moved to being discussed in the sectors of business and finance, and the door has opened for a new type of environmental consciousness in the form of so-called ‘green consumerism’ – still the American consumer we know and love, but with a mind to making environmentally responsible choices with their purchasing power.

But the real challenge isn’t in getting people to buy ‘green,’ it’s in getting them to think ‘green.’

The question is: How do you go about changing people's perspectives?

The way to bring about large-scale, lasting change is to make environmental consciousness a truly mainstream phenomenon. When it becomes the norm for everyone to ‘think like an environmentalist,’ all sectors of society will change fundamentally...

...and we might finally see that being 'green' should be for everyone.