Day 12 of Daily Footprint Project. It’s been in the back of my mind, these last few days.
I noticed I started not unplugging my computer at night. Not a big deal, I told myself. Such a small thing. Even the outlet looks so small. How much harm can be done? I am allowed to slip once in a while. Plus I have been so busy. I want to make sure my laptop is all fired up, ready to go, as soon as I get up. Can’t stand the inconvenience of plugging it again, and waiting for the screen to come up. The thought came up every night. I should not be doing this. Each time, quickly dismissed. Such a small thing. So that I could pretend, and go on with an almost clean conscience.
‘Go Ahead, Rationalize. Monkeys Do It, Too.‘, an article in this week’s New York Times Science Section, reports interesting findings from an experiment by three Yale researchers. What they found, is that the way we deal with cognitive dissonance – the clashing of conflicting thoughts -, is a very primitive process. Monkeys do it, and so do four year olds. They eliminate the disturbing thought, and rationalize the chosen one. Not much conscious thought goes into the process. This is an adaptive behavior, that allows us to move on.
There is a lot of rationalization going on in the not so green mind. And as the Yale research shows, this is a behavior deeply rooted in evolutionary utility. The fact that it is largely unconscious makes it even more potent. One way to depotentiate that behavior, is to make it conscious, by bringing it out into the open.
And of course, I need to mention the power strip solution. I had several strips lying in the basement. The least I can do was hook one up. Done!
Daily Footprint Project Daily Log Day #12 Water personal: flush toilet 2 wash face 2 brush teeth 2 wash hands 4 two showers at the gym mom: rinse dishes communal: run full dishwasher rinse salad, veggies Electricity/gas personal: electric toothbrush 2 microwave tea 2’ microwave oatmeal 4’ laptop on half day laptop plugged in overnight desk lamp plugged in overnight mom: heat chocolate milk communal: toaster for guests’ toasts 3’ lights run full dishwasher cook crepes on stove Food personal: oatmeal with organic milk organic persimmons tea organic milk mom: pastry from Whole Foods organic hot chocolate communal: toasts for guest tea for guests organic raspberries for guests organic chicken organic salad takeout pizza crepes Waste personal: toilet paper mom: communal: 3 newspaper plastic wrappers raspberries plastic container chicken bones vegetable peels Recycling personal: mom: communal: 2 papers pizza carton box Transportation personal: drive to gym 6 miles mom: communal: drive to grocery store 4 miles Non food shopping personal: mom: communal:
La Marguerite 
rationalizing x2 billion functional adults in developed countries.
imagine the rounded numbers of footprints, staggering.
how do we translate this with our little tribal brains?
our objects are growing faster than our capacity to assimilate.
my compliments on the courage to act upon your blossoming global instincts.
…and you’re just one guy at home. Think of all those computers left on every night at work. Makes my head hurt just thinking about it. Take the power-strip concept and multiply it across every business in your community and then beyond. That’s a small part of what I’m trying to write about over at my blog: http://marketgreener.com. Come check it out some time and join the conversation.
And if you don’t mind, add me to your blog roll. I’ve enjoyed what I see here enough to add you to mine.
Cheers!
…oh, and don’t just turn off the light when you leave, unplug the computer as well…and the monitor…and the printer…and the fax machine…and…
Thanks Chris for stopping by. Yes, I would hope that businesses would be responsible enough to turn off and unplug all their electronics. I am just amazed when I drive at night, to see all these offices and businesses lit up, with no one there.
May I ask — How would a power strip work for the computer that backs itself up onto an external hard drive every night ?
Just curious
Mother Earth aka Karen Hanrahan
http://www.bestwellnessconsultant.com
Don’t have an answer to that one . . .
I am a small business owner. Most of my employees laugh at me for trying to green up the office. I have gotten them to turn off there monitors at night however I don’t see my employees crawling under the desk to hit the power strip.
So as a business owner I need ideas to green up the office that the staff will do.
First, I want to applaud you for trying! There is a lot of advice out in the blogosphere already, on how to green the office. I won’t repeat it. What you are bringing up is the psychological dimension, how to motivate your employees to join along?
What came to mind was the idea of a green contest with some rewards? Maybe one month you focus on turning off the power strips? Maybe, this becomes a part of people’s job description? Maybe people take turn, being the green stewart for the office? Maybe you can show people green documentaries and videos? Maybe you have green lunches once a month where you discuss this, and also show them one documentary or green video? It may be a good idea to go around the room and get people to share their realities as not so green employees. You can model by sharing your own struggles, and also what motivates you to change. Humor is also very good. Maybe have a green mascot, to remind people. . .
Thanks for picking up on Chris’s earlier comment. This is such an important topic.
[…] person that’s being let down is ‘moi’. I can deal with that. I am pretty good at rationalizing . . […]