ecoAmerica/Blog

What can we learn from polls on cap-and-trade?

Grist discusses the usefulness of polling questions that reference cap-and-trade.  With the majority of Americans not understanding what the term means, the poll results are largely determined by the framing of the question.  What Roberts misses is the general distaste people have for the term itself as revealed in our Climate and Energy Truths Report.

Gas Station TV, Prius Link Up for Marketing Campaign

The new Prius is being advertised with a community-centric messaging theme and is targeting a much wider audience than environmentalists.  Despite its mainstream tilt, the campaign still leverages its activist buyers by allowing owners to submit cause-related content to social networks.

An Analysis Ranks Brands of Nonprofits

Cone LLC and Intangible business did an analysis of the brand value of nonprofits and found that environmental ngos that emphasize personal benefits will have the edge.  The report states, "Although individuals today can easily express their support for the environment via recycling or shopping for more environmentally responsible products, we anticipate the organizations that make environmental issues more tangible, with an urgent call-to-action for both consumers and companies, will break away from the pack and raise significant funds over the next few years."  Check out the article below and read the full report here.

House GOP circulating anti–climate bill document created by coal lobby

A powerpoint which illustrates the regional breakdown of energy costs for consumers under Waxman-Markey is making the rounds amongst House Republicans which happens to reveal that the author is the National Mining Association.  This is what the environmental movement is fighting: a fossil fuel industry that is spending millions of dollars on advertisments to consumers as well as to our representatives.

Will Radical Transparency Save the Earth?

Joel Makower discusses the potential for companies' transparent accounting of the environmental impacts of a product in broadening the marketplace for green products.  He cites historical green consumer research that illustrates the standard that green products need to reach in order to replace traditional products and emphasizes the need for green products to not only be transparent, but to be better than traditional products.

Ad firm touts its "clean coal" persuasion work

The clean coal ad campaign is an attempt to sell the public an idea that has no basis in reality and now the advertising firm behind it is bragging about how effective their spin was.  Desmogblog has the details...

Beyond Words

  “If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success.”       Confucius (551 BC – 479 BC)

“One of the most essential roles of the ecologist is to create the language in which a true sense of reality, of value, and of progress can be communicated to society.”      Thomas Berry   (1914 - 2009)

ecoAmerica’s most recent climate communications research, Climate and Energy Truths: Making the Necessary Connections has been featured in media ranging from The New York Times and The LA Times to Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and the Wall Street Journal.   The coverage was unintentional – notes on the research were accidentally leaked to the media by a participant in a private briefing – and the ensuing reporting and commentary was based on incomplete, sometimes deliberately misconstrued interpretations of those notes. 

The Vegetable Assassin Takes Aim

A nonprofit called Do The Green Thing that aims to help people live a greener life has released a new ad called, "Ninjin: The Way of the Vegetable Assassin."  The ad uses humor to capture the viewers' attention but is it really going to change your mind or your behavior?

Editorial: Alexander's advocacy framing energy debate

KnoxNews.com analyzes how Sen. Lamar Alexandar is framing the energy message for the Republican Party.

Still Willing To Buy Green, Or So They Say

Frank Nelson takes a look at the recent 2009 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey:

• 34 % of consumers say that they are more likely to buy environmentally responsible goods now, despite the economy