Wherever we turn, politicians, businesses and activists are promoting the latest fashionable "green" policy or product. Green buildings, electric cars, compact fluorescent lightbulbs and a variety of other technologies are touted as the next key step in protecting the environment and promoting a sustainable future. Increasingly, however, scientific and economic information regarding environmental problems takes a back seat to the social and personal value of being seen and perceived as "green." As environmental consciousness has become socially popular, eco-fads supplant objective data. Politicians pick the latest environmental agenda in the same way we choose the fall fashions - looking for what will yield the largest benefit with our public and social circles. Eco-Fads exposes the pressures that cause politicians, businesses, the media and even scientists to fall for trendy environmental fads. It examines why we fall for such fads, even when we should know better. The desire to "be green" can cloud our judgment, causing us to place things that make us appear green ahead of actions that may be socially invisible yet environmentally responsible. By recognizing the range of forces that have taken us in the wrong direction, Eco-Fads shows how we can begin to get back on track, creating a prosperous and sustainable legacy for our planet's future.
Eco-Fads
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book for people trying to be part of the green solution
August 30, 2011
By Mike S
Format:Hardcover
Great book!
Todd's basic claim is that the environment is too important for us to waste resources and money on ideas that don't actually work. He cites many examples, mainly from the Pacific Northwest, where good intention was high but results were low. Money that we spend on ineffective policy is money that we don't have to spend on effective plans. So getting caught up in fashionable, but wasteful, environment trends actually harms the environment by distracting us from making real progress.
Todd does a great job approaching a controversial topic in a honest way. He explains why well-intentioned and reasonable people may believe an eco-fad. He specifically looks at why Politicians, Businesses, Scientists, and Media would each succumb to eco-fads and identifies popular eco-fads in forestry, climate, and energy.
Todd's book champions accountability as a critical leg for any environmental program. One example from the book that jumps out at me was the green school initiatives in the Seattle area. The original claim was that the schools spent more money with the goal to be 30% more efficient, and afterwards we found they were actually less efficient. He argues the "green" choice is to redirect those funds to environment programs that actually are effective. What impressed me about the book was that Todd doesn't just cite the stat and leave, but actually explains why they ended up being less efficient and includes his conversations with proponents of the initiative. You really get a comprehensive understanding.
He also recognizes that not all environmental and energy policies are eco-fads and talks about positive solutions.
This is an excellent read for anybody trying to understand the environmental issues better and looking for how they can effectively be part of the solution.
Todd's basic claim is that the environment is too important for us to waste resources and money on ideas that don't actually work. He cites many examples, mainly from the Pacific Northwest, where good intention was high but results were low. Money that we spend on ineffective policy is money that we don't have to spend on effective plans. So getting caught up in fashionable, but wasteful, environment trends actually harms the environment by distracting us from making real progress.
Todd does a great job approaching a controversial topic in a honest way. He explains why well-intentioned and reasonable people may believe an eco-fad. He specifically looks at why Politicians, Businesses, Scientists, and Media would each succumb to eco-fads and identifies popular eco-fads in forestry, climate, and energy.
Todd's book champions accountability as a critical leg for any environmental program. One example from the book that jumps out at me was the green school initiatives in the Seattle area. The original claim was that the schools spent more money with the goal to be 30% more efficient, and afterwards we found they were actually less efficient. He argues the "green" choice is to redirect those funds to environment programs that actually are effective. What impressed me about the book was that Todd doesn't just cite the stat and leave, but actually explains why they ended up being less efficient and includes his conversations with proponents of the initiative. You really get a comprehensive understanding.
He also recognizes that not all environmental and energy policies are eco-fads and talks about positive solutions.
This is an excellent read for anybody trying to understand the environmental issues better and looking for how they can effectively be part of the solution.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Now You Can Finally Understand Your Environmental Activist Friends
November 3, 2011
By Jay Lehr
Format:Hardcover
Eco-Fads: How the Rise of Trendy Environmentalism Is Harming the Environment, will likely be the best psychology book you've ever read. For people with logical, analytical minds, green extremism can be quite exasperating. Myers helps those of us who value facts and reason understand what motivates environmental extremists.
Myers spent many years working as an environmentalist in state government. Along the way he kept his eyes and mind open to the conflicts between maintaining a healthy environment and how so many varied interests use the environment to further their own selfish interests. As a result, Myers understands these issues better than anyone I have encountered in a half-century of work on environmental battlefields.
Green Building Myths Exposed
In his introductory chapter, he takes on myths about green buildings. A prime goal of environmental activists is to force builders to incorporate green designs and maximize energy efficiency. The activists claim the upfront costs of building green more than pay for themselves in the long run. Myers, however, cuts through the fuzzy math to show how green buildings are almost always prohibitively costly and are often (and ironically) bad for the environment.
As an example, environmental activists claim green buildings provide more fresh air, which reduces the potential for "sick buildings" and cuts down on sick days and absenteeism. The reduction in lost worker time more than pays for the additional upfront construction costs, the activists say. Myers persuasively shows none of this is true.
Much Money, Few Benefits
Wasting money on efforts that produce no tangible environmental benefit should be condemned. Increasingly, however, the opposite is happening. Myers notes, "rather than judging policies based on their results, eco-fads grow in popularity based on their ability to confer a green image to those who embrace them."
True environmentalism, Myers says, should not be aimed at projecting a carefully crafted and appealing image that simply feels environmentally progressive. Yet green buildings, reusable grocery bags, biofuels, and solar panels do little more than that. These eco-fads signal to our peers that we are not only thrifty and intelligent but also profoundly moral.
What adherence to these eco-fads really signals is that a great many people are ignorant of science and profoundly gullible.
Explaining the Lure of Eco-Fads
Eco-Fads explains why we fall for such schemes when we should know better. Who doesn't want to be green? That natural desire can cloud our better judgment.
It shouldn't be surprising that some companies see business opportunities in the growth of eco-fads. Products that claim to be greener not only offer differentiation from similar products made by competitors but also cater to consumers with greater disposable income.
The average person who wishes to be environmentally responsible is bombarded by conflicting messages encouraging him or her to embrace fads that offer solutions to environmental threats. Few people have the time, interest, or expertise to test the claims they hear. In the midst of a busy life there is little incentive to ask, "Do biofuels really reduce carbon emissions? Are polar bears really threatened by global warming? Are hybrid poplars really a solution to intensive forestry and clear-cutting?"
This confusion is compounded by the natural desire of individuals to believe they are doing good without engaging in much sacrifice. Myers explains brilliantly how eco-fads are emotionally satisfying because they offer easy solutions that cut through confusion while allowing individuals to derive the emotional satisfaction of protecting the planet.
Power of Peer Pressure
Add the peer pressure to carry green shopping bags, install compact fluorescent bulbs, and drive hybrid vehicles, and we have what appears to be an almost irresistible force.
Environmental activists understand social pressure is a powerful force. They enlist movie actors to narrate ads, and fashion magazines make greenness a fashion statement.
The result of these influences is that eco-fads, once established, are difficult to dislodge. Who wants to admit their actions to save the planet do not actually promote the values they have publicly embraced?
Unintended Environmental Damage
This faddism is actually bad for the environment. Myers shows conclusively that with increasing frequency eco-fads are counterproductive, doing more damage to the environment than they prevent and drawing energy and resources away from real solutions. However, people mentally filter out information that may call into question the effectiveness of environmental policies or purchases; instead, they exaggerate the perceived benefits.
Recognizing these influences can help us be more alert to the potential flaws in green policies and causes. It also helps us understand the frustrating tendency of environmental discussions to become highly emotional and personal. Eco-fads endure because they appeal to some important human characteristics, such as the desire to feel good about the decisions we are making and our need for acceptance by our peers.
With what you will learn from this book, you will be better able to shake off the hypnotic spell of green mythology and return to sound environmental thinking. Buy this book for every reasonable person on your Christmas list. And if I have failed to convince you of this yet, I may try again in the next issue of Environment & Climate News.
Jay Lehr, Ph.D. (jlehr@heartland.org) is science director of The Heartland Institute.
Myers spent many years working as an environmentalist in state government. Along the way he kept his eyes and mind open to the conflicts between maintaining a healthy environment and how so many varied interests use the environment to further their own selfish interests. As a result, Myers understands these issues better than anyone I have encountered in a half-century of work on environmental battlefields.
Green Building Myths Exposed
In his introductory chapter, he takes on myths about green buildings. A prime goal of environmental activists is to force builders to incorporate green designs and maximize energy efficiency. The activists claim the upfront costs of building green more than pay for themselves in the long run. Myers, however, cuts through the fuzzy math to show how green buildings are almost always prohibitively costly and are often (and ironically) bad for the environment.
As an example, environmental activists claim green buildings provide more fresh air, which reduces the potential for "sick buildings" and cuts down on sick days and absenteeism. The reduction in lost worker time more than pays for the additional upfront construction costs, the activists say. Myers persuasively shows none of this is true.
Much Money, Few Benefits
Wasting money on efforts that produce no tangible environmental benefit should be condemned. Increasingly, however, the opposite is happening. Myers notes, "rather than judging policies based on their results, eco-fads grow in popularity based on their ability to confer a green image to those who embrace them."
True environmentalism, Myers says, should not be aimed at projecting a carefully crafted and appealing image that simply feels environmentally progressive. Yet green buildings, reusable grocery bags, biofuels, and solar panels do little more than that. These eco-fads signal to our peers that we are not only thrifty and intelligent but also profoundly moral.
What adherence to these eco-fads really signals is that a great many people are ignorant of science and profoundly gullible.
Explaining the Lure of Eco-Fads
Eco-Fads explains why we fall for such schemes when we should know better. Who doesn't want to be green? That natural desire can cloud our better judgment.
It shouldn't be surprising that some companies see business opportunities in the growth of eco-fads. Products that claim to be greener not only offer differentiation from similar products made by competitors but also cater to consumers with greater disposable income.
The average person who wishes to be environmentally responsible is bombarded by conflicting messages encouraging him or her to embrace fads that offer solutions to environmental threats. Few people have the time, interest, or expertise to test the claims they hear. In the midst of a busy life there is little incentive to ask, "Do biofuels really reduce carbon emissions? Are polar bears really threatened by global warming? Are hybrid poplars really a solution to intensive forestry and clear-cutting?"
This confusion is compounded by the natural desire of individuals to believe they are doing good without engaging in much sacrifice. Myers explains brilliantly how eco-fads are emotionally satisfying because they offer easy solutions that cut through confusion while allowing individuals to derive the emotional satisfaction of protecting the planet.
Power of Peer Pressure
Add the peer pressure to carry green shopping bags, install compact fluorescent bulbs, and drive hybrid vehicles, and we have what appears to be an almost irresistible force.
Environmental activists understand social pressure is a powerful force. They enlist movie actors to narrate ads, and fashion magazines make greenness a fashion statement.
The result of these influences is that eco-fads, once established, are difficult to dislodge. Who wants to admit their actions to save the planet do not actually promote the values they have publicly embraced?
Unintended Environmental Damage
This faddism is actually bad for the environment. Myers shows conclusively that with increasing frequency eco-fads are counterproductive, doing more damage to the environment than they prevent and drawing energy and resources away from real solutions. However, people mentally filter out information that may call into question the effectiveness of environmental policies or purchases; instead, they exaggerate the perceived benefits.
Recognizing these influences can help us be more alert to the potential flaws in green policies and causes. It also helps us understand the frustrating tendency of environmental discussions to become highly emotional and personal. Eco-fads endure because they appeal to some important human characteristics, such as the desire to feel good about the decisions we are making and our need for acceptance by our peers.
With what you will learn from this book, you will be better able to shake off the hypnotic spell of green mythology and return to sound environmental thinking. Buy this book for every reasonable person on your Christmas list. And if I have failed to convince you of this yet, I may try again in the next issue of Environment & Climate News.
Jay Lehr, Ph.D. (jlehr@heartland.org) is science director of The Heartland Institute.
12 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By B. Myrick
Format:Hardcover
The green world has gone mad. In a single-minded crusade to save the planet from impending doom, the green movement charges ahead with orders to enact policy first and ask questions later. In "Eco-Fads: How the Rise of Trendy Environmentalism Is Harming the Environment", Todd Myers asks the questions and assesses the true impact of "green" policies and solutions while outlining an argument for why science and positive results have little to do with the agenda pushed forward by green advocates.
Myers' skeptical approach for looking past the feel-good emotional value of programs such as green schools and dreaded CFL bulbs is why the green movement should resist reacting to "Eco-Fads" as a vampire to holy water.
In the 16th-century, Galileo Galilei was not the first to become entangled in the dynamic between orthodoxy and science. "It vexes me when they would constrain science by the authority of the Scriptures, and yet do not consider themselves bound to answer reason and experiment," Galileo wrote, a quote that is frequently misused by atheists to suggest that the 17-century astronomer was himself a non-believer. But what Galileo more likely meant was that the domain of the unseen - religion - should not assume authority over those things that can be observed for in doing so one would trade facts gained through scientific observation for those more fashionable to the tastes of religious minds.
In his own way, in "Eco-Fads" Myers carries on the tradition of Galileo for being resistant to the dominating force of dogma, though religious orthodoxy has been replaced by the green movement's absolutism.
Myers' well-written, meticulously documented book draws upon anecdotal evidence, academic work, and the author's own solid use of logic to identify why eco-fads bypass science to gather support on a sociological level. If behaviors such as buying more expensive and inefficiently grown organic foods or using energy-saving devices that also contain poisonous mercury (CFL bulbs) remain voluntary, it still leaves room for people to make their own decisions. But as the alleged threat of planetary catastrophe is promoted as a rationale for enacting mandatory policies to govern our behavior, the absence of science from the debate over said policies becomes more worrying.
"Eco-Fads" should be required reading for anyone with a voice or a vote on environmental policies.
[Note: This review may contain excerpts from its author's complete review of the book to be published at NWDailyMarker.com.]
Myers' skeptical approach for looking past the feel-good emotional value of programs such as green schools and dreaded CFL bulbs is why the green movement should resist reacting to "Eco-Fads" as a vampire to holy water.
In the 16th-century, Galileo Galilei was not the first to become entangled in the dynamic between orthodoxy and science. "It vexes me when they would constrain science by the authority of the Scriptures, and yet do not consider themselves bound to answer reason and experiment," Galileo wrote, a quote that is frequently misused by atheists to suggest that the 17-century astronomer was himself a non-believer. But what Galileo more likely meant was that the domain of the unseen - religion - should not assume authority over those things that can be observed for in doing so one would trade facts gained through scientific observation for those more fashionable to the tastes of religious minds.
In his own way, in "Eco-Fads" Myers carries on the tradition of Galileo for being resistant to the dominating force of dogma, though religious orthodoxy has been replaced by the green movement's absolutism.
Myers' well-written, meticulously documented book draws upon anecdotal evidence, academic work, and the author's own solid use of logic to identify why eco-fads bypass science to gather support on a sociological level. If behaviors such as buying more expensive and inefficiently grown organic foods or using energy-saving devices that also contain poisonous mercury (CFL bulbs) remain voluntary, it still leaves room for people to make their own decisions. But as the alleged threat of planetary catastrophe is promoted as a rationale for enacting mandatory policies to govern our behavior, the absence of science from the debate over said policies becomes more worrying.
"Eco-Fads" should be required reading for anyone with a voice or a vote on environmental policies.
[Note: This review may contain excerpts from its author's complete review of the book to be published at NWDailyMarker.com.]
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
An attempt to provide balance to environmentalism
An excellent book addressing the costs of many things that are popular with people and in particular with the environmental or green community. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Hill Country Bob
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well Ballanced Viewpoint
Well Ballanced Viewpoint by this author. His experience in the North West gives familiarity to me and my experience. D.S.
Published 1 month ago by Danny Strain
5.0 out of 5 stars
Super
Todd Myers is an environmentalist that sees our world's problem through reality. Why spend billions on things that don't help and don't work. Read more
Published 6 months ago by John Van Horn
2.0 out of 5 stars
Didn't do it for me
I borrowed this book from the library because I agree with the author's premise and was hoping I could get some good arguing points from it. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Flat_Tire
5.0 out of 5 stars
Important read exposing the Neo-Environmentalists
This is an important read exposing the shallow, trendy way some Neo-Environmentalists approach environmental issues. Read more
Published 12 months ago by W. Wadford
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fact or Fiction
I remember attending Vice President Al Gore's presentation of The Inconvenient Truth several years ago and thinking how in the world could I have not known what was going on. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Giorgio
