Solving the current environmental crisis poses quite a challenge. There’s a common notion that awareness causes action, that doing what is good automatically follows from knowing what is good. Most people have come to see the critical economic and environmental challenges we face today as daunting — too big and too complex to do anything about. They increasingly feel that their individual actions have no impact. But disempowerment often masks a deep longing for change and the desire to participate in solutions to global problems is nearly universal.
The real issue for most people is “What can I do?” In other words, it’s not just about awareness – it’s about believing that simple actions matter. For any environmental initiative to succeed, it is vital that people believe they can make a difference.
One Change programs empower people to believe that simple actions matter and that they can make smart energy choices in their daily lives without huge sacrifices.
Improving on traditional information-based campaigns, One Change programs are built on the tenets and tactics of an innovative new approach to behavior change called community-based social marketing (CBSM). As explained by Canadian psychologist Doug McKenzie-Mohr:
“Community-based social marketing is based upon research in the social sciences that demonstrates that behavior change is most effectively achieved through initiatives delivered at the community level which focus on removing barriers to an activity while simultaneously enhancing the activity’s benefits.”
– CBSM.com
By using the CBSM approach we’re able to strengthen and connect diverse communities – particularly those that have been ignored or excluded by mainstream environmentalism, politics and economics. We do this by engaging and connecting with volunteers, community groups and leaders. We then mobilize them in their own communities to deliver a free tool (such as a light bulb or tire gauge) door-to-door and at community events, along with a message to their friends and neighbors. Doing so creates new community networks for action that can be used again.
One Change has proven that community-based social marketing works. It empowers people with the knowledge and resources to make smart energy choices in their daily lives. We tie a simple, action-oriented message to universally understood technologies, making individual action free and easy, and connecting it to global impact.