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The proposed “positive spin” approach to green behavior change (and
to convincing voters to allow unpopular climate protection measures
such as large gas tax increases) runs the risk of being perceived
as manipulative. Further, the “positive spin” approach as not been
shown to be effective.

The education and outreach strategy should be based on expert work
from the fields of behavioral psychology, behavioral economics, and
persuasive technologies. 

1. A large CA voting majority favors low gas prices and low
parking prices. We have seen presidential candidates famously
promising (pandering) to keep gas prices low while simultaneously
promising to protect the climate. Politicians understand the
electorate and “wisely” refuse to ask for individual sacrifice. 

2. A large CA voting majority favors NIMBY land use policies over
regional smart growth.

Items 1 and 2 represent “Tragedy of the Commons” (TOC) issues.
With the TOC, the self-interested majority favors a climate-harming
policy because of perverse individual incentives. “If only I
change, I’m worse off; if we all change, we’re all better off ...
hence, I won’t change.”  

Behavioral experts should be called upon to develop a more
effective education/outreach program to address the TOC issues that
we face. Quite probably the outreach program will need to
matter-of-factly teach voters about the TOC and then appeal to
long-term over short-term optimization in a non-manipulative
manner. 

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Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2009-09-14 22:39:06