According to a study by Market Research Group Ipsos Reid, 70 percent of Americans consider the green designation basically a "marketing ploy." Other interesting results from the survey indicate that men are more skeptical of green products than women, and 72 percent of those from the South are more doubtful of a product's green status compared with 58 percent in the Northeast.
That's not a very favorable position to start with, considering how much work those on the side of green have been doing over the past few years. If this survey is to be believed, this may be an indication that those in the green movement are basically talking to themselves. In other words, a form of "inside baseball" may be taking hold.
The real mission is to be able to take the green message to the apparent majority who are still doubting its importance to the overall health of the environment and, ultimately, the health of the economy. One of the major stumbling blocks could be that "green" is still too big to digest. There needs to be more of a localized effort to bring the message literally home. In other words, it's the grassroots efforts to reach the public at a simpler level to foster its effectiveness that's key.
This topic was published as part of the House Media Network newsletter. Read this newsletter in its entirety at www.housemedianetwork.com/newsletter/57
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Maybe the list can be bulleted, compartmentalized, and put into a standard curriculum format with qualitative evaluation measures built in. This curriculum can be used to develop public awareness, community capacity building, and localized citizen-driven campaigns, initiatives, and programs that lend clarity and momentum to the ‘green’ movement by providing timely, relevant, reliable, and structured delivery of print, digital, and live presentations about how an issue of global import can be understood at the very local level.
Second, the roundtables, conferences, and focus-sessions attended by ‘status’ professionals are promoting the alignment of the real estate development industry with concerns of the environmental movement and this is a good thing, however still very horizontal.
What BOOST (Building Open Opportunity Structures Together) is positing is a “vertical” alignment between the architects, engineers, building, and environmental trades and professions with local citizen-leaders who may believe in the cause and benefits but not have the building blocks of understanding to act in an informed manner that highlights, promotes, and advances green, smart, and sustainable growth policies, practices, and projects in an effective way.
Thus, BOOST proposes the green-industry professions and professionals commit time, money, and human resources to bring local lay-leaders into 21st century modalities in order the meet 21st century challenges. This method can increase both the digestibility and velocity of what amounts to the most pressing social, economic, and moral imperatives of our times.
All the Best to New Jersey and Company Magazine and www.metrogreenbusiness.com for be a leader in bridging these great divides.
Tim Razzaq, President of BOOST
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01/18/08 @ 21:13 I have been so inspired by your publication, our on-going feedback we get from our constituents throughout the tri-state area, and the growing discourse in the political arena about "green collar jobs" and "renewable energy" that our network - BOOST and Partner - has put together a blog to share resources and encourage others to do the same.
Thank you for covering these new and emerging discussions on green, smart, and sustainable growth policies and practices and I will do whatever is within my power to spread the word about your media, both print and electronic.
Best,
Tim Razzaq
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02/06/08 @ 20:43 
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