by Brittany Lyons

Recently Grail Research completed a study showing that “fewer consumers are buying green products” than ever before. This is concerning considering the number of green products on the market and the amount of green marketing have both tremendously increased in the last few years alone. Thus it seems that despite the growing concerns about climate change and energy independence, most consumers faced more immediate financial problems. Once the economy becomes less of an issue, it seems likely consumers will once again recognize climate change as a dominant issue facing the world.However, until then there are a few things green manufactures can do to help their cause.

Identifying the Problem

One troubling trend that the Grail Research report failed to mention, is that fewer people are concerned about climate change. For many green customers, environmental concerns outweigh fiscal ones. If less people are troubled by climate change, it stands to reason that less people will be inclined to purchase green products.

To make matters worse, many green products have been facing criticism from a variety of sources. In 2011, mainstream news organizations reported on such stories as Chevrolet Volts catching fire due to faulty batteries. Meanwhile, environmentalists argued that compact fluorescent lights aren’t as green as they seem, since the bulbs contain mercury, and urged consumers to purchase pricier LED bulbs. Finally, many popular conservative outlets deny climate change altogether, pointing to the U.S. Congress’s most recent energy efficiency guidelines for light bulbs as undue regulation.

Although no single issue slowed down the green industry’s growth, each problem hit green markets at the same time, compounding into complete stagnation. As a result, the billions invested into green research, development and marketing yielded tiny returns in 2011. While this might even leave those with online doctorate degrees scratching their heads for a solution, the industry can begin rectifying some of these concerns by identify the trends causing the problems.

Adjusting Course

Climate change is a gradual process, featuring fairly comprehensive science. Sadly, this issue has also been severely politicized in the United States, splitting the citizenry nearly in half. One criticism often leveled against the green industry is that the companies making the products sell them with the goal of making a huge profit. Consumers see a $25 LED bulb and compare that to a $0.25 incandescent bulb. In order to dispel some of the rumors, companies can make a better effort to educate the consumer base about the benefits of green products like the more expensive bulb. By weighing concerns about the upfront cost against energy savings over time and the lack of mercury used in the manufacturing of these bulbs, consumers will see they are the better choice.

A few years from now, products like LED bulbs will cost a fraction of their current price. Until then, one possibility to spur their adoption would be for popular companies like Philips and GE to slash the prices for them. Should LED bulbs go from $20 or $25 to $5, more consumers would be willing to make that initial purchase. Other tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft sell some of their products at a loss – why not green companies?

Standardizing the Green Industry

Each industry benefits from standards. For instance, gasoline benefited from the standardization of octane ratings and regulations against the use of lead. Even as far back as the U.S. Civil War, railroads spread rapidly because older tracks were replaced with standard sizes that fit common engines.

The green industry would also benefit from standardization. Each green product should display their average running costs (refrigerators and washing machines already do this) per year and make more effective use of environmental phrases (such as LED bulbs stating “mercury free”). Instead of making such information unavailable or on the back of the product packaging, companies can display it boldly on the front.

One reason oil, natural gas, and coal enjoy continued popularity is because of the plethora of television, Internet and print advertising fossil fuel companies invest in. Green companies should match that advertising dollar for dollar, drawing attention to the benefits of green products over conventional ones.

If green companies and environmental groups work together, they can enjoy both grassroots and mass market support. Likewise, if these same companies should combine their efforts to promote new technologies (such as electric vehicles and LED lighting) rather than individual products. While some of the issues slowing down the green industry’s growth are unavoidable, many others can be fixed given time and additional investment.

Brittany Lyons aspires to be a psychology professor, but decided to take some time off from grad school to help people learn to navigate the academic lifestyle. She currently lives in Spokane, Washington, where she spends her time reading science fiction and walking her dog.

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