The Green Wave, Part 7 - Is the Green Wave Sustainable?

In our last post, we saw why the green wave — a wave of growing environmental concern — arose in the late 20th century, not sooner or later.  The 29th-day dynamic which we explained may make us feel that the green wave is inevitable, leading us to take it for granted. 

But we shouldn't.  The green wave is all about sustainability, but is it sustainable itself?

The green wave is fed by two converging trends — rising awareness of green issues, and rising severity of the issues themselves (led by global warming in both cases).  These trends are not independent — the second (severity) feeds the first (awareness) through drawing increased attention to green issues.

If these were the only dynamics operating in today's world, the green wave would indeed continue to grow inexorably.  And in the long run it will, because human activities will continue to make environmental problems worse, and only an extreme change of course can begin to gradually make them better.  So on the surface, it seems the dynamic we have outlined will continue — worsening environmental problems will draw more attention to green issues, leading to greater concern — an ever-growing green wave.  And that sounds great for green companies!

But notice that it all depends on a sustained and growing attention paid to green issues.  Worsening green problems will indeed draw the public's attention, but so will other things, like war, terror attacks, economic problems, personal financial struggles, and the deliberate distractions of sports, celebrity and entertainment (to name just a few).  In this ongoing battle for attention, what will win?

Attention is indeed the ultimate battleground.  Take a minute now — exactly a minute, timed by your watch — to keep your attention fully on your watch.  Specifically, on the seconds as they tick by.  Don't let your attention stray — and notice how far along in the minute you are when another thought intrudes, as it almost surely will.

Well?  How did you do?  How many seconds did you last?

If you can't keep your attention on your watch for a minute, what will keep the public's attention on green issues for a century?  That's literally the question of the century, because it will probably take about a hundred years to stabilize humanity in sustainability.  So that's the question on which our future depends.

The question of the century!  Read our next two posts for the surprising answer.

Keith Borden, Consultant
Brilliant Green Marketing