Why We Can't 'Nudge' Our Problems Away

"When it comes time to attend a lecture or a summit abroad, he avoids flying if he can. If not, he flies economy-the least carbon-intensive option-and swats aside a vague feeling that he is "getting away with something." Even though his work could help save the planet, he is forever calculating each mote of carbon that enters the atmosphere as a result of his personal choices: what to eat, where to travel, what to keep or throw away. He feels, in a word, responsible."

"the famous 1971 "Crying Indian" ad, in which a Native American man sheds a tear over a piece of litter-a PSA that was sponsored by packaging companies. Or the concept of a personal carbon footprint, which was popularized in the early 2000s by one of the world's largest oil companies, BP. A few years after that, behavioral economists began repurposing these tactics for benevolent purposes, using subtle psychological cues called "nudges" to encourage people to file their taxes, save for retirement, exercise, and vote."

"Let's say you'd like to encourage everyone to recycle as diligently as my friend does. Instead of instituting an onerous, possibly unpopular mandate, you could nudge. You could, as officials did in the United Kingdom, put up posters of watching eyes to promote good behavior. Or you could copy the authorities in Copenhagen and paint the sidewalk with footprints leading to trash bins. The problem that emerged with this approa"

A globe-trotting environmentalist experiences persistent moral conflict, weighing each personal choice against its carbon impact. Industries have long shifted attention to individual culpability to deflect regulatory responsibility, using imagery and concepts like the "Crying Indian" ad and the personal carbon footprint. Behavioral economists adapted such tactics into nudges that encourage beneficial behaviors without mandates, and political leaders adopted behavioral-science strategies for public-policy goals. Examples include posters of watching eyes and painted footprints guiding people to trash bins. The result is a moral burden placed on individuals, even those whose professional work targets systemic problems.

Read at The Atlantic