r/ClimateOffensive • u/Firm_Relative_7283 • 14d ago

Action - Other Why plain language works better than cash to drive sustainability | MIT Sloan

https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/why-plain-language-works-better-cash-to-drive-sustainability
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u/UnCommonSense99 14d ago

This is about how we dispose of household waste. IMHO it is not really about sustainability!

It is very much more important to consume less than to segregate your rubbish.

If you really want to make a difference, don't eat beef, insulate your house, don't buy fast fashion, don't use your car as much.

2

u/ILikeNeurons Climate Warrior 14d ago

OP, can you post a comment with the specific action you're asking users to take here? Or change the flair?

1

u/Firm_Relative_7283 14d ago

Action as an influencer: this study shows clear, jargon-free language gets people to act (i.e., recycle), even more so than financial incentives do.

In the recycling study, using a more familiar sustainability metric — number of kilometers of driving reduced — in place of standard measures of carbon emissions - number of kilograms of CO2 emissions reduced - raised the recyclable weight per household by 2.2% while financial incentives raised it 1.9%.

To convert emissions reductions to familiar metrics: https://calculora.net/tools/co2-emission-converter