Ecological Intelligence Book Review
Author Explores the Hidden Eco Impact of Consumer Purchases
Oct 7, 2009
The power of the consumer to make a product or company successful or reduce a product or company to failure has long been documented. In his new book, Ecological Intelligence How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything (Broadway Books,, 2009), Daniel Goleman examines a new consumer power, eco intelligence.
Consumerism’s Effect on the Planet
Goleman makes his case right up front, he wrote, “Our world of material abundance comes with a hidden price tag. We cannot see the extent to which the things we buy and use daily have other kinds of costs-their toll on the planet.”
Goleman goes on to write that he would like to see consumers and organizations gain the level of knowledge for the eco impact of everything consumers buy as that of an ecologist.
The more consumers understand about that impact, the better buying decisions can be made by everyone.
Radical Transparency
The author introduces radical transparency and examines two benefits.
- Radical transparency can uncover the links and the impacts of manufacturing such as carbon footprints,, chemicals of concern, treatment of workers, and other eco issues and then build that information into “systematic forces” that can be considered when a consumer buys a product.
- Also, radical transparency can bring to the forefront software applications that can manage massive collections of data about manufacturing processes and how eco they really are.
Green Washing Has Forced Wrong Decisions
By implementing radical transparency, consumers can look at the massive data bases and get information about a product, how it is manufactured, and why it is considered to be eco wise or not.
Green washing is publically declaring that an item or product is eco-friendly, when in many cases, it is not. Consumers buy products based on the advertised eco-friendliness when it fact part of the manufacturing process, the distribution channel, or other related factors may not be green.
With the proper information, consumers can make more eco-friendly purchasing decisions.
Green’s Interlocking Spheres
One of the best parts of this book is where the author defines or categorizes the adverse consequences of buying non-eco products into three linked realms:
- The geosphere, is concerned with soil, air, water, and climate.
- The biosphere, effects the bodies of humans and other species including plant life.
- The sociosphere, human concerns such as worker conditions.
When buying harmful products, all three areas are at risk.
Emotional Intelligence
Goleman has written extensively about emotional intelligence and leadership using emotional intelligence. Most of his books are easy to read and comprehend. In all of the emotional intelligence theories, individuals learn how to interpret other’s emotions along with their own and then use that understanding to build better relationships.
This book takes the green initiative out of the hands of regulators and manufacturers and puts the social responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the consumers.
If consumers want a better, cleaner, more sustainable world, they need to be more informed and build their level of intelligence when it comes to knowing what companies are doing or not doing. Armed with such knowledge, consumers can make purchasing decisions based on reliable information.
Building Ecological Intelligence
The eco movement has made great strides over the past few years. It has really become a worldwide partnership between people, companies, organizations, cities, and countries to protect and ensure the health of the planet.
In a consumer driven world, Goleman has hit on a great underdeveloped theory, put the power of green squarely in the hands of the consumer where the recognized power will make all things green change.
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