Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
consumption patterns with a peer group, and the exchange of ideas
on alternatives and innovations, consumers become more aware of
their own environmental impacts and the available options to lower
these. Although participants to the ecoteam approach are provided
with a guide that discusses several environmental subjects and con-
tains alternatives and environmental innovations, the key element of
the ecoteam program forms the group meetings that provide partic-
ipants with information, support, social pressure and incentives to
change their lifestyle.
The first step of the program is self-monitoring of consumption lev-
els. This implies, for instance, regular reading of water and electricity
meters, weighing garbage, maintaining a logbook on transportation-
kilometres and even registering the origin of food products consumed.
Although existing meters provide knowledge in technical units and
do not match the 'logics' of social practices and consumers, ecoteams
prove that kWhs, cubic metres, kilometres and kilograms can become
meaningful consumer experiences. Group meetings enable comparison
with people of flesh and blood (as opposed to abstract nationwide
averages) and frequent self-monitoring apparently teach participants
to understand and interpret social practices in a technicians' discourse.
In the second step, participants are encouraged to share ideas and
experiences and - together with the GAP workbook - this enables
the development of tailor-made environmentally friendly alternatives.
Achieved savings of group members are collected and information
about the total savings of all ecoteams is regularly published in a
newsletter. Evaluations from the Netherlands show that, shortly after
participation, on average ecoteam participants reduce waste produc-
tion with an average of 17.6 percent, gas consumption with 23.1 per-
cent, electricity consumption with 6.8 percent, and water consumption
with 4.9 percent. Six to nine months after the program had finished,
consumption levels had, surprisingly, decreased even more (Staats and
Harland 1995 ; Harland 2001 ).
The ecoteam program was introduced in the United States and spread
to almost all countries of Western Europe, including, for example,
Great Britain, Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland; but
also to other countries, including Slovenia, Russia, Japan, and South
Korea. GAP's aim is to reach about 15 to 20 percent of the population,
which is believed to create enough critical mass to spread environ-
mental friendly innovations through society. As the ecoteam program
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