Keeping Up With the (Ultra-Green) Joneses

Are you as "green" as your neighbor? Are your friends getting the jump on you when it comes to composting? Do you feel an urge to keep up with the Joneses and turn in your SUV for a Prius?

According to a new study, peer pressure plays a significant role in environmental action. In other words, if everyone's recycling, chances are you'll want to join in.

The study comes out of a Chinese project called Grain-to-Green that pays Chinese farmers to convert cropland back to forest. It turns out that, while the pay is nice, farmers are far more likely to choose to take part in the program if their friends and neighbors do. That's because, according to researcher Jack Liu of Michigan State University, most people tend to follow the majority.

So far, peer pressure has had a surprisingly positive impact on conservation of Giant Panda habitat in China's Wolong Nature Reserve. According to an article on the National Science Foundation's website, "... co-author and MSU scientist Frank Lupi [said]: 'Simply by taking account of the social norms, more conservation can be obtained from limited conservation budgets.'"

If this study holds true in the United States, it may bode well for the environment, since "green" has become the "it" word in many parts of the country. And if we're anything like the Chinese, peer pressure will move us toward a more environmentally conscious future.