Think Psychology: Get Out in Front

Boomers in Business:
If you're in the business of selling something, you can't learn too much about human psychology. I find today's news from Sweden intriguing. Here's a progressive, prosperous country with universal health care. It is moving forward on global warming issues, the latest of which is monitoring the carbon dioxide emissions from food production. Food products in Sweden now carry labeling that divulges the number of kilograms of carbon dioxide released into the earth's atmosphere during its production.

This means that raising beef for human consumption, for example, shows up as very inefficient and actually bad for the planet. Cattle are raised on huge agrifarms that create a methane mess. They are often given imported feeds that arrive via carbon-based, fuel-combusting transportation. Then they are shipped hundreds of miles to feed lots near slaughterhouses, and shipped again to distributors, etc. etc. All this produces a lot of nasty, and some unnecessary, emissions.

But wait a minute...
On the other hand, chickens have much less of a negative impact, and beans grown locally in organic soil have almost no detrimental effect on the environmnent. At the fast-food restaurant, these facts translate into 1.7 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions for a hamburger compared to 0.4 kg for a chicken sandwich.

You'd think that rational, easy-going Swedes would just give up beef and choose chicken -- or edamame (soybean) salad. But they're just as resistant as the rest of us to changes in diet and giving up fatty foods -- despite the rational fact that paying attention to the food issue could cut "greenhouse" emissions by 20% to 50%.

Cater to the highest or the lowest impulse?
People consume emotionally, not rationally, just like children. In this country, many people with diabetes so advanced they are in danger of losing their toes to gangrene continue to consume vast quantities of sugar, salt and fat to their heart's discontent.

But people can change
I was lucky. When told mine was a high-risk pregnancy and that I could lose the baby, I started eating real, fresh foods, cooked at home without added salt or sugar. I gained only 12 lbs. over nine months, the baby arrived only slightly early, and her Apgar score was 9+. Best of all, over that space of time, I found out that real food tastes better. I've never craved hamburgers since, and that was 30 years ago.

Instead of catering to the lowest common denominator -- selfish indulgence of the same-old, same-old patterns -- smart businesses leap ahead of the trend, develop a product that's naturally and healthfully delicious, and don't brand it as a sacrifice. It works for food, clothing, energy, services and practically everything else.

Get out in front -- ethically
People may complain briefly about yellowish light bulbs that take a couple of minutes to reach full brightness -- but eventually they respond to the "warmer," more flattering color and get used to lighting that "dims up." The "warm glow" compact fluorescents save money -- and they're actually kind of cool.

Why should The Next Best Thing have to be unhealthy for planet or people? Why not use your age and experience to just be cool!