Peer groups that harness an online community spirit
By Tim Bradshaw
When confronted by big concepts such as climate change, a lot of people find it too easy to ignore them - after all, what difference can one person make?
The Nag , a social networking site, aims to change that by providing a forum for rants and raves about sustainability issues. The aim is to raise awareness and change behaviour through a combination of peer pressure and safety in numbers.
"It gives you a real sense of momentum and change," says Melissa Sterry, the chief executive of Societas, a sustainability think-tank, who uses the site. "When I have that reassurance that my thoughts are validated by the fact that other people have them as well, it gives you momentum to tackle those issues - whether in a small private way or a national campaign."
DIY Kyoto, a UK start-up, has also tried to tap into the social networking trend by capitalising on personal informatics to change behaviour. It created Wattson, an energy meter that transmits its owners' energy consumption information to the internet.
By sharing that data withan online community, individuals or companies can compare their energy consumption habits, hold competitions or even - in future - earn credits for good behaviour, in a similar way to a supermarket loyalty card scheme.
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