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Generational differences with regard to environmental concern
Q: You mentioned in your previous interview about your daughter at Wesleyan. How do the attitudes of people her age differ from those of people graduating from college in 1960?
MR. ALM: Well, the information they have is incredible. It may not all be accurate, but they certainly have perceptions. I remember when she was a young teenager and I drove her and a bunch of her friends around and I offered to take them to lunch. They had a long debate about which of the fast food franchises was most environmentally desirable. This is something that would have never occurred to us in the '60s. So there is a lot of interest by young adults her age. And I think it is going to have a profound impact on politics, corporate behavior, and on individual consumer decisions over time.
Some people feel that environment is going to go away as an issue as we have to deal with the stark economic realities of a global economy. Historically, there has been a certain amount of waxing and waning of environmental enthusiasm depending on the economic conditions. I believe, however, that the general trend has been positive and that we are nurturing a new generation that has much more knowledge and a different ethic about the relationship of man to the environment. I think it is going to make a political difference, a difference in consumer choices, and a difference within firms. In many firms today, you see some of the younger people being proponents for the environment within their companies.
Q: You mentioned a different ethic that young people have. How would you define that ethic?
MR. ALM: It is an ethic that concerns itself not only with obvious forms of pollution, but concerns itself with use of materials and the way we dispose of residuals in our society. There is a great deal of interest in recycling and purchasing "green" goods that don't have adverse environmental effects. The ethic results in a much more personal involvement with doing something about the environment rather then merely supporting governmental actions or contributing to environmental causes.
Q: Where do you think the roots of that have...?
MR. ALM: That is a good question. Certainly in 1970, environmental quality became a big political issue. With Earth Day acting as a national catharsis, releasing pent up enthusiasm and concern over the issue. Environmental groups grew rapidly and became very active. Over time, environmental concerns seeped into the educational system and received constant press attention. By the late 1980s, there was a recognition that environmental problems were global in nature. In 1992, we saw the largest concentration of nations in the history of the world at Rio [1992 UNCED meeting]. That was big news. All these things tend to be reenforcing.
These changes are having a large impact on industry, fundamentally different than in the early days. In the early 1970s, industry, manufacturing industry to a great extent, opposed many of the environmental laws. By the late 1970s and 1980s, industry learned to live with regulations, although not always with great enthusiasm.
Today, you see many companies now trying to be very proactive by establishing their own pollution prevention programs. For example, some of the big forest products, chemical and petroleum companies are taking credit for their contributions to the environment. Many believe environmental progress can represent a competitive advantage.
A couple of years ago, Dow Chemical had a cover on its annual report that said that no issue was more important to the future of the company than the environment. Such a statement would never have been made a decade ago.