NEXT time you put a green product in your shopping trolley, make sure any virtuous feelings don’t go to your head. In an experiment, people making a green purchase became more likely to cheat and steal, as if an act of environmental virtue is an excuse for vice elsewhere (see “Exposed: green consumers’ dirty little secrets”). The finding may have a bearing on why it is so hard to change people’s behaviour. If real-word efforts to go green are affected in the same way, we need to find new strategies to encourage green consumption. Virtue, it turns out, is…
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from 91av
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending 91av articles
1
Fully autonomous drones have killed human soldiers for the first time
2
Toy universe shows that time could be a quantum illusion
3
Understanding anorexia’s grip on the brain could unlock new therapies
4
What is a ‘normal’ memory slowdown, and when should I worry?
5
Dramatic photo of ibis being guided to their winter homes wins award
6
Vaping after quitting smoking is linked to lung cancer
7
Have we finally worked out how Venus flytraps snap shut?
8
A golden age of maths is dawning and mathematicians are freaking out
9
The last-ditch plan to save coral reefs from utter destruction
10
Why you need to future-proof your brain in middle age and how to start
