Paul Shoul Photo

For Williamsburg author Daniel Goleman, whose books include Emotional Intelligence and Primal Leadership, writing about environmental issues in the marketplace wasn’t an obvious topic. Goleman talks about how he came to write his latest book, Ecological Intelligence (Random House, 2009).

Sarah Werthan Buttenwieser: Given what you’ve been writing about, this book does seem like a leap.

Daniel Goleman: I certainly didn’t expect to write this book. I surprised myself. But I felt such passion about the subject, and as a grandfather, I found myself wondering about what kind of world we’re leaving behind and how we can change things.

SWB: I take it that awareness about the environmental crisis wasn’t new for you. What moved you to write the book?

DG: That’s right. The big aha moment was this: I heard maybe two or three years ago about a new software program that gives scientifically based evaluations of what we’re buying. In essence, at the store, it’s possible to rate each product you’re buying and compare health and environmental impact. That was an electrifying moment.

SWB: There have been tools for comparisons before…

DG: Yes. This new science, though, has the ability to evaluate a huge number of environmental and health impacts in a comprehensive manner. Most importantly, you can click on the program and learn about what you’re buying while you’re at the store shopping. It’s less about products than a process that can lead to real change.

SWB: It’s interesting that through commerce, you find hope.

DG: In a sense, the things we do as individuals, like ride our bikes or recycle, put all the focus upon those small changes. This seems like misdirection. We can make far more impact by changing what we buy, especially when we email the companies and tell them why we aren’t buying their products. The idea is to force companies perpetually to go greener. They will listen. And we can tell our friends what we are and aren’t buying—and why. Sharing information offers a powerful leverage point. You should tell your friends all about what you know about products. Tweet while you shop.

SWB: Do you think all this information risks becoming overwhelming? Will people find it hard to juggle environmental concerns, health concerns and economic concerns while shopping?

DG: I think people are hungry for this information. Up until now, there has been an information asymmetry: we haven’t had enough access to solid information. As this changes, especially for younger people, whose lives will be affected by what we do in terms of helping the planet for a longer time, and we use our information, we can make change. And because there are better ecological choices at every price point, not only the wealthy have buying power. Here’s a chance for all of us to participate; we can all be revolutionaries in this war.

SWB: What sites help you become a more eco-savvy shopper?

DG: There’s goodguide.com, which launched in February. It offers a way to make better choices for our own health and the planet’s at different price points. Being environmentally friendly isn’t always the most costly option.

There’s also a site that’s been around for a few years called skindeep.com that helps consumers know about the toxins in personal care products. They’ve gotten over a hundred million hits.

SWB: How much has your personal experience of shopping changed with this new knowledge?

DG: I’ve always been a pretty careful shopper. Recently, though, I did switch shampoos—the product I’d used was marketed as very “green,” but wasn’t—so here and there, I’ve had to shift. To access that information and make those choices so easily feels very hopeful.