How GREEN are You?

Earth Advantage categorizes green homeowners into four different levels, Conventionals, Drifters, Naturalites, and LOHAS (Lifestyle Of Health And Sustainability). Each is defined as follows:

Conventionals have some municipal environmental behaviors. These people do not make decisions based on green values. However the are practical and have civic awareness that sometimes lead to decisions that have a positive impact, such as energy conservation and recycling. They are the most cost sensitive. In terms of home products, they are more like to purchase energy efficient appliances provided they can be shown cost savings over time.

Drifters have good intentions. Drifers hold green values, but the do not necessarily make their decisions based upon those values. They are also sensitive to cost. They often have other reasons as to why they do not make the best environmental choices, including that they don't know enough. They are susceptible to the latest trends.

Naturalites focus on natural and organic consumer packaged goods. While they hold green values, their decisions are not consistently driven by these values. They focus on natural and organic consumer packaged goods but they are less likely to apply this to durable goods. They are somewhat cost sensitive and less sure about the environmental claims of a product.

LOHAS are dedicated to personal and planetary health. They are the most consistently "Deep Green" consumers and are comprised of people who base the majority of their decisions on strong environmental and social values to support environmental sustainability. The key characteristics of the LOHAS are:

1. Green values are applied to decisions in all areas of their life including food, housing, clothing, transportation, travel, healthcare, and investing.
2. They demand that products be both green and high quality and that these products perform better than conventional products.
3. LOHAS are very loyal to brands and companies that hold authentic green values. These companies need to "walk the talk."
4. They are most likely to pay more for the added value of green.
5. They want information that can be substantiated. They are suspicious of "Green Washing" or manipulating information to make things seem more green.
6. They do not often easily find the products that they are looking for and often make extra effort to find exactly what they want.
7. LOHAS often can be identified by their behavior. They are more likely to watch BBC TV, listen to NPR, read local and international media, vacation in eco-destinations, etc

So, the question is, How Green Are You? And will you be able to serve each of these categories with level of service that they expect?

Vancouver Washington Real Estate

Photos: Josef F. Stuefer