Climate Change and the Lesson from Volkswagen

We have finally reached a point where it is accepted and even expected for every business, company, individual and institution to appear environmentally conscious. While this expectation encourages better environmental stewardship by rewarding companies with higher consumer opinions and likability, it comes with a more negative side effect. Even companies managed by executives with little eco-consciousness know that it is economically viable to appear as though they are.Part of what makes the PR of Volkswagen (VW) and environmental crisis so striking is that the company intentionally deceived its customers, equipping 11 million vehicles with technology that reported lower emissions than the ones the maker actually released. All the while, the company has always emphasized “thinking small” and aired TV ads throughout the fall touting the efficiency of their cars.Now that every business wants (at the very least) to appear eco-friendly, how can a consumer trust appearances? We know that the image sells, but who’s to say it’s one that is being met in earnest when it reaches the boardroom?VW only admitted to its scheme of deception once the EPA said they would not approve Volkswagen and Audi’s 2015 and 2016 diesel models for sale in the United States. And it is fortunate that America’s EPA has this authority; the auto industry itself has more strict rules that prevent this type of enforcement with such dramatic economic effects.Of course, we must hope that these types of undercover violations are rare and that VW is the exception, not the rule, when it comes to companies that advertise environmental awareness. But as it becomes the popular thing to publicize, customers must be more circumspect than ever. And this applies, too, to everyday deception that occurs on a much smaller scale.Schools, like companies, are incentivized to seem efficient and to take constant steps to be as sustainable as possible. College leaflets are strewn with crisp photos and statistics that claim their students are the most aware and invigorated to attack the global crisis that is climate change; they say that they will educate and prepare these students the best for a warming planet, that they are taking every step possible and that all this is enormously appealing to the current student. Exeter, too, makes similar claims. We do not sell plastic water bottles at the Academy. Our dining halls compost our excessive food waste, so it will not be sent to a landfill. We have installed geothermal wells. And this is what plasters our prospectus.All these things make the school more sustainable, but they also make the school more attractive, so that it is nearly impossible to separate what the real motives are. And if sustainability is in fashion now, does it matter what inspires Exeter or any school to engage in these initiatives? What might happen when it is no longer a priority for prospective students and parents?The Volkswagen case destroys consumer trust and strengthens the hopelessness that often accompanies our outlook on climate change. We want to believe the advertisements and the claims we see; they show a world in which businesses are genuinely interested in doing what is best for the planet.But the VW case, which afflicts a company that has made it a long-time goal to be environmentally friendly, makes us question every product. How much can we trust a label, and can we trust that every duplicitous or artificial activity is being caught? Let us each act as a climate hawk for the communities that surround us and the products we consume. Let us do our research and support strong government enforcement of environmental regulations. Let VW’s plummeting stock serve as caution to every CEO.