Conspicuous conservation

Conspicuous conservation is an idea that grew out of conspicuous consumption. It refers to the relatively recent phenomenon of engaging in activities that are environmentally friendly in order to obtain or signal a higher social status. According to a 1978 article by Ronald D. White, the concept of "conspicuous conservation" was first used by economist Seymour Sacks. Jeff Mikulina, then-executive director of the Hawaii Chapter of the Sierra Club, mentioned the term in 2005. The term was invoked separately in 2010 by Berkeley researchers Sexton and Sexton.