RANDOM HOUSE, INC.

T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

Ecological Intelligence
The Hidden Impacts of What We Buy
by Daniel Goleman

Broadway Business | TR
978-0-385-52783-5 | 288 pp. | $16.00/$19.00 Can.

READING LEVEL: 11th Grade-Up

Virginia Tech has selected Ecological Intelligence for its 2009 and 2010 Common Book Project.

“The theme of ecological awareness and environmental sustainability emerged as we considered a variety of books. The selection committee felt
that such a theme would offer many options for engagement and use of the book across all colleges and disciplines. It could connect with new
university efforts in the area of heightened environmental awareness and action and provide opportunities to facilitate community service
options for students and faculty.”

—Ron Daniel, associate provost for undergraduate education, Virginia Tech

note to teachers
Ecological Intelligence is a provocative book that will interest students in a wide range of high school and undergraduate programs.
Because it examines topics at the intersection of environmental studies, economics, business, and psychology, it would enhance
courses of study in any of these disciplines and provide a real-world, everyday context for exploring them.
This Teacher’s Guide is organized by chapter and may be used in a variety of ways. The teacher may assign the book a chapter at a
time and reflect on the topics more deeply through that chapter’s questions and activities, or assign the book in its entirety, selecting
questions and activities from throughout the guide that fit the course objectives.

about this book

Ecological Intelligence examines the profound environmental, social, and health consequences of everyday consumer choices. In
this thought-provoking book, author Daniel Goleman defines “ecological intelligence” as individuals’ ability to apply what they learn
about their impact on the environment to make changes in their behavior and live more sustainably. He explains how and why con-
sumers so often are clueless about the effects of their choices, and explores cutting-edge technologies that will enable consumers to
make smarter purchasing decisions in the future. He makes the case that by boosting ecological intelligence through this “radical
transparency,” companies will incrementally shift their practices, moving our society toward sustainability and changing things for
the better.

Random House, Inc. Academic Dept. 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
HIGH SCHOOL:www.randomhouse.com/highschool • highschool@randomhouse.com
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 about the author
DANIEL GOLEMAN is an internationally known psychologist and author. He earned a
bachelor’s degree at Amherst College and a doctorate in Psychology at Harvard University.
In the 1970s, he wrote his first book, now called The Meditative Mind, based on his doctoral
research. He became a writer for Psychology Today, and then in 1984 began reporting on
brain and behavioral sciences for The New York Times.
While reporting for the Times, Goleman became interested in research on emotions and the
brain, and wrote about this topic in his best-selling book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can
Matter More Than IQ (1996). Since leaving the Times to work on his own projects in 1996,
he has written many books, including, Working with Emotional Intelligence (1998), Primal
Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence (2002), Social Intelligence: The New
Science of Human Relationships (2006), and most recently, Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing
the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything (2009).
In addition to writing, Goleman co-founded the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and
Emotional Learning, which is now based at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the
Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations at Rutgers University,
which he also co-directs.

teaching ideas
For each chapter, the Teacher’s Guide includes the following elements:
• Synopsis – a brief overview of the chapter.
• Terms – a listing of key terms introduced or used in the chapter (when applicable).
• Questions – suggestions for in-class discussion. These questions also may be used
as writing prompts or assessment.
• Activities – ideas for expanding learning beyond the book through a variety of
learning strategies. These suggestions may be used as classroom activities, group
projects, research topics, or course assignments.

discussion questions & suggested activities

Chapter 1 — The Hidden Price of What We Buy
Synopsis: Goleman gives examples of the far-reaching environmental, health, and social
effects of things we buy. He introduces the term “ecological intelligence” and suggests that
people could make a positive impact through their consumer choices.
Terms: impulse buy (1), ecological intelligence (3), marketplace transparency (3),
industrial ecology (4), radical transparency (6), mantra (11)
Questions:
1. What does Goleman mean by ecological intelligence (3)?
2. What kinds of “hidden price tags” are associated with the products we buy (2)?
3. How is industry like an ecosystem, as Goleman suggests (5)?
4. What is radical transparency (6)? Do you think it could make a difference in how
people behave?
5. What are some of the health effects of the things we buy (9)?
6. Do you agree with Goleman when he says that as individual shoppers, we have
an illusion of choice (10)?

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discussion questions & suggested activities (continued)
7. Goleman says that the belief that cheaper is always better is being replaced by a
new mantra (11). What do you think that mantra is? Do you think it has taken hold?
8. This book focuses on ways that consumer purchases can positively affect the
environment, our health, and society. How might not buying things have an even
greater impact?
Activities:
1. Choose a product, such as a toy or food item, and see what behind-the-scenes
information you can discover about it on the Internet.
2. Draw two maps or illustrations comparing a natural system, such as the food
cycle, and an industrial system, such as electric power production and use. In
what ways are these systems alike and different

Chapter 2 — “Green” Is a Mirage

Synopsis: Using specific examples like a recycled glass jar, a cloth shopping bag, and
an organic t-shirt, Goleman shows how even things we may think of as “green” can
have serious environmental and social impacts. He points out that green is a relative
term, not an end result, and that life cycle assessment (LCA) is one way to learn about
all the inputs and outputs involved in a particular product.
Terms: life cycle assessment (LCA) (14), green (22), green-washing (23)
Questions:
1. Goleman uses the idea of Indra’s net as a metaphor for the nature of industrial
processes (15). What do you think of this metaphor? What other words or ways
would you use to describe industrial processes? Is any one metaphor sufficient?
2. How might considering “green” a verb, as Goleman suggests, rather than an
adjective, change the way you or other people behave (28)?
3. What is the difference between cradle-to-cradle and cradle-to-grave thinking?
Why might that be an important shift in thinking?
4. How does Goleman make the case that green is not either/or?
5. Do you agree that today’s standards for greenness will be seen as “eco-myopia”
tomorrow (26)?
6. If you could write new standards for “green,” what would you include?
Activities:
1. Draw a picture of a glass jar (or other consumer product) and illustrate as many
inputs and outputs involved in its production you can find. Find ads for “green” or
“eco-friendly” products. What product characteristics seem to genuinely support
the health of the environment? What characteristics might be green-washin (23)?

Chapter 3 — What We Don’t Know

Synopsis: Goleman describes how the structure of human brains, which evolved to
detect certain kinds of threats, makes it difficult for us to see and react to current
problems that affect our health and environment.
Term: vital lie (35)

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 discussion questions & suggested activities (continued)
Questions:
1. What examples does Goleman give of how what we don’t know can hurt us?
2. How does the way our brains are designed explain why people often seem unconcerned
about threats like global warming, cancer-causing chemicals, and the like (32-34)?
3. Goleman calls actions that may seem good, like recycling bottles and cans, a “vital lie”
(35). What does he mean? Do you agree?
4. In what way are we both victims and villains of ecological problems?
5. Knowing how the human brain focuses on noticeable differences, what steps do you
think we as a society can take to boost awareness and concern about threats like global
warming or cancer?
Activities:
1. Make a list of “vital lies” supporting our belief that what we don’t know or can’t see
doesn’t matter. Compare your list with other students in your class.
2. Develop a poll that asks others to rate their level of concern about some issues—such
as global warming, cancer-causing chemicals, and the destruction of coral reefs—that
are imperceptible to humans.

Chapter 4 — Ecological Intelligence

Synopsis: Goleman explains that while nature operates at different scales—from the micro to
the global—humans tend to perceive only one scale at a time, a tendency that underlies many of
our current environmental problems. He suggests that through collective information gather-
ing and processing, ecological intelligence will help us move beyond this limitation.
Terms: sustainability (42), ecological intelligence (43), neocortex (46), niche (46),
swarm intelligence (50)
Questions:
1. To define sustainability, Goleman gives the example of a hamlet in Tibet that has
suvived in its own ecosystem for 1000 years (41-42). How would you define sustainability?
2. Goleman defines ecological intelligence on page 43. How does this definition compare
to the one in Chapter 1 (3)?
3. We no longer live as close to nature as our ancestors did (45), so we do not require
some of the skills they needed to survive. What survival skills do we need that our
ancestors may not have needed?
4. Goleman points out that natural systems operate at different scales, but people tend to
perceive only one or two at any given time (47). What challenges does this present for
us when we look to solve problems like global warming?
5. Goleman suggests that our brains need to develop an early warning system for
toxic chemicals and other dangers (47). How does he propose doing this? Is this
realistic or likely to happen?
6. What are some examples of shared or collective intelligence already in place (48)?
What are the advantages of this approach to navigating and solving problems?
7. What do you think of Goleman’s three swarm intelligence rules (50)? Are there
any you would add or change?

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discussion questions & suggested activities (continued)
8. Describe a situation in your community where people seemed to follow
Goleman’s swarm rules to make a change.
Activities:
1. Choose an indigenous culture and research ways in which its members attuned
their lifestyle to their natural surroundings.
2. List 10 everyday things you did today (like getting to campus, recycling some
thing, walking your dog, or buying food) and identify their possible impacts on
the Earth.

Chapter 5 — The New Math

Synopsis: Goleman points out that measures like carbon footprint only provide part of
the story about a product’s impacts and that they can themselves cause unintended
consequences. He suggests that we need to understand an item’s impact in three
different realms: the geosphere, the biosphere, and the sociosphere.
Terms: carbon footprint (53), unintended consequence (56), geosphere (57),
biophere (57), sociosphere (57), resource burden (59)
Questions:
1. The carbon footprint has become a common way to compare the impacts of cer-
tain products or activities. What factors are included and excluded in the carbon
footprint (53)? Is it an adequate measure?
2. What examples of unintended consequences does Goleman give (56, 57)?
3. Can you think of any examples on our campus where actions or events had
unintended consequences?
4. What different information would you glean about a product if you looked at it
in terms of its impacts on the geosphere, versus the biosphere, versus the
sociosphere (57)?
5. Goleman asks how knowing the actual impacts of our purchases would trans
form our world (70). How would you answer that question?
Activities:
1. Choose a product, trace its life cycle, and write a report—including illustrations
showing what you learned.
2. Research an eco-tourism site and identify the likely trade-offs for the local population.

Chapter 6 — The Information Gap

Synopsis: In this chapter, Goleman examines the inequality between companies and
consumers in terms of key data about particular products that might influence shop-
ping decisions. He points out that even eco-labeling programs do not fully address this
“information asymmetry.” He suggests that radical transparency would enable consumers
to learn the full story about the true impacts of their purchases.
Terms: information asymmetry (73), greenwashing (74), satisfice (78)

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 discussion questions & suggested activities (continued)
Questions:
1. Cost is often the only information we have for comparing two different products (72).
How is it a problem if we make purchasing decisions based solely on price?
2. What are the causes and consequences of information asymmetry between
sellers/producers and consumers (73)?
3. What are the long-term consequences of greenwashing (74)?
4. Goleman describes the ancient Roman olive oil containers that listed the source of the
oil (75). What information is generally available to consumers of various products
today? Do you think consumers want more or less information than they already
have access to?
5. The term “satisfice” is defined as a combination of “satisfy” and “suffice” (78). Can you
think of a recent decision in which you “satisficed” rather than put forth the effort to
truly understand the complexity of a decision? What are the advantages and drawbacks
of “satisficing”?
6. How do you think radical transparency might change consumer products and behavior?
Activities:
1. At home or in a store, look for claims on products that are irrelevant or unsupported
(like a “chemical-free” pesticide or “energy efficient” lamps). Take a picture of each
claim using a cell phone or camera, and write a brief explanation of how it may be misleading.
2. Interview five friends about situations in which they “satisficed” or chose “adequate”
when making a purchasing decision. Videotape the interviews, if possible, and show
them in class.

Chapter 7 — Full Disclosure

Synopsis: In this chapter, Goleman describes a cutting-edge tool that he says will help bring
radical transparency to the marketplace. Known as GoodGuide, this tool summarizes a wide
range of life cycle information about products and rates them according to their environ-
mental, health, and social impacts, thus allowing shoppers to make more informed choices
at the point of sale. He suggests that such tools will help people be more mindful and pay
closer attention to the impacts of their purchases.
Terms: mindful (96), freegan (97)
Questions:
1. How does consumer desire for new styles and low cost affect the health and safety
of workers?
2. Do you think information about products, as presented in the GoodGuide, can
truly change consumer behavior (91)? Why or why not?
3. What issues would matter most to you in an analysis of a product, as presented in
the Good Guide (92)?
4. Marketing expert Baba Shiv says that most decisions about products are based on
emotion (100). Do you agree or disagree? Can you think of an example where
that may or may not be the case?
5. Can you imagine other uses for a tool like GoodGuide beyond informing
purchasing decisions?

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discussion questions & suggested activities (continued)
Activities:
1. Visit www.goodguide.com. Choose three products that you use on a regular basis
and see how each rates in comparison to other brands of the same item. Will
it’s rating influence what you buy next time? Why or why not?
2. Read about GoodGuide’s methodology on the website www.goodguide.com.
After seeing what the ratings entail, write the pros and cons of accepting this
statement from Dara O’Rourke, the founder of GoodGuide: “No one person can
know all this at one time, but together we can bring the best knowledge on project
and company impacts to people in a form that lets them make better choices” (84).

Chapter 8 — Twitter and Buzz

Synopsis: Using as an example a situation in which British college students protested a
bank’s fee changes, Goleman shows how the multiplier effect of people sharing knowl-
edge can diminish information asymmetry. He examines how social networking and
other technologies can accelerate both buzz and whistle-blowing.
Terms: open-source (108), whistle-blowing (108), buzz (110)
Questions:
1. How does technology like cell phones, Facebook, Twitter, and so on diminish
information asymmetry between producer and consumer (102)? Can you think
of an example where you saw this happen?
2. In the book, the Walmart executive says that something like the GoodGuide
provides too much information and that people don’t want to know so much,
while Dara O’Rourke of GoodGuide says he and others do want access to more
information (103,104). Who do you think is right, and why do you think so?
3. How important do you think it is that a rating system such as GoodGuide or the
Delhaize nutritional rating system make transparent the data and assumptions
behind their ratings (105)?
4. What do you think of a “sustainable Wikipedia” that would tell you back stories
of everyday products? What would be the benefits and drawbacks of such
a source? Would you use it?
5. Goleman says that radical transparency must be authoritative, impartial, and
comprehensive (108). Do you think these qualities are important? Which do you
think is most important? What additional qualities might you include in the list?
Activities:
1. Goleman describes radical transparency as potentially revolutionary. Dara
O’Rourke, the founder of GoodGuide, thinks teens may find GoodGuide to be a
way to impress their friends. Create a cartoon that incorporates or compares
these two viewpoints.
2. Find an example of a company that has either initiated or been forced by the
social networking buzz to divulge information about its products or services.
Write a summary of the product or service and changes made to it, what the
company now divulges about it, and the reason(s) the company gives for
choosing to be more transparent about this particular product or service.

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 discussion questions & suggested activities (continued)
Chapter 9 — Fair and Square
Synopsis: Goleman describes different sets of research on how ecological and ethical labeling
can affect consumer behavior. While cost is often a factor, a rating system can influence
consumers when it gives clear information about which choices are better and when “more
virtuous” decisions are as accessible as others.
Terms: eco-virtue (118)
Questions:
1. In the studies Goleman cites, what relationship do consumers perceive between prod-
uct price and quality or “eco-virtue” (118-119)? How does this perception affect
consumer decisions?
2. Would you be willing to pay more for a product made in fair, safe, and healthy work-
ing conditions? How much (in dollars) would it be worth to you to know that this is
true?
3. Do you agree with Goleman’s claim (125) that young people are more motivated to
embrace and act on information about ecological decisions than older generations? If
so, why do you think that might be true? What evidence can you cite either way?
Activities:
1. Choose two brands of the same product that differ significantly in price, such as two
brands of paper towels or two brands of ketchup. Find an ad for each and notice the
positive qualities touted by the ad and packaging. Develop a short list of criteria for
judging the two products against each other. How do they compare? Why might some
one buy the more expensive brand?
2. Choose a personal product that you use and find it on the GoodGuide
(www.goodguide.com) and Skin Deep (www.cosmeticsdatabase.com) websites.
Compare the ratings and what each company says about the product. Make a Venn dia-
gram that identifies similarities and differences in the ways each company judges a product.

Chapter 10 — The Virtuous Cycle

Synopsis: In this chapter, Goleman describes a variety of situations in which consumers put
pressure on companies to improve their products, without the government mandating the
changes. He calls this a “virtuous cycle,” when product information influences shoppers’
choices and leads to businesses changing their products.
Terms: trans fat (127), virtuous cycle (134)
Questions:
1. What examples does Goleman give to make the case that providing information
to consumers can directly affect product safety and health?
2. Can you name a situation in which you switched or stopped buying a product or
brand because of something you learned about it? What did you learn, and
why did that make you change?
3. Do you agree with industrial ecologist Gregory Norris’s statement that “saying it
doesn’t matter what I buy is like saying it doesn’t matter who I vote for” (140)?
4. What factors do you consider when you are making a purchase at the grocery
store or mall? In general, what factors are most important to you?

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discussion questions & suggested activities (continued)
Activities:
1. Visit a grocery store, restaurant-filled street, or mall. Photograph examples of
ways in which we are encouraged to eat unhealthy food or to eat more food.
Also photograph any environmental or health claims made where food is sold.
2. Write a short position paper: Do you think public pressure on companies to
improve products and services is sufficient, or do you think government should
play a role in establishing and enforcing standards in some industries?

Chapter 11 — The Chemical Stew

Synopsis: Goleman explores some of the health effects of chemicals used in today’s
products. He points out that while most consumers assume that the chemicals used
today must be deemed safe, the EPA in fact grandfathered some 62,000 industrial
chemicals in 1972, most of which have not been tested for health effects. He explains
how many different diseases seem to be caused by chronic inflammation from expo-
sure to one or more chemicals.
Terms: diacetyl (142), toxic (144), epigenetics (150), chronic inflammation (151),
precautionary principle (152)
Questions:
1. Why do individuals, companies, and even governments sometimes act more
quickly on issues like the health effects of products than something like global
warming (142)?
2. In cases like Wayne Watson (“Mr. Popcorn”), whom do you think should be held
responsible for keeping us safe from harmful products and chemicals?
3. What do you think Goleman means when he says “the body is an ecosystem of
sorts” (147)? How might looking at the human body as an ecosystem affect how
we as a society behave?
4. How do Europe and the United States approach toxicity differently (152)?
5. Examine the statement by the Procter & Gamble toxicologist who said, “We’d
never put a chemical in the marketplace if it wasn’t safe (154).” What incentives
does a company have to either put an unsafe product on the market or withhold it?
6. Goleman describes a study by a scientist who found that exposure to more than
one compound at a time can produce diseases that exposure to a single compound
does not. What does this finding tell us about how we should be thinking about
and studying possible toxins (154)?
Activities:
1. Choose one potentially harmful food, household item, or other product. Find out
why it is a threat to human health and what people can do to decrease risk of
exposure. Write a short blog about it to inform others.
2. What is the “precautionary principle” (152)? Write a position paper either
supporting or disputing the value of this principle as policy.

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 discussion questions & suggested activities (continued)
Chapter 12 — The Amygdala Goes Shopping
Synopsis: In this chapter, Goleman describes some of the attributes of the human brain that
affect our consumer choices. For example, the amygdala scans the environment for hazards
and triggers a reaction when it senses danger; a perception that something is inedible or poi-
son can cause a physical reaction we call disgust. He suggests that transparency can prompt
these strong consumer reactions to products and thereby accelerate market change.
Terms: amygdala (161), cognitive (166)
Questions:
1. How does the amygdala—the danger-averse part of our brain—affect what products we
use and buy?
2. In what other ways do human brain functions affect everyday decisions (like the brain’s
focus on short-term over long-term, the effect of disgust, and so on)?
3. How does the viewpoint of industry towards toxicity differ from that of consumers (170)?
4. Almost everything in our environment can cause harm at some level (172). Who
should decide what levels are “safe”?
5. Do you agree with Goleman that the prudent or cautionary thing to do is to protect
human health and avoid any potentially harmful substance (174)? What are the costs
of doing that? Are they worth it? How would transparency help?
Activities:
1. Write a poem or song lyrics describing how the amygdala influences people’s decisions
(teens in particular).
2. Find examples of advertisers applying the power of “shopper disgust” or persuading
consumers to buy something expensive by showing an even more expensive item.

Chapter 13 — Tough Questions

Synopsis: Goleman outlines several questions that company executives would need to consider
before responding to problems like a newly-discovered toxicity in a product or changing
consumer preferences. He also describes case studies in which large corporations, including
Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble, consciously changed their strategies to become more sus-
tainable. He shows the benefits these companies have seen in embracing more than just the
bottom line.
Terms: bottom line (181), Friedman economics (181)
Questions:
1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of both short- and long-term think-
ing about environmental issues?
2. Many companies assume that adopting more ecological tactics will be costly,
unnecessary, and bad politics. What examples does Goleman give of environmentally
responsible actions saving money and improving the company’s reputation 182)?
3. How does strengthening the direct relationship between the shopper and the producer
or grower—as Eosta is trying to do (191)—help both?
4. This chapter could serve as a primer for business on the benefits of valuing more
than the financial bottom line (181). What are the possible benefits to the company,
the environment, and society when they expand their notion of the bottomline?

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discussion questions & suggested activities (continued)
5. Is there anything else we as individuals or as a society can do to help companies
consider more than just their own bottomline?
Activities:
1. Create a decision tree with questions like those listed on pages 178-181 to
analyze a specific problem on campus or at home.
2. Work with another student to create an imaginary company that views social
responsibility—not just the bottom line—as part of its mission. Develop a
PowerPoint presentation to convince investors that your mission is a good idea.

Chapter 14 — The Perpetual Upgrade

Synopsis: In this chapter, Goleman points out that institutional buyers for universities,
hospitals, and other organizations have started adding environmental and social man-
dates to their purchasing recommendations. When institutions like these are able to
calculate the environmental and social benefits of switching products through radical
transparency, their impact is even greater. He describes how decisions like these can
cause a ripple effect and lead to a perpetual upgrading of products to those that are
better for health, society, and the environment.
Terms: supply chain (200), biodegradable (215)
Questions:
1. Dara O’Rourke, the creator of GoodGuide, says that “there’s no market feedback
as yet to reward doing good” (207). How might Earthster, GoodGuide, and other
transparency tools help reward good?
2. Goleman points out that cereal boxes are bigger than they need to be to hold the
cereal because of the mechanical process of filling them (208). What kind of
impacts does this seemingly small discrepancy have when you consider the mil
lions of cereal boxes sold each year?
3. How do tools like Walmart’s energy and packaging ratings encourage innovation
(209)? How does this approach compare with a completely transparent approach
like Earthster's?
4. How does Goleman see the “perpetual upgrade” making a difference both in
companies’ behaviors and their bottom lines?
5. Goleman examines waste as more than material waste, but also energy, water, and
soil waste. How does waste affect both producers and consumers?
6. Goleman asks whether humans can support the earth’s carrying capacity rather
than threaten it (215). What do you think? Can we? If so, how?
Activities:
1. Find a website that calculates your ecological footprint. Enter your data, print out
your footprint, and identify at least three painless ways you can reduce it.
2. Check out Walmart’s sustainability pages on its website at
http://walmartstores.com/Sustainability. Create a comic book or use another
medium to tell the story (real or imagined) of how Walmart has tried to change
it’s image from an often-disparaged big box store to a model green business.

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 discussion questions & suggested activities (continued)
Chapter 15 — Second Thoughts
Synopsis: Goleman points out some of the pitfalls of transparency efforts, including poor
execution, misguided good intentions, and difficulties of verification. He also suggests
that gradual improvements may be “too little, too late” if we don’t look at the underlying
causes of problems, including our consumer mentality and the overall amount of stuff
we consume.
Terms: tipping point (220), triple bottom line (225), bottom-up (228), top-down (229)
Questions:
1. Do you agree with the Mondi executive that at the end of the day, consumers con-
sider cost and performance—not environmental excellence—when deciding on
a product (219)?
2. What are some of the problems Goleman cites for companies actually trying to make
more environmentally sustainable choices (222-226)?
3. What are the drawbacks of top-down approaches to change? How can businesses or
society include bottom-up participation (228-229)?
4. Is radical transparency enough to truly make a difference, or is it perhaps too little,
too late?
5. Goleman points out that radical transparency may be missing some important
elements for change (231-232). What are other important considerations that
are not included?
Activities:
1. Currently, the success of a business is based on its financial performance. Create
a report card or rubric for businesses that expands the criteria on which success
is based.
2. John Ehrenfeld, the executive director of the International Society for Industrial
Ecology, says: “The global industrial system is broken; the environment would rather
not have us here at all. Reducing unsustainability, though critical, does not create
sustainability (232).” Write a letter from Mother Earth to humans, elaborating on
Ehrenfeld’s point of view.

Chapter 16 — Doing Well by Doing Good

Synopsis: In this final chapter, Goleman describes how radical transparency would pro-
vide an incentive for companies to do good, fostering care of rather than harm toward
“the commons.” He conveys the hope that such transparency would encourage the free
market to work in the public interest, not solely for profit, and help to heal humans’
relationship with Earth.
Questions:
1. What would be the impacts (both positive and negative) of taxing companies for
the harm their products inflict ?
2. What do you think of the idea to create a Green Net National Product to
determine the economy’s robustness?
3. The book ends with a quote by South African naturalist Ian McCallum: “The
Earth doesn’t need healing. We do” (247). What do you think he means by this?
Do you agree with him?

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discussion questions & suggested activities (continued)
Activities:
1. Define the term “the tragedy of the commons” and give one example —not
mentioned in the book—of this dilemma as it is being played out in our lifetime.
2. Make a poster that informs others of Ian McCallum’s notion that “the Earth
doesn’t need healing. We do” (247).

other titles of interest

Barnes, Peter. Capitalism 3.0: A Guide Senge, Peter, et al. The Necessary
to Reclaiming the Commons. San Revolution: How Individuals and
Francisco, CA: Barrett-Koehler, 2006. Organizations are Working Together to
Create a Sustainable World. New York:
McCallum, Ian. Ecological Intelligence: Doubleday Currency, 2008.
Rediscovering Ourselves in the
Environment. Golden, CO: Fulcrum Stone, Michael K. and Center for
Publishing, 2009. Ecoliteracy. Smart by Nature: Schooling
for Sustainability. Berkeley, CA:
Ryan, John C. and Alan Thein University of California Press, 2009.
Durning. Stuff: The Secret Lives of
Everyday Things. Seattle, WA:
Northwest Environment Watch, 1997.

about this guide’s writer

The Center for Ecoliteracy is a leader in the green schooling movement. Smart by
Nature™, the Center’s framework and services for schooling for sustainability, is based
on two decades of work with schools and organizations in more than 400 communi-
ties across the United States and numerous other countries.
The Center is best known for its pioneering work with school gardens, school lunches,
and the integration of ecological principles and sustainability into school curricula. It
also offers books, teaching guides, seminars, a sustainability leadership academy,
keynote presentations, and consulting services.
This guide was written by Leslie Comnes, M.A., an education specialist who has written
on science and education programs for numerous national organizations, and Carolie
Sly, Ph.D., the Center’s education programs director who has coauthored several books
and articles. Daniel Goleman, author of Ecological Intelligence, wrote the foreword to
the Center’s most recent acclaimed book, Smart by Nature: Schooling for Sustainability.
Learn more about the Center for Ecoliteracy at: www.ecoliteracy.org.

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other available guides
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Fiction: Nonfiction
Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart Miéville, China. Un Lun Dun Angelou, Maya. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. Purple Hibiscus Mitchell, David. Black Swan Green Armstrong, Karen. Islam
Asimov, Isaac. I, Robot Mori, Kyoko. Shizuko’s Daughter Baldwin, James. Nobody Knows My Name
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451 Mullen, Thomas. The Last Town on Earth Baldwin, James. The Fire Next Time
Brooks, Terry. The Shannara Trilogy Naylor, Gloria. Mama Day Bible. The Five Books of Moses
Butler, William. The Butterfly Revolution Otsuka, Julie. When the Emperor Was Divine Brokaw, Tom. Boom
Cather, Willa. My Antonia Potok, Chaim. The Chosen Bryson, Bill. Short History of Nearly Everything
Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street Pullman, Philip. The Amber Spyglass Cary, Lorene. Black Ice
Clark, William van Tilburg. The Ox-Bow Pullman, Philip. The Golden Compass Chen, Da. Colors of the Mountain
Incident Pullman, Philip. The Subtle Knife Collins, Billy. Poetry 180/180 More
Clarke, Arthur C. Childhood’s End Rawles, Nancy. My Jim Conway, Jill Ker. The Road from Coorain
Clinch, Jon. Finn: A Novel Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Dumas, Firoozeh. Funny in Farsi
Cook, Karin. What Girls Learn Front Farrow, Anne, et. al. Complicity
Crichton, Michael. Jurassic Park Richter, Conrad. The Light in the Forest Frank, Anne. Diary of a Young Girl
Doctorow, E.L. Ragtime See, Lisa. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Grisham, John. A Time to Kill
Drew, Alan. Gardens of Water Shaara, Jeff. Gods and Generals Haley, Alex. The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Dunn, Mark. Ella Minnow Pea Shaara, Jeff. The Last Full Measure Hari, Daoud. The Translator: A Memoir
Ellis, Ella Throp. Swimming with the Whales Shaara, Michael. The Killer Angels Heath, Chip and Dan Heath. Made to Stick
Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man Shaffer, Mary Ann; Barrows, Annie. The Hickam, Homer. October Sky
Ford, Jamie. Hotel on the Corner of Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society
Hunter, Latoya. The Diary of Latoya Hunter
Bitter and Sweet Shute, Neil. On the Beach
Hunter-Gault, Charlayne. In My Place
Gaines, Ernest. A Lesson Before Dying Sinclair, Upton. The Jungle
Katz, Jon. Geeks
García Márquez, Gabriel. Chronicle of a Smith, Alexander McCall. The No. 1 Ladies’
Kennedy, Randall. Nigger
Death Foretold Detective Agency
Kidder, Tracy. Mountains Beyond Mountains
Gibbons, Kaye. Ellen Foster Sparks, Christine. The Elephant Man
Kidder, Tracy. Strength in What Remains
Grisham, John. A Time to Kill Spiegelman, Art. Maus I
LaNier, Carlotta Walls. A Mighty Long Way
Guterson, David. Snow Falling on Cedars Tan, Amy. The Joy Luck Club
Lewis, Anthony. Gideon’s Trumpet
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun Tolkien, J.R.R. Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Hayes, Daniel. Eye of the Beholder Miller, Jennifer. Inheriting the Holy Land
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit
Hayes, Daniel. The Trouble with Lemons Nafisi, Azar. Reading Lolita in Tehran
Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Homer. Fitzgerald, Robert, trans. The Odyssey Nazario, Sonia. Enrique’s Journey
Voigt, Cynthia. Dicey’s Song
Jones, Lloyd. Mister Pip Neufeld, Josh. A.D.
Voigt, Cynthia. Homecoming
Kafka, Franz. The Trial Opdyke, Irene Gut. In My Hands
Vonnegut, Kurt. Cat’s Cradle
Khedairi, Betool. Absent Pollan, Michael. The Botany of Desire
Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five
Koontz, Dean. Odd Thomas Robison, John Elder. Look Me in the Eye
Wartski, Maureen. Candle in the Wind
L’Amour, Louis. Hondo Santiago, Esmeralda. Almost a Woman
Wolff, Tobias. Old School
Le Guin, Ursula K. A Wizard of Earthsea Santiago, Esmeralda. When I Was Puerto Rican
Matar, Hisham. In the Country of Men St. John, Warren. Outcasts United
Maxwell, William. So Long, See You Tomorrow Suskind, Ron. A Hope in the Unseen
McCarthy, Cormac. All The Pretty Horses Taylor, Nick. American-Made
McCarthy, Susan Carol. Lay That Trumpet Thomas, Piri. Down These Mean Streets
in Our Hands Tram, Dang Thuy. Last Night I Dreamed of Peace
Tye, Larry. Satchel
Whiteley, Opal. Opal: The Journey of an
Understanding Heart

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