Data on Values and Changing to Sustainable Living Habits

I would be very interested in that data as well Darien, I am trying to start a community project to help people change behaviours towards more sustainable choices. So far I have found some good resources by David Gershon but I haven't read any of the sustainable living guide books.

Please keep me in the loop with other resources!

Lindsay Eason

Lindsay Eason
President
Global Affinity Communications Inc.
Canada

Hi Darien (and Lidsay)

Some of my colleagues at the Australian Conservation Foundation have been doing some work on the concept of 'wellbeing', in other words, how sustainable societies are also ones with a better quality of life for the people that live in them. They have done some interesting policy work (which you can see at http://www.acfonline.org.au/default.asp?section_id=302) and my team is currently trying to think of ways in which we can utilise these concepts at an individual level - ie: convincing people to be more sustainable so that that they lead lives that are more in tune with their core values.

One interesting (and inspiring) example of what can happen on a community scale is the Kansas town of Greensburg, which was destroyed in a tornado a couple of years ago and has since been rebuilt along sustainable lines. The most interesting aspect of all this is that the town was not a hotbed of environmentalism prior to the event, but rather the residents decided that a sustainable community would be a better one to live in, and be more likely to bring back the young people that had been leaving for bigger cities. Their webpage - http://www.greensburggreentown.org - has lots of info and some great stories that might inspire people and reinforce the sustainability narrative in a resource.

I hope this helps a bit. If you find out more about how to use people's values to change their behaviour please let me know!

Bruce Paton
GreenHome Project Officer
Australian Conservation Foundation
Australia

My understanding is that one of the foundational premises of CBSM is that people's behaviour does not follow their values. I have certainly seen this supported in other literature, and use that premise in my work. Also, surveys we have done found very strong pro-environment values in a population with a 10% recycling rate, which I would say supports the idea that values do not drive behaviour. So, focus on changin behaviour and values will follow.

Ruben.

Ruben Anderson
Communications Specialist
Metro Vancouver
Canada

I found this book extremely helpful in giving an overview of how simpler and more sustainable choices can be instrumental in leading more meaningful lives: Living Simply with Children by Marie Sherlock (see http://www.simpleliving.net/main/resource.asp?sku=blswc). It cites many other resources, not sure about how much is statistical vs. just very well presented common sense.

Cynthia van Ginkel
Canada

Hi Darien and others,

If you read the WWF 'Weathercocks and signposts' paper in conjunction with either Stern or the Social Market Foundation's 'Creatures of habit' you'll get a good overview of some of the reasons values matter, but aren't the whole storey.

I've collected these amongst other discussion papers and research on what influences behaviour on my blog: http://stefankaufmans.wordpress.com/

cheers,

S


Stefan Kaufman
Social Science Portfolio
EPA Victoria
Australia

Hi Bruce, I found your comment on the Autralian community rebuilt brand new along sustainable lines quite interesting, I am surely going shortly to dig in it.

I keep on thinking why people don't change their behaviour, and of course I have my own answers. Every single time I squeeze the lemons with my hands (no bottled lemonades, no electric squeezer), every time I grate the Parmesan with my grater (no electric grater, no parmisan in plastic already grated), every time I see the little flies around my compost pot in the kitchen, every time I wait for the bus with my daughter in the pram, under the rain or under the hot sun (no car), every time I rinks with cold water the dishes and freeze my hands (no waste of hot water), and so on, every single time I try to reduce my carbon footprint I think: wow, it is a bit heavy, how easy could be to use an electrical appliance, more hot water, a car, etc instead. I have been trying to reduce my footprint for ten years now, a bit every year more, but it is not easy, it is not exciting, it is not handy. It involves research, patience, time, sacrifice (if you spend more time doing every thing by hand or on feet, you have surely less time to read, relax, or even watching television,a nd yes I like watching movies). Of course, I do believe in it, it is my life, my passion, and I feel I can't do differently anymore. But that doesn't mean that it becomes easy with the time. This is why I am attracted by stories of people that found atheir lives improved, when they moved to a sustainable practice. I can say about myself that is better for my children, in the long term, but I find extremely difficult to translate it in inspiring stories for my friends.
The richest part of the world in my mind is a bit lazy, attracted by beautiful things, artistic manufactures, products, appliances that make our life so easy!

Any comments from people that do belive that their life is much easier and nicer now, after a sustainable choice, are really welcome.
Ciao!
Nicoletta

nicoletta landi
ealingsustainable.wordpress.com

Being Green is certainly not usually easier - but grating cheese by hand, squeezing lemons, walking to bus stops, tending a compost and carrying laundry outside to dry are forms of exercise. Often, I do believe that choosing to do these activities reduces pollution and makes us healthier. However, driving a hybrid may mean less exercise refueling! :)

Marta Keane
Recycling Specialist
Will County
United States

GLOBE has developed a program designed to change residents behaviour related to use of energy.
We have 21 communities participating in this program in the Toronto, Ontario and about to sign up another 25. Housing providers chose a community champion in their community to champion the cause of energy conservation and engage other residents in changing their habits. GLOBE provides training to the Community Champion and staff members on how to engage residents in changing their behaviour. The program has been very successful and has pulled communities together in a common cause.
Anyone interested in hearing more about our program can email me.

Elsie Harvey
Stakeholder Relations Consultant
GLOBE (Green Light on a Better Environment )
Canada

Hi
Given that all of our decisions reflect a prioritisation of one value over others (eg. convenience vs sustainability, cost vs quality), it is imperative that we understand values when trying to promote sustainable behaviour.
Ive done a fair bit of digging in this area myself and the easiest way to present the conclusions in this forum is to direct you to previous issues of my newsletter covering these topics
http://www.awake.com.au/wakeupmar08.html
http://www.awake.com.au/wakeupaug08.html
The main points Id make are
- people who adopt green behaviours are more likely to hold prosocial values rather than pro-self values, compared to those who dont adopt green behaviours
- Drawing peoples attention to values at the point at which they make decisions is more likely to result in values congruent decisions (this has been demonstrated with environmental purchasing decisions)
- If people choose green behaviours for reasons beyond immediate self-interest, they are more likely to stick with it, and possibly adopt some others

Hope this helps,


Tim


Tim Cotter
Awake
Australia
www.awake.com.au

Thanks everyone for some great ideas and resources!



darien simon
Community, Natural Resources, and Economic Development Educator
University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension

TO: Elsie Harvey of "GLOBE" - Toronto.
Hi Elsie, good perspectives on the environment.
I'm developing a curriculum in Environmental Studies for High Schools in Chilliwack, BC. I started at that point as I feel that adults (most) show little concern for the state of the environment because it's gradual degradation has no consequence on their life, i.e. they will be long gone.
Therefore, we must start at the "grass roots" level, somewhere in the grade school system. Starting with Grade 11/12 results in an evolutionary curriculum, whereas, starting at Grade 1 is expedient but takes 12 years before any meaningful results are realized.
I would like more information on your projects.
Thanks.Donald Costin, Chilliwack, BC

Donald Costin
President
AC Innovations
Canada