(This is a guest post by Michael Noble, the executive director of Fresh Energy, an organization promoting clean energy solutions for the environment and the economy. Read his full bio below. This was originally posted on the Fresh Energy blog. Last winter, he made a trip to New Zealand, came home, and wrote about some of what he experienced.)

Last week, I blogged about New Zealand’s birds. I had visited an island sanctuary where several near-extinct birds had been introduced. Today, I went to a museum in Auckland, and saw stuffed birds in glass cases–one I saw in the wild yesterday that seems to have made it and escaped extinction, one that hovers at the precipice, and one that is gone.

Tonight we met with our touring students in our classroom setting in a crowded Auckland hotel room. “Why does it matter,”asked Professor Hoffman, “if a Saddleback bird goes extinct? Is your life richer now knowing of its recovery, since its reintroduction to island refuges off the coast of Auckland? Three days ago you had never heard of a Saddleback.”

Yesterday, a nurse who guided our hike through the bush said that when she was the students’ age, no one she knew had ever seen a Saddleback, they were so rare. Now they were above our heads, flitting and hopping across the low tree canopy, almost within reach, as common as sparrows in St. Paul, it seemed.

Today, I saw a stuffed Saddleback in the museum. Presumably it was once so rare that it was a museum piece. Along side it in the glass case was a Huia bird, pictured to the right. It was one of the few birds where male and females have dramatically different beaks. But Huia were prized not for beaks, but for feathers. The last was seen in the wild in 1907.

The odd flightless Takahe, pictured to the right, is poised between the world of survival and extinction. About 220 exist. Efforts are constant to mix the gene pool, and move members from south to north to try to hatch a new chick. Crummy at parenting, when a Takahe does hatch an egg, it keeps the conservationists on edge for weeks working for the chick’s survival. Large, heavy, colorful and flightless, and a very slow breeder to boot, who knows if the Takahe will survive.

After pressing the students on this question–Professor Steve Hoffman and I listened to their careful logic– we need to prevent extinctions because we can; it’s important to the web and fabric of life, because species fill niches we don’t even understand; because these birds are iconic and represent the culture of New Zealand. Steve offered another choice as well–a simple and daring reason that not everyone would embrace. We must protect species from extinction because they have a right to exist and we have no right to take existence away from them. The students mulled that.

Of all the pending impact of a rapidly warming world, many are tragic and potentially economically calamitous: sea level rise; drying of soils and loss of arable lands; severe storms and killer heat spells; shortage of water and food. Surely the human impacts are our top concern, but the risks of cascading extinctions stands apart.

In January 2004, Nature Magazine reported that 19 ecologists had conducted modeling of 6 ecosystems that represent 20 percent of the Earth’s land area. If greenhouse gases are not dramatically reduced soon, they found that between 15 and 37 percent of all life would be extinct by 2050, or on its way to extinction.

An interesting lens to view the new prospering of a Saddleback bird, pictured to the right, on a small island off New Zealand.

(Michael Noble is the executive director of Fresh Energy, an organization promoting clean energy solutions for the environment and the economy. Fresh Energy works to create fair laws that level the playing field for clean energy and remove barriers to renewable energy sources. Its goal is a clean energy economy that protects the health and the wallets of consumers now and in the future.

Michael has over thirty years of professional expertise in energy, and has been a key strategist for major public policy innovations in energy, such as energy efficiency, renewable energy development, global warming solutions, and strategies to reduce reliance on foreign oil in Minnesota and the Midwestern region. Michael has served as the CEO of three different not-for-profit energy organizations since 1979 and one for-profit energy services company. Currently, he is the Chair of the Clean Energy Working Group and serves on the Steering Committee of RE-AMP. In addition, Michael serves on the board of directors of Conservation Minnesota Voter Center, Wind on the Wires, and the Will Steger Foundation.)

It’s time for a short break for me! Company has come to town – seven women I have not seen since high school graduation in 1972! The last thing I want to worry about these next few days while we have an amazing reunion (and recovery days afterward!) is posting to this blog, Twitter and Facebook. I’ll be back next week with a couple guest posts and hopefully some writing of my own.

I have gone back to school to be a Residential Planner. It will expand my real estate business, but it’s very time-consuming. And I miss getting up and writing in the morning! I have a few weeks off from school, so I hope to get caught up with desert verde, too, and bring you some original writing.

Meanwhile, go through the drop-downs in the navigation menu at the top of the page, and read Eco-living Tips, the Solar Building Series, and facts and news about Eco Building. Check out the Nature Quotes and Book selections, and visit the ads on the right side of the page to help keep this blog alive! There is lots to see while I’m gone a few days!

(This is a guest post by Frank Wall, who writes about bushwalking, hiking, backpacking and the environment in Australia on Our Hiking Blog. If you are heading his way, he suggests you take a week or more to visit and explore its natural wonders and pristine wilderness.)

Tasmania is that tiny island State, right at the bottom of Australia. It is one of the greenest places on earth. There are wild rivers, soaring mountains and wilderness. Lots of wilderness.

Wilderness we love to explore.

Fast Tassie Facts:
> Area- 62,409 sq km (24,096 sq mi)
> Length – 364 km (226 mi) long and 306 km (190 mi) wide from west to east.
> Population – 500,000 (1998)
> Climate – cool & temperate with four distinct seasons
> Wilderness (the important bit) – 37% of the State is reserves, National Parks and World Heritage Sites.

For more information, head across to Wikipedia.

So, what is so great about Tasmania (aka “Tassie” by most Australians)?

The Wilderness

Tasmania is a wild place. Just a short journey from the main population centres can have you exploring some fantastic wilderness areas. Throw on a pair of hiking boots, grab a day pack, and you can be exploring beautiful rivers, wonderful forests and hidden treasures. Just be careful though, Tasmania can have four seasons in one day, and always head off with rain jacket, water, map and some snacks.

There are many multi-day backpacking trips with grades suitable for a beginner to expert. These bushwalks (as we call hiking and backpacking in Oz) range from a gentle 30 km (18.6 mile) overnighter on the beautiful Freycinet Peninsula Circuit to a 150 km (93 mile) traipse on the Port Davey and South Coast Track. Many people travel from mainland Australia and overseas to enjoy these areas. Other than a couple of tracks in high season, they are usually uncrowded and isolated. For example, we have been on 7 day adventures and met 2-3 people along the trail; it’s our definition of heaven!

The Mountains

Much of the island is composed of dolerite rock that has formed spectacular mountains and cliffs. Probably the iconic Tasmanian delorite peak is Cradle Mountain. This gnarly peak of 1,545 m (5,069 ft) can be scaled as part of a day hike and will reward you with extensive views of this wild and rugged area. Day hiking in the area is spectacular with Dove Lake in the foreground of the mountain and special spots like Wombats Pool and Twisted Lakes are terrific to explore.

The Overland Track

This is probably the iconic Tasmanian bushwalk. It is a 65km (40ml) trek from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage area. It is wild country with limited infrastructure. There are huts dotted along the way but no roads, power, telephone service or much else. In summer, permits and a fee are required as the Overland Track is popular with hikers from across the world.

I have walked it about eight times with my wife Sue. We enjoy every trip because of the different seasons or people we meet along the way. A couple of years ago we wrote a guide on how to plan, organise and walk the Overland Track which we sell as an eBook via Our Hiking Blog. It is really helpful for people coming to Australia who want to experience this unique environment.

The People
“Tassie” as many Australians call Tasmania, has an interesting background. The island was home to the Tasmanian Aboriginals for an estimated 35,000 years before European settlement commenced in the late 1700’s. It became a British penal colony and from 1803 to 1853 around 75,000 convicts were transported there. You can still see much of this history in buildings and historic relics. A visit to Port Arthur, one of the most brutal prisons, is a “must see”. Unfortunately as European settlement increased, the indigenous population was treated atrociously and the last of the full blood Tasmanian Aboriginals died in 1876.

Whether you are traveling around sampling some fantastic local produce, checking out beautiful hand crafted objects or wandering along the many walking trails, Tasmanians are always welcoming and interesting people to have a chat with. They are proud of their State and fiercely independent and many are strong environmental advocates. This year the Tasmanian State election saw a swing to “The Greens” political party and they now hold the balance of power in the Government.

The Carson National Forest just announced in The Taos News that fire danger is high. Temperatures are in the 90s, and humidity is low. Even after all that snow in March and April, there is a high risk of fire. It doesn’t take long for things to dry out in the desert!

Fire season officially starts on May 15. Fires can be started by lightning and fireworks, but, more frequently, humans. People burning trash, out-of-town campers, and people throwing cigarettes out of their car windows are all responsible. Once in a while, it is arson. Please be careful!

Whether you live in the beautiful Pinon and Ponderosa forests in New Mexico, or in the mountains of southern California, you can protect your home with firescaping – landscaping for fire resistance.

Create defensible space.

Defensible space is your home and all outbuildings and 30′ of adjacent yard around each. It should be as clear of flammables as possible. If you are on a slope, your defensible space is 100′.

> Use fire-resistant roofing materials – tile and metal instead of wood shakes and shingles.

> Plants with the highest water needs should be closest to the house – groundcovers, lawn, flowers and other herbaceous plants. Do not plant volatile vegetation, such as evergreens, in this area.

> Plant fire-resistant plants.

> Plant in loose clusters, instead of densely.

> Mulch to retain moisture, but do not use pine bark.

> Keep plantings of shrubs and trees to a minimum. Prune them, and keep them in good health. Dead and dry vegetation is wildfire fuel.

> Trees should be pruned at least 10′ off the ground, and branches should not hang over the house.

> Do not plant vines to climb up trees. Ground fires will quickly climb them to the canopy.

> Lawns should be well-watered and cut low.

> Hardscaping – walkways, patios, stone walls, driveways and parking areas- is an effective firebreak.

> Your driveway should be wide enough for fire equipment to come in and turn around.

> Remove flammable vegetation at least 10′ on either side of the driveway.

> Keep leaves and debris out of your gutters.

> Keep your defensible space free of flammable materials, such as wood piles and scrap lumber.

> Keep hoses and tools handy in the event of a fire.

Consult your local county extension office or US Forest Service for information specific to your area.

Photos courtesy Firewise. Learn about Firewise Communities.

Like the rest of the world, I am horrified at the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

I am horrified that:

> BP did not have a plan for a disaster such as this. How could they have not foreseen the potential and had a fix in place?

> Our government is acting so slowly. Is this our MO? Why do we not jump on environmental catastrophes as soon as they happen?

> Animals are dying probably horrible deaths, and not just the ones we see wash up on shore, like birds, fish and dolphins. The mud on the gulf floor is (or was…) teeming with life. We have lost a lot we can’t even see.

As I tried to look at the big picture, an ecological picture, I saw that this oil is part of the earth’s make-up. It churns miles below the crust, although I don’t know its ecological purpose. The oil is just as much a part of the earth’s ecosystems and processes as the animals it is killing.

It’s just in the wrong place.

Think about it. Here is a beautiful, natural substance from miles below the ocean floor showing itself to us, showing us its power. It is a small yet significant part of the earth, no less important than a flower, mountain or cloud.

It’s just in the wrong place.

We should have no disdain for the oil. It’s not the oil’s fault it is wreaking havoc. It did not ask to be drilled and brought to the surface for our greedy use, just as redwoods did not ask to be cut down for lumber. It is not an invasive species encroaching on a space that suits its needs.

People say the oil is awful, but it’s not! It’s not the oil! The oil has a purpose, but it’s not for drilling, burning in cars and killing people over. Don’t blame the oil. People are causing these problems, not the oil. Point fingers at the greedy corporations and politicians who constantly manipulate the planet for their pockets. Mother Nature needs to be left alone to her processes.

The oil is just in the wrong place.

And that is a very humbling thought.

> If you have an electric car and charge it through a conventional electric source in the US, you are most likely powering it with coal. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of having an electric car? Sure, you may be reducing your need for oil, but you have increased the need for coal-fired power plants and put a strain on the grid. I have long advocated for a renewable source, such as solar or wind, to charge plug-in electric vehicles. Well, they are finally getting built!

> The news this week is all about the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. Why do we have to keep drilling? Why can’t we see that renewables won’t cause this kind of environmental damage? I know, I know. It’s all about lobbies and money. But the more we demand oil, the more they will keep trying to bring it to us, no matter the cost, environmental, human and financial. How can you reduce demand?

> I take that back. Washington may have seen the light and is re-thinking renewables.

> I thought my house was pretty damn solar! I have passive solar, a solar greenhouse, and solar hot water. Not bad! And I have reduced my energy bills by about half (I also changed out some old windows and insulated my ceiling, so it’s not all attributed to solar….). These folks in Missouri have me beat – they have all that I have, but they also have solar PV.

In honor of Earth Week and Earth Day last week, PBS aired a lot of informative, interesting and well-put-together documentaries. Here’s what moved me.

Food, Inc. (POV) – I already knew most of what was in this documentary, but it was informative to the masses who never ask where their food comes from. If you have not seen it, do. I bet you will seek out organic, local, humanely raised meat after watching it! Question your butcher and your favorite restaurants, too. What you eat out is harder to control than what you prepare at home. Take it a step further and stop eating meat altogether, if you’re interested in truly reducing emissions and your carbon footprint.

DIRT! The Movie (Independent Lens) – Having a degree in horticulture, and gardening professionally and personally for the last 30+ years, I knew most of this information, too. Soil Science was my favorite class. Because of test phobia, I chose to write a 20 page paper on soil formation instead of taking an exam. I almost went on to study further, but all the jobs were in government, and I was clear that was not where I wanted to be.

I resonated with DIRT! The Movie. I know what it’s like to stick your nose in a handful of forest soil and come away like you’ve just smelled deep purple lilacs. I know the feeling of amazement watching a compost pile do its thing – kitchen scraps, grass trimmings and plant stalks gradually turning to black soil that goes back into the garden. This is nature at its core, and the very act of soil generation shows us how the planet takes care of herself. Watch this movie to see the why and the how of aiding that process.

Earth Days (American Experience) – I had to watch this history of Earth Day four times, because I loved it so much. This was the history of the current environmental movement, and it all took place in my entire lifetime.

After World War II, there was a prosperity boom. Suburbs began their sprawl, convenience was the norm, cars were big, and oil was cheap. We also mistakenly believed oil would always be cheap and plentiful, so we used it. Our society was based on it – cars, airplanes, electricity, cities. The smog grew thick in major cities like New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and our health was threatened by the environment for the first time ever.

Abundance was another keyword of the 50s. Materialism equaled success. Consumption began its out-of-control path, creating the need for more manufacturing plants, energy, oil and transportation.

The Industrial Revolution started this problem, but the prosperity- and abundance-laden 50s catapulted the earth into a cloud of smog.

I was born and grew up in this era. I lived in a suburb with a freezer full of Clarence Birdseye frozen fruits and vegetables and Swanson frozen tv dinners.

My dad drove a few miles to work every day and came home for lunch. My mother drove to town whenever she felt she needed something. She’d make a trip for groceries, and come home. Then she’d go out for stamps, even though she’d passed the post office on her first trip. Maybe she’d go out for shoes later in the day, and if we needed something after school, we’d drive to get it. In the evening, maybe we’d go to the mall (called a ’shopping center’ back then).

The car and what was perceived to be plentiful oil allowed her to do this. And she was not the only one! The 50s were an illusion of freedom, and no one saw the consequences.

‘I voted for the interstate highway program, which I see now is a great mistake.’ Stewart Udall

The 60s

In the 60s, DDT was sprayed liberally in neighborhoods as a convenient way to kill annoying bugs. It was also killing the not-so-annoying varieties as well as the iconic American Bald Eagle. Our national symbol was the first animal on the newly created Endangered Species List.

Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in 1962, and this was the beginning of awareness about the ecological devastation caused by pesticide use. Carson showed the interconnectedness of every living thing on the planet and how annihilating one part affected all parts. Our alienation from nature was more than evident. This book is a must read. It was, pardon the cliche, a catalyst for change.

‘I truly believe that we, in this generation, must come to terms with nature, and I think we’re challenged, as mankind has never been before, to prove our maturity and mastery, not of nature, but of ourselves.’ Rachel Carson

Rebellion

By the late 60s, ‘the revolution’ was in full swing. Hippies were rebelling against the establishment – government, greed, corporations, cities, money, war, and anything considered traditional and tech-y. The back-to-the-land movement birthed egalitarian communes and simple, natural, spiritual lifestyles with the earth as the centerpiece.

Out of that anti-establishment, back-to-the-land movement came Earth Day in 1970. It was a political act to say Screw You to government and corporations and to bring awareness to their negative affect on our planet. The message was Greed and ecology don’t mix.

Earth Day speeches were about the exact same issues we have today in the exact same words – energy independence, energy conservation, solar, over-population, air pollution, carbon, energy efficiency, overuse of natural resources, Middle Eastern oil.

What has changed?

The rest of the 70s saw President Nixon create the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), President Carter put solar panels on the White House, and Americans suffer through the ‘oil embargo’ of 1973. I put that in quotes, because I’m not sure it was real, but it did show us that we were (and still are) at the mercy of the Middle East. Our country was crippled when the price of gas quadrupled in the time span of a few months.

President Reagan took office in 1980, and one of his first acts was to remove Jimmy Carter’s solar panels from the White House (’We lost 30 years.’ Hunter Lovins). He also slashed the budgets of agencies doing environmental work. Any vestige of the rebellious and productive 60s and 70s was gone, and we’ve never regained that momentum.

My Place in It All

What moved me about Earth Days is that I have lived through and witnessed the entire history of the modern environmental movement. I was born into the problem and, proudly, naturally and enthusiastically, became part of the solution. The guests in the show, political and environmental activists in the 60s and 70s, clearly spoke of my experiences and convictions, and that was warm and comforting. I felt like we had grown up together!

Before I saw this, I’d been wondering what my part is in the modern environmental movement. I often feel as though the history has been forgotten, as though the environmental movement just started in the last few years. The history is important! It is who I am, and when people don’t care about that history, I feel invisible and start wondering:

> What is my role, aside from continuing to live lightly?
> I know where I came from, but where am I going?
> Where do I fit in?
> How can I not feel so stagnant?
> What do I have to offer?

What is my role among the 21st century environmental activists, who research environmentalism, teach it and apply it to their lives? I am a 20th century environmentalist, having been been there from the beginning. Where is my place today?

I still haven’t answered those questions, but having spent several evenings with Stewart Udall, Rachel Carson, various scientists, the creators of Earth Day, the author of The Population Bomb, Hunter Lovins, Stephanie Mills and several others, I feel grounded, like my foundation has been rebuilt, like someone understands me. I feel I can move forward, but I’m just not sure to where.

I do see that this is the problem:

‘Every morning, six billion people get up, have breakfast, and go to work, do their thing, and come home at night. Environmental problems emerge out of daily life. The solutions for environmental problems are also rooted in daily life. We need six billion people to get up and have a different consciousness and do things differently.’ Dennis Meadows

And that this is the solution:

‘You owe a responsibility to your children, your grandchildren and their children.’ Stewart Udall

I recommend watching Earth Days to see how it all got started.

4.12.10 – The first hummingbird was at the feeder this morning! He is early! I expect them around April 15 (easy to remember, since it’s tax day….), and they generally come in later than that. (photo: flickr s p e x)

Yesterday, I washed the feeder and filled it half-way with food to attract them. This morning, I was sitting near it on the back porch, and the hummer dive-bombed the feeder. He scared me – loud, fast and too close! But I was glad to see him and more glad that I put the feeder up yesterday.

There are not many plants in flower this time of year for hummers, so a feeder is the only way to get them used to coming to your garden. Hummers don’t sense food by smell, but by color. They drink nectar from red tubular flowers, and feeders are made to resemble them. The food in the feeder does not need to be red, but if you buy a commercial preparation, it will look like Kool-Aid (not the political kind). I make my own mix – 1 part white sugar, 3 parts water. The sugar has to be dissolved completely, so I use warm water and stir vigorously. Extra can go in the fridge, but be sure to label it.

Keep your feeder out of the sun, because the food can get moldy. Bugs also climb in there and die. Wash it out with soapy hot water and rinse well each time you change the food.

Hummingbirds come back to the same feeding spots every year, so once you start feeding them, you will always have them. One year, my cat killed about ten. I didn’t think there would be any the following year, but I had plenty!

They check in at my house in April for a few weeks, then they leave. They return when the hollyhocks start blooming in late May. This is their natural food, but by putting up a feeder in the spring, I have shown them this is a yummy place to eat. They leave around the middle of September for Mexico. Not a bad idea, huh?

For hummingbirds all summer, plant a garden that includes these shrubs and perennials to attract them:

> Penstemon (Penstemon spp)
> Columbine (Aquilegia spp)
> Bee Balm (Mondara spp)
> Hollyhock (Alcea rosea
> Autumn Sage (Savlia gregii
> Desert Willow (Chiloppsis linearis)
> Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
> Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans)
> Agastache ‘Firebird’ (Agastache sp.)

And always grow organically. Please!

(I wrote this series, because, for years, people have asked me how I got so ‘green.’ Hopefully this will provide some insight and give you ideas about how to live simply and appreciate the natural world of which you are a part. Read Part 1, The 50s, 60s & 70s, Part 2, The 80s, New Hampshire and Part 3, The 80s, Simplified by Traveling.)

The 90s – Raising a Family and Beyond

Amazingly enough, when I began to raise a family, I was in close contact with the woman I mentioned in Part 3, who had lived with no money for several years. Her lifestyle was one of the simplest I’d ever seen. She knew how to survive buying nothing, not using disposable anything, creating what she didn’t have, and growing most of her own food. I felt blessed to be in her sphere and under her tutelage.

Diapers

Despite having a one year old, she gave me some of her cloth diapers to get me started. One valuable piece of information she shared was to simply rinse out pee diapers and hang them in the disinfecting New Mexico sun, then reuse. Do you know how much water this saved, as well as trips to the laundromat?

Instead of baby wipes, we had a huge stash of two different color washcloths – one color for pee, one for poop (preferably a light color to see when they needed washing). They were put under hot water and onto the baby’s butt, then rinsed out really well, and, again, hung in the NM sun. This took a little thought and planning, but I have never used a disposable wipe on either of my kids.

For my own sanity, I did use disposable diapers at night. Getting up in the night and turning lights on to change a diaper was making me crazy with sleep deprivation, so I had to do something. I called them ‘nightie diapers,’ since we just used them at night. I didn’t feel good about it, but sometimes our choices have to take into account our quality of life as well as the planet.

Clothes

This woman taught me to replace rubber pants with woolen diaper covers. We made them from sweaters found at thrift stores and yard sales, then washed in hot water to shrink them. It’s the same as that high-dollar boiled wool jacket you can buy at LLBean. Or consider it felting. It’s simply shrinking the wool, which is absorbent, keeping the baby dry and warm.

Since we were both fabric junkies, we made sunbonnets and small baby quilts out of scrap fabric. I eventually had to make gifts for pregnant friends of mine. Your own child can only use so many quilts and hats!

I had already been frequenting yard sales for clothes. There is no need to buy new baby clothes EVER! New and practically new clothes are in abundance at yard sales and thrift stores. Kids outgrow them before they can wear them out, and they pile up fast at home.

Food

When my daughter started eating solid food, I learned to mash up what I was eating. I bought a small food mill, put a few teaspoons of soft food in it with a bit of water and cranked it for a few seconds. Instant organic baby food, without the expense and jars piling up.

A friend had returned from Hawaii, and he gifted us with a bowl and spoon he’d made of coconut shell. Talk about earth friendly! Coconut shells are almost indestructible, which you probably know, if you’ve ever tried to crack one open. It would last through many children and return to the earth when necessary. I loved that!

The Future

Obviously, that baby girl born in 1990 turns 20 this year. My mind is foggy over many details of her little green life. When my second daughter was due in 1994, I reached back into my green baby info database, and set to work.

She was born at home on the living room couch after much walking, soaking, walking, pushing and waiting. I wrapped her in a quilt made from scraps.

I made her diapers from a layer each of terrycloth and flannel in the name of frugality. It was much cheaper than buying them, and when she was done with them, they became household rags. They held up for many years!

As I raised these two beauties, my frugal/green/eco-friendly lifestyle was what they learned. As rebellious teenagers, they have told me to ‘Get off the green thing, mom!’, but I know I’ve given them a good foundation they can fall back on when they are ready. If the world keeps spinning as it is, politically and climatically, they may need that green thing I taught them.

So that’s the story of how I got so green. Part of it was innate, but as you saw, I had some influential people around me. I hope I’ve answered some questions and helped you in your quest for a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

(Nan’s Note: Read Part 1 here.)

By Norm Ferguson

Social influences

Our behavior is often highly influenced by the other people around us. A saying related to this is: “Choose your friends carefully because you will become them.” An effective way to change you behavior is to associate with other people who are already doing the behavior you want to do.

When we join a group of like-minded people then peer support and conformity help us act as they do. The point is to choose carefully which group of people you will associate with.

It is also clear that small behavior changes are easier to make than big ones. For example, it is often hard to recruit people to go door-to-door to talk about environmental issues. So, a first step may be to ask them to sign a petition stating they are in favor of a certain environmental change. The next step might be to ask them to attend a meeting where this issue will be discussed. At this point it is more likely that they would agree to go door-to-door to talk to others about the matter. This approach is sometimes called the “foot-in-the-door” technique.

A mistake people make in trying to promote behavior change is to argue or debate with a person with the hope of changing their attitude about an issue. The belief is, “If I can get the person to change their attitude, then they will change their behavior.” The data show that this usually does NOT happen. Verbal attitude change is comparatively easy, while behavior change is often not so easy. The lesson is, if you want to promote behavior change, go for the behavior change right away. So, instead of debating someone about the merits of recycling, say to them, “Help me with my recycling.” If they agree, then they will be engaging in recycling behavior and this will likely change their attitude about recycling.

Stress

Stress is a response our mind and body makes to a stressor. A stressor is something in our environment, physical and/or psychological, that triggers a stress response. Due to social expectations and advertising, many of us get caught up in a “stress cycle.” It often goes like this: We think we need more “stuff” (consumer goods) to be happy, so we need more money to buy the “stuff”, so we have to work more to get more money to buy more “stuff.” This becomes a never-ending stress cycle. If we become aware of the stress cycle we are in, then we can do something to get out of it. A concept that applies here is “voluntary simplicity” where a person or family intentionally cuts back on their consumerism.

Unconscious motives

These were first postulated by Sigmund Freud to explain why we do so many counterproductive things. He said our unconscious mind uses a series of “defense mechanisms” to spare us from experiencing conscious anxiety related to our maladaptive behaviors. One is referred to as “denial” which means we refuse to admit that there are negative consequences to our behavior. An example is global warming and some people’s belief that “it’s all a myth!” Another is “rationalization” where we might make a list of reasons why we “have to” have an SUV.

Addictions are behaviors we also use to control anxiety. People may feel deprived, powerless, or have no pleasure in life, so they engage in some form of addictive consumption to alleviate their anxiety. Drinking alcohol, taking drugs, gambling, and shopping are all ways to do this. Addictions like shopping can have negative effects on the environment as well as on the person.

Conscious awareness

Our western worldview focuses on “individualism.” We see ourselves as somehow separate from the environment and dominant over it. Thus, we often fail to see the consequences our behavior has on the environment. However, indigenous cultures have a worldview which focuses on the group rather than the individual and they see themselves as part of the environment instead of being separate from it. We have much to learn from them.

A lot of people believe there is a direct relationship between the consumption of material goods and happiness. This is largely a myth. Above a fairly modest amount of money where there is a relationship between happiness and money, an increasing amount of money is NOT associated with increased happiness. Happiness is mainly associated with having good relationships, meaningful work, and adequate leisure time.

Too many of us are spending very little time out-of-doors directly experiencing the natural world, the sun, and the elements. It is certainly true that, “We abuse the natural environment because we have little direct identification with it.” A lot of us could improve out lives by forgetting the TV, computer, ipod, and cell phone for a while and spending some time out in the natural world. In addition to bettering our own life, it would help our society and our planet.

The environmental problems we face today have been self-created. Sadly, psychological concepts have been used effectively by advertisers and others who are more interested in making money than in doing what is beneficial for our environment. However, with a knowledge of these concepts and the proper application of them, we can move toward reversing the negative environmental trends which exist today and start creating a future which embraces sustainable living strategies. It is in our species and our planet’s best interests to do so.

Norm Ferguson, Ph.D.
Instructor of Psychology
University of New Mexico-Taos
fergus@taosnet.com
575-751-0049