Sustainability Research Institute School of Earth and Environment

Sustainability and the Masses

ENVI 1110 - Lucie Middlemiss

Sustainability in the UK lectures

Series of three lectures on current research on debates surrounding Sustainable Development in the UK:

1. Sustainability and the Masses (me)

2. Sustainability in the public sector (Claire Marsh)

3. Sustainable rural communities (Andy Dougill)

This lecture

Background to my research

• The problem (the impact of British people on the earth)

• Causes of the problem (over-consumption)

• Finding solutions (getting people to behave differently)

A specific tool to change behaviour (Community-based projects)

The problem

Most Brits are relatively rich (which is nice)

As a result we use more resources and produce more waste than people in other nations (which isn’t nice!)

Government need to make individuals behave more sustainably to meet targets (which is difficult)

Measuring the problem

Eco footprinting (developed by Wackernagel) helps us understand the extent of our impact on the earth.

Work out your own eco footprint at http://ecofoot.org/.

My footprint

I think I live greenly…

… but I still use more resources than are available.

Distributional effects

US: 9.6; UK: 5.6; India: 0.8; Afghanistan: 0.1

(figures in hectares per person, taken from Global Footprint network)

U.S.

IndiaU.K.

Afghanistan

Ratios: 10 : 6 : 1 : 0.1

Spatial effects

Many of the environmental effects we produce are experienced in other countries.

Waste problems are most visible and immediate in this country.

Natural resources used to make products are not sourced from the UK, but still add to our footprint.

The problem in short…

British people have a large and negative impact on the environment, a lot of which we do not see.

This impact is not sustainable – we are using more resources than are available in the long term and producing more waste than can be absorbed by sinks.

Causes of the problem

Wealthier countries consume more and have more detrimental effects on the environment.

This is called ‘unsustainable consumption’ and describes the current situation in the UK.

It basically means that we cannot go on consuming and throwing away goods at the rate we currently do.

But do we want to become sustainable consumers?

And what of our leaders?

“We cannot let the terrorists achieve the objective of frightening our nation to the point where we don’t conduct business, where people don’t shop…Mrs. Bush and I want to encourage Americans to go out shopping.”

George W. Bush (October 12, 2001)

Source: Arndt, 2004

Finding solutions

How do we reduce British individuals’ impacts on the world and on other people?

Behavioural Change

Technical Change

Financial incentives Communicative

measuresRegulation

Exercise (2 mins)

If the government tells you that it is unsustainable to fly by plane, will you stop doing it?

Discuss with a partner and be ready to cast your vote.

Community-based change

Charitable institution

Conservation group

Individual

Child’s school

Community

Religious institution

Social Club

Environment

Residents’ group

??

?

Research Questions

1. what effects do sustainability projects run by community-based organisations have on participants?; WHAT

2. how do these projects stimulate change in participants?; HOW

3. in what circumstances and for which types of participant is change more likely to occur? WHO

Case Study 1: Meanwood School Travel Plan

School travel plans involve parents, pupils and teachers trying to reduce the impacts of the school run on the local community. This school has set up a walking bus, and provided cycle training.

WHAT: car use was reduced by 17.6%, and walking increased by 15.7%.

HOW: child health and road safety benefits; convenience for working parents.

WHO: active parents in the school who can fit the commitment around their other life activities.

Case Study 2: Holy Trinity Church, Skipton (in progress)

Core group of three Christian ecologists who want to green the activities of the church as well as those of the congregation members. Larger group comprised around 10 people.

WHAT: shift in behaviours and attitudes over time which may be related to cultural shifts in the church; raised awareness about issues and solutions; further fair trade and environmental activities stimulated in the community.

WHY: ethical reasons connected with religious beliefs.

WHO: churchgoers (50+, female, caring professions, PT workers)

Case Study 3: Green Gym (in progress)

Three community gardens in and around Wakefield that aim to promote exercise and nature values in a friendly context.

WHAT: small increase in awareness on green issues, strong social gains for individuals involved.

WHY: enjoyment of fresh air; need for ‘something to do’.

WHO: mostly local people with learning disabilities who have been recommended by their social workers.

General comments so far…

• Great variety of project goals

• Projects have multiple goals

• People have different reasons for participating often connected to these multiple goals

• Projects attract specific sections of the population

• Is this fiddling while Rome burns…

• … or an important part of cultural change?

Conclusion

We currently live in an unsustainable way, having a disproportionate effect on the environment and other people.

This seems to be connected to unsustainable consumption.

Community-based sustainability projects may provide a useful way of stimulating some kinds of change.

My research will help to inform national and local government policy on community-led sustainability.