10 October 2012| last updated at 02:37PM
What is all the fuss with going green? Many recent articles, including those in this supplement, have spoken about huge government and private investments in solar panels, bio-products and save the trees campaigns. But what is the real perception of going green? How does perception influence your behaviour? Do you recycle? Would you bother separating trash? Spend extra money on biofoods? What do you truly value? Economic gain, a feel-good factor or the conservation of our natural ecosystem?
The individual
The unique factor about the ‘green’ dilemma is that it is a never before experienced phenomenon, which makes it difficult for the human mind to understand let alone cope with. Previous world problems such as peace, poverty and education have been dealt with for centuries, making solutions easier to be learned, grasped and implemented.
Despite this, barriers and obstacles still exist to such age-old problems, as one can imagine solving this environmental issue is not going to be a stroll in the park.
Another unique characteristic about the green dilemma is that it is a problem that needs consensus and mitigation from all parts of the world. Reason being, we are all part of the same planet, and as science has not revealed a way to inhabit Mars, or any other planet in the galaxy, we must find a way of containing our damaging ways before an irreversible catastrophe takes place.
Bearing this in mind, a famous Japanese psychologist, Masanao Toda, said, “This planet is the only one we have, hence we need to understand our inner psyche as there is no escaping this planet“.
Psychology allows us to comprehend the inner world of ourselves, which is pivotal to influence any form of change needed in behaviour towards climate change. As past international conferences such as the famous Rio Summit or post-Kyoto agreements have failed to reach consensus, and understandably so, what hope is there to the individual to change their ‘business as usual’ behaviour if there are no legally binding treaties to make us do so?
The group
Using empirical data from psychology’s vast research on motivation and behaviour, one can say all behaviour depends on intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. Simply put, intrinsic motivations are internal motivators that come from inside, which are usually non-tangible rewards, such as personal gratification or sense of achievement. Extrinsic motivations, on the other hand, are external rewards to increase desired behaviour, usually tangible, such as money or grades.
Knowing this and the unique aspects of the green dilemma, and combining human nature’s tendency to seek self-fulfilling interest, we can use the tragedy of the commons to try to understand the cognitive limitations we naturally have.
For instance, the tragedy of the commons is defined as a predicament that arises when a group of people sharing common limited resources will act rationally and independently based on own self-interest, depleting the shared resources even if it’s no one’s intention to do so.
How do we change?
In trying to change the public’s perception in engaging sustainable behaviour, it would be safer to place monetary concessions, such as no plastic bag day on Saturdays, causing people to pay if they need it or earn money recycling plastic bottles.
Being human, at times it is necessary to have certain incentives to nudge us in the right direction. In Malaysia for example, the government is paving the way to encourage start-up companies to delve into green technology and other such businesses. Unfortunately, interest in such schemes at most times has been low.
Such changes do indeed take time; perhaps combining them with a twist of passion and economic gain will be the catalyst for change needed in giving us that nudge.
Utopia or reality?
All is not lost; the flip side of this new paradox might just be what the doctor ordered for the spiralling crisis our world is going through.
Even with separate issues of financial crises, conflicts, terrorism and the seemingly never ending quest to end poverty, the new green dilemma seems to pose solutions for the wider dilemma humankind is facing.
As climate change and environmental issues have found ways of creating jobs through technological innovation and renewable energy solutions, this can perhaps lead to solving basic problems such as access to electricity, water and food.
For example, setting aside the rest of the world, there are still a large number of people in East Malaysia who do not have access to clean drinking water and electricity. Many ideas and proven solutions exist to solve such basic problems, which do not only provide electricity and water to the people, but also create jobs and sustainable living with independence and dignity — the basic right of every human being.
Private organisations, many of which are in Southeast Asia are still actively seeking funding to provide such solutions to those whose lives change due to such initiatives.
As we go on with our own lives, wondering about the next global issue to solve, wondering if we should bother bringing recyclable bags to the grocery store or simply how to make sense out of all this, perhaps the answer lies within us, the inner world of our psyche.
The writer holds a bachelor‘s degree in psychology and a master‘s degree in international relations, specialising in climate change.
Read more: Green Technology: The green dilemma and the human psyche - Extras - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/extras/green-technology-the-green-dilemma-and-the-human-psyche-1.155096?cache=ynzfkhhlsup%3Fpage%3D0#ixzz2tZCTzb2K
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