Language of sustainbility

Is there a public language of sustainability?

27-04-09

Joe Ravetz

Centre for Urban & Regional Ecology

University of Manchester

www.manchester.ac.uk/cure

Contents

• Discourse

• Public attitudes data

• Example – congestion charge

• Cultural & values models

• Towards a public language

“It’s the ecology, stupid.”Sir John Harman: ENDS lecture 24th November 2008

“..As seen from Westminster, the picture is one of conclusive science, emerging international pressures, a growing problem which has to be dealt with. But the public perception, even of human-induced climate change, is far less coherent. Surveys of media coverage still show a surprising parity between material supporting the reality of climate change and material denying it, or at least its human-induced component. To put it simply, the Government Chief Scientist may have the ear of the decision-makers but Clarkson and Wogan have the ear of a good part of the electorate.”

Huh.. believe that you believe

anything. They’re just

trying to scare us

Have you heard this one? they’re telling us we’ve

got 100 months to save the planet

But what if the scientists are right and the arctic ice is melting and the

deserts are advancing, and...and..

So – we’ve got the technology,...

when the price is right we’ll use it.

Huh.. believe that you believe

anything. The scientists are just trying to scare us so they get more

funding

Have you heard this one? they’re telling us we’ve

got 100 months to save the planet

Well I’m not about to change my lifestyle – I’ve worked hard for

all this and I’m not going to hand it

over to some green-bugged

hair-shirt merchant

But what if the climate crunch adds

up with the credit crunch, food

crunch, population crunch etc... Won’t

we all have to change our lifestyles?

In fact have you heard of this thing sus…

sustainabilityThat’s precisely it!! It’s a global media conspiracy to keep

people like you & me in suspense &

paranoia

Well I’m not about to change my lifestyle – I’ve worked hard for

all this and I’m not going to hand it

over to some green-bugged

hair-shirt merchant

But what if the climate crunch adds

up with the credit crunch, food shortages, population,

terrorism etc... Won’t we all have to

change our lifestyles?

Public attitudes

Attitudes toward the environment and climate change, 2007

Issues that the Government should be dealing with, 1993-2007

Attitudes toward flying and car use, 2007

Proportion of people who a) have heard of, b) make an effort to buy eco-friendly products, 2007

Average life satisfaction by gender and age, 2007

Positivity and tendency to worry by age and gender, 2007

Example – congestion charge

Example – congestion charge

“Congestion charging: FAQs”

How do you feel about a plan to introduce congestion charging in Greater Manchester? The controversial scheme could bring in almost £3 billion of improvements to public transport. But critics say it's unfair. What's your view?

Comments

• “we can be called to travel across the city at anytime most often during the planned peak congestion charging hours. Public travel is not an option in the job we do! So will this be taken into consideration? We tried to work how much it will cost me to get to work and it will be approx £150 per month.

• “I am disgusted by this hair brained idea that some jumped up prats in offices who have nothing better to do then work out ways to nail us road users for even more tax than we are already paying. I am a training assesser and my job is to travel around company's in stockport and manchester, I live by the M60 (which i believe is going to be the boundary) this means I will cross it approx 6 to 10 times a day.

Comments

• We Won! No Congestion Charge in Manchester!

• Manchester gave Gordon Brown the finger!

• Well done all the people of Manchester who voted a resounding "NO" to Labour's stealth tax congestion charge! We hope this site has helped!

• “The Socialist City of Manchester wants to introduce congestion charging to the city. The model will be similar to the scheme Red Ken Livingstone introduced in London (but covering a much larger area). This is where Manchester people get their one and only opportunity to stop this crazy proposed highway robbery.

Inconvenience

Cost – can’t afford it

Bureaucracy gone mad

(“Red Ken”)

“Public trans” no thanks

“we already pay our taxes”

“Public trans” should sort it out

“We would all be better off”

Govt will give us £3 billion

Roads will be better too

Good for those without cars

“Public trans” (for losers)

Pollution & climate change

“Freedom of the road”

“just look at Barcelona”

Socialism - back door

Cost of running the scheme

Me and mine

Government / politicians /

bureaucracy

Media & sport

Charity / pressure groups

Me and mine

Government / politicians /

bureaucracy

Business & money

Media & sport

Science & technology

What’s it all about

Charity / pressure groups

Cultural theory

collectivist approach

certainty style & risk averse

PUBLIC SECTOR: HIERARCHISTS

NGO SECTOR: EGALITARIANS

PRIVATE SECTOR: PIONEERS

CONSUMERS & FATALISTS

uncertainty style & risk taking

individualist approach

General outline of human types in cultural theory. (‘NGO’ = ‘non governmental organization’). Source: adapted from Douglas & Wildavsky 1986; Thomson 1994.

Climate Example

• Avoid the violent agreement logjam -segment propositions by psychology

Inner directed Outer directed Security driven

Right thing (moral) Clever thing (smart) Safe thing (identity)

Engaging the esteem driven

motivation

action

recognition

fashion

organisation

why

reward

Inner directed

Outer directed(esteem driven)

Sustenance (security) driven

Ethics, new things,

Status, success

consumption

Tradition, security

Change re ‘environment’ concern

• 1960s - 1970s - inner directed only• 1980s - 1990s - inner + esteem (outer) directed• 1990s - 2000s - all groups share it but• = logjam on how to take action (>delay)• = not ‘news’ any longer• = normed - only breaking norm is ‘news’

Cultural dynamics

• Transitionals• Concerned ethicals• Flexible individuals• Happy followers• Transcenders• Tomorrow people• Now people• Golden dreamers• Certainty first• Brave new world• Smooth sailing • Roots

• Value Modes Research• 10 questions > 12

groups 95%+ confidence

• 5500 base in UK population

• segment to groups• relate to 70+ attributes• Cultural Dynamics Ltd

e. g. The Now People

• “We want the world and we want it NOW”! This could be the motto for these people. They have a hunger for life and want to devour it - to consume it all. Life is a party to be enjoyed and they want to be at the centre of it. They have probably the greatest need for the approval of others and this drives their wonderful set of empathetic social skills. They attract others to them, and the high energy they create, like a magnet. They look for the flash and intensity in all situations. They want the romanticised version of reality. This can create financial bedlam, but they accept the consequences and just go ahead and “do it” anyway.

Towards a language

Huh.. believe that you believe

anything. They’re just

trying to scare us

Have you heard this one? they’re telling us we’ve

got 100 months to save the planet

But what if the scientists are right and the arctic ice is melting and the

deserts are advancing, and...and..

So – we’ve got the technology,...

when the price is right we’ll use it.

Huh.. believe that you believe

anything. The scientists are just trying to scare us so they get more

funding

Have you heard this one? they’re telling us we’ve

got 100 months to save the planet

Well I’m not about to change my lifestyle – I’ve worked hard for

all this and I’m not going to hand it

over to some green-bugged

hair-shirt merchant

But what if the climate crunch adds

up with the credit crunch, food

crunch, population crunch etc... Won’t

we all have to change our lifestyles?

In fact have you heard of this thing sus…

sustainabilityThat’s precisely it!! It’s a global media conspiracy to keep

people like you & me in suspense &

paranoia

Well I’m not about to change my lifestyle – I’ve worked hard for

all this and I’m not going to hand it

over to some green-bugged

hair-shirt merchant

But what if the climate crunch adds

up with the credit crunch, food shortages, population,

terrorism etc... Won’t we all have to

change our lifestyles?

“80-20 principle”

Attitudes toward the environment and climate change, 2007

Beliefs about the impact of behaviours on the UK’s contribution to climate change if most people in UK were prepared to do them, 2007

Beliefs about the number of people in the UK who are willing to take up behaviours that could impact upon the UK’s contribution to

climate change, 2007

Proportion of people engaging in environmentally friendly behaviours, 2007