The Environmental Self-Awareness

Programme (ESAP)

Introduced by Ruth Cloherty

Presentation Overview

How the ESAP was developed.

Old world view.

New world perspective.

Some aspects of the ESAP.

The potential benefits of pro-environmental-identity.

How the ESAP was developed.

Research project - Psychology Department, Anglia Ruskin University.

Enduring energy-conservation behaviours in the population sample.

Understanding the inner environment before we can attend to the external environment.

Also need to learn energy-saving behaviours.

Old World View

Hierarchy & competition for resources. Individualistic – only think of our own needs. Our self-worth is dependent on consuming. Environmental identity is negatively correlated

with an individualistic perspective. Limited ability to problem solve and think

creatively. Social norms robust and resistant to change yet

not sustainable.

New World Perspective

Environmental identity is positively correlated with a collectivist perspective.

It is natural for human beings to live in harmony with each other and nature.

People are able to think and perform more effectively when they can expect cooperation.

Reciprocal living by its very nature encourages people to regulate their own behaviour and act in altruistic ways.

Our survival depends on us living this way.

The Environmental Self-Awareness Programme (ESAP).

Aims to reconnect people to their essential nature and essential values.

Learn energy-saving behaviours.

Plant to nurture.

How the brain learns and develops.

Personal self is a construct - formed by parental input and own experience of the world.

Uses the psychotherapeutic model – Transactional Analysis (TA) developed in 1950s by Eric Berne.

TA humanistic in nature.

Letting people know they are fundamentally Okay

Each person is of worth and deserving of respect regardless of their behaviour.

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with anyone.

Awareness of an early belief or life-position “I’m not Okay, you’re Okay”.

Understand and appreciate self and others.

New World Altruism

Thinking and Feeling

The human need for recognition or strokes from others.

Problem solving and discounting the self.

Understanding and processing emotions to assist in problem solving.

Emotional intelligence required for reciprocal living.

Human beings experience negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, anger, despair, and shame when disconnected from nature.

Examples

How does the ESAP re-connect us to nature?

Participants were all given a Jade plant to look after.

Being a custodian of the natural environment is inherent in what we are.

It maybe that by being self-aware and engaging in pro-environmental behaviours that we re-establish our attachment to Mother Nature.

Our essential values transcend social norms.

The benefits of pro-environmental identity.

Increased sense of satisfaction & joy

Reduced anxiety

We have a choice about how to behave – based on essential values.

We can build new neural pathways.

Self worth no longer based on consumption.

Summary The ESAP enables learning of

new behaviours.

It establishes pro-environmental self-identity reconnecting us to nature and our essential values.

Reduces internal conflict and stress.

Improved problem-solving and relationships.

When reconnected to nature we only consume what we need.

Some Quotes

Bob: “Well frankly before doing this project I used to have my things on stand-by twenty-four seven, you know, all day and had lights on and now I turn them off and I actually consider what I am using.”

Carl: “Oh right, well, um, it’s like a movement moving forward. If, if everybody starts, like, to make a change and you continue to make a change yourself, you know that in the long run it’s going to benefit, going to benefit all of us. And hopefully it will have that knock on effect which obviously we want it to be doing; in having everyone, everyone would be re-wired to be doing like the things that should be done.”

Stewart: “…, you feel better in yourself, you feel better for other people, in yourself you feel positive and you feel good about it, you feel better.”