DoEnvironmEntAlists holDBACk sustAinABlE liFEstylEs’ .
who wAnts A sustAinABlE liFEstylE wEll ACtuAlly quitE A lot oF pEoplE,AppArEntly. FAr From BEing A niChE ConCEpt,A mAjor nEw stuDy on sustAinABility From thE unEp sAys thE iDEA is "misunDErstooD As A riCh nAtion ChoiCE".
whilE thE DEsirE to Enjoy wEstErn living stAnDArDs is strong, thE stuDy piCks out A rAngE oF sustAinABlE living iDEAs BEing DEvElopED ACross thE worlD、it sAys onE oF thE BiggEst BArriErs to morE pEoplE AChiEving thEm mAy BE how wE CElEBrAtE AnD CommuniCAtE thEsE iDEAs.
most DEFinitions oF sustAinABlE liFEstylEs tAlk ABout thrEE kEy ArEAs; minimAl EnvironmEntAl impACt, not unDErmining thE CArrying CApACity oF rEsourCEs (i. E. using only thosE thAt ArE rEnEwABlE or rEplACEABlE ovEr timE)An(t hElping pEoplE intErACt with thE CommunitiEs AnD plACEs in whiCh thEy livE.
But, As thE unEp stuDy points out,"pEoplE will only ChAngE thEir liFEstylEs in ExChAngE For A BEttEr onE", so pErhAps A Fourth point CoulD BE just As importAnt: mAking thEm DEsirABlE.
solitAirE townsEnD,Co-FounDEr oF sustAinABility ConsultAnCy FutErrA,sAys mAking thEm DEsirABlE mAy BE EAsiEr thAn wE think. shE points to somE oF thE ACtivitiEs thAt pEoplE trying to livE sustAinABly BEComE involvED in, suCh As CyCling AnD ChAnging thE wAy thEy EAt.
poor imAgE oF sustAinABility
thE unEp stuDy sAys muCh oF thE CommuniCAtion ArounD sustAinABlE liFEstylEs hAs tEnDED to BE From EnvironmEntAl groups AnD govErnmEnt AnD EithEr "prEsCriptivE, pAtronising (自认为高人一等) or DisApproving".
"rAthEr thAn turn pEoplE on to thE vAst opportunitiEs AnD EnjoymEnt sustAinABlE liFEstylEs CAn Bring, thEy hAvE turnED pEoplE oFF," sAys townsEnD、
whAt’s lACking,shE ArguEs, is A vision. "noBoDy AspirEs to livE A poliCy. pEoplE AspirE to whAt thEy CAn sEE, FEEl, touCh;somEthing tAngiBlE. wE Don’t hAvE A pAssionAtE, EloquEnt, visuAl DEsCription oF sustAinABlE liFEstylEs, so pEoplE Don’t know thEy wAnt thEm."
"For yEArs wE’vE triED to ’sEll’ ClimAtE ChAngE, But A lot oF pEoplE ArEn’t Buying," townsEnD sAys. "thrEAts oF ClimAtE hEll hAvEn’t sEEmED to holD us BACk From running hEADlong towArDs it. wE must BuilD A visuAl AnD CompElling vision oF low CArBon hEAvEn.AnD this vision must BE DEsirABlE."
"iF it isn’t morE DEsirABlE thAn whAt wE’vE got now thEn why BothEr rEAChing For it "
rEAChing A BiggEr AuDiEnCE
howEvEr,CrEAting A singlE "DEsirABlE" vision oF A sustAinABlE liFEstylE won’t BE Enough on its own, ACCorDing toDr miChAEl pEtErs, From thE rEsEArCh group on liFEstylEs vAluEs AnDEnvironmEnt (rEsolvE、At thE univErsity oF surrEy.
"initiAtivEs thAt AttEmpt to ConnECt with pEoplE AnD EngAgE in morE sustAinABlE wAys tEnD to AttrACt pEoplE who ArE AlrEADy ’switChED on’ EnvironmEntAlly,so thErE’s A Big BArriEr in ConnECting with pEoplE For whom EnvironmEntAl issuEs ArE not A kEy priority," hE sAys.
pEtErs sAys thAt in somE CAsEs thE pEriphErAl (次要的) BEnEFits oF liFEstylEs thAt ExErt lEss impACt on thE EnvironmEnt shoulD BE highlightED, suCh As thE sAvings thAt CAn BE mADE By running An EnErgy EFFiCiEnt housEholD、
"iF thE morAl EnvironmEntAl ArgumEnt DoEsn’t rEsonAtE (共鸣的), thEn pErhAps thE FinAnCiAl sAvings CoulD、"
mEAsuring hAppinEss
othErs BEliEvE thAt thE issuE goEs DEEpEr thAn simply sElling thE BEnEFits or DEsirABility oF A sustAinABlE liFEstylE--thE BiggEst BArriEr oF All mAy BE soCiAl prEssurEs AnD how wE mEAsurE A hAppy AnD suCCEssFul liFE.
in thE inDustriAlisED worlD EspECiAlly, this tEnDs to BE juDgED in tErms oF mAtEriAl wEAlth. thE trADitionAl yArDstiCk is thAt oF Consumption, typiCAlly viEwED As An inDiCAtion oF wEll-BEing AnD wEAlth By EConomists with gDp rEgArDED As thE lAst worD in mEAsuring progrEss,DEvElopmEnt AnD prospErity oF A soCiEty.
But,As thE unEp stuDy on sustAinABility points out, gDp is not A rEliABlE inDiCAtor oF hAppinEss or sAtisFACt