How to become more environmentally responsible

Why it is important to be environmentally friendly?

Our environment, as Fisher et al. (2007) describes, is a functioning life support system for every
organism within it. All of our actions have an effect on the ecosystem and in order to sustain the
ecosystem it is vital that our behaviours' are environmentally friendly. An ecosystem demonstrates how
all of the organisms in the environment are dependent on another organisms’ features and this is
inclusive of humans. Sustaining our environment is directly linked to sustaining and enhancing our own
lives (Fisher et al., 2007). Fien (2011) states it is important to sustain the environment, as disruption to
the structure will alter the current environmental productions and will most likely have negative
consequences to our lives. To behave in a way that is environmentally friendly, society is likely to see
long-term viability for not only ecological systems, but also social and economic systems (Fien, 2011).
The interconnected systems emphases the importance of environment sustainability and its relation to a
functioning existence for society.

Health concerns Chopra and Kanji (2011) affirm that environmental health is a global concern, and
humans are significantly involved in both the roles of destroyer and victim. Pollution, which is created by
unstoppable forces such as urbanization, is contaminating water, air and land. This pollution is putting
people at serious health risks, especially those of developing countries (Chopra & Kanji, 2011). The
example of urbanisation demonstrates the pollution of air with the increase of vehicles on the roads, the
pollution of water with the increase of wastage and incorrect disposal and the promotion of unhealthy
diets with physical inactivity. The consequences of urbanisation can easily create environmental hazards
and the development of a wide range of diseases and health problems for societies.

Motivation types on environmentally-friendly behaviours

Australian National University Solar Concentrator

In motivating people to become more environmentally friendly the underlying factors that entice an
individual to make a change should be targeted. Vansteenkiste (2008) describes one’s environmental
extrinsic motivation as the behaviour that is driven by external rewards, such as money, praise or fame.
The motivation is from a source external of the individual (Vansteenkiste, 2008). Despite the
materialised need for an external force, extrinsic motivation can be used as a tool to promote an
individual’s willingness to engage in environmentally friendly behaviour. Intrinsic motivation however,
as descibed by Goldsmith and Dhar (2013), states this is a motivation type developed from within the
individual as is usually influenced by ones' passions. An intrinsic motivation is noted to have the most
beneficial long-term effects for environmental sustainability.

Extrinsic incentives People are faced with challenges every day that require effort and persistence to
successfully complete. An incentive is an external event or object that entices an individual to act
towards or retract from a particular action or behaviour (Vansteenkiste, 2008). Goldsmith and Dhar,
2013 research demonstrates that incentives enhance task motivation, these incentives may be
negatively or positively influencing. Goldsmith and Dhar (2013) study demonstrated that an individual is
How to become more environmentally responsible

more likely to be motivated when the incentive is going to have a negative effect rather then a positive
effect upon them. The use of incentives can be used to motivate environmentally friendly behaviour, as
the examples demonstrate below.

References:

Fien, J. (2001) Education for Sustainability. Australia Conservation Foundation [Australia Association for
Environmental Education]. Retrieved from
http://learnonline.canberra.edu.au/pluginfile.php/816084/mod_resource/content/1/Education%20for%
20Sustainability%2C%20Fien%2C%202001.pdf

Fischer, J., Manning, A., Steffen, W., Rose, D., Daniel, K., Felton, A., Garnett, S., Gilna, B., Heinsohn, R.,
Lindenmayer, D., MacDonald, B., Mills, F., Newell, B., Reid, J., Robin, L., Sherren, K., & Wade, A. (2007).
Mind the Sustainability Gap. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 22, 621-624.

Chopra, P. & Kanji, G. (2011). Environmental health: Assessing risks to society. Total Quality
Management, 22, 461-489.

Vansteenkiste, M., Soenens, B., Timmermans, T., Lens, W., & Van de Broeck, A. (2008). Does Extrinsic
Goal Framing Enhance Extrinsic Goal-Oriebted Individuals’ Learning and Performance? An Experimental
test of the Match Perspective Verses Self-Determination Theory. Journal of Educational Psychology, 100,
387-397.