Unit 4 Text A Overview Environment The Green Movement at 50:What Next? Tony Juniper To t this extent it is hard to change economic ideas without also changing the popular culture that shapes those very same economic assumptions.This is not easy.Consumerism is for many of us an attractive cultural space to inhabit.It plays to our default settings, and to our innate tendencies to promote status,self- expression and short-term comfort. 11.Shifting popular culture will require more than simply telling people they are wrong to want consumer goods. That hasn't worked so far,and it probably won't work in future either.A different and more sophisticated approach is required,perhaps led by fashion gurus and other non-environmental opinion-formers
Text A Overview The Green Movement at 50：What Next? Tony Juniper To this extent it is hard to change economic ideas without also changing the popular culture that shapes those very same economic assumptions. This is not easy. Consumerism is for many of us an attractive cultural space to inhabit. It plays to our default settings, and to our innate tendencies to promote status, selfexpression and short-term comfort. 11. Shifting popular culture will require more than simply telling people they are wrong to want consumer goods. That hasn’t worked so far, and it probably won’t work in future either. A different and more sophisticated approach is required, perhaps led by fashion gurus and other non-environmental opinion-formers. Unit 4 Environment
Unit 4 Text A Overview Environment The Green Movement at 50:What Next? Tony Juniper 12.Unfortunately there is more.No matter how compelling the narrative,in my opinion neither economics nor culture will change until there is a different philosophical context shaping our collective worldview. 13.In most countries today there is a worldview that sees technology,and not nature,as our preferred partner in the task of improving people's lives.For most of us nature is irrelevant.Worse still the natural environment is sometimes presented as a drag on development,and inconvenient deadweight that slows down the long journey of human progress
Text A Overview The Green Movement at 50：What Next? Tony Juniper 12. Unfortunately there is more. No matter how compelling the narrative, in my opinion neither economics nor culture will change until there is a different philosophical context shaping our collective worldview. 13. In most countries today there is a worldview that sees technology, and not nature, as our preferred partner in the task of improving people’s lives. For most of us nature is irrelevant. Worse still the natural environment is sometimes presented as a drag on development, and inconvenient deadweight that slows down the long journey of human progress. Unit 4 Environment
Unit 4 Text A Overview Environment The Green Movement at 50:What Next? Tony Juniper So long as this worldview remains even partly intact, then culture change and reforms to align economic ideas with ecological capacities are,I fear,almost impossible to achieve. 14.Altering societies'worldviews is a massive job,but it is not impossible.The way we look at the world is not a given,it is shaped,and it can be moved in more ecological directions,as well as self-destructive ones. Countries could introduce natural history studies as part of their national educational program
Text A Overview The Green Movement at 50：What Next? Tony Juniper So long as this worldview remains even partly intact, then culture change and reforms to align economic ideas with ecological capacities are, I fear, almost impossible to achieve. 14. Altering societies’ worldviews is a massive job, but it is not impossible. The way we look at the world is not a given, it is shaped, and it can be moved in more ecological directions, as well as self-destructive ones. Countries could introduce natural history studies as part of their national educational program. Unit 4 Environment
Unit 4 Text A Overview Environment The Green Movement at 50:What Next? Tony Juniper Nature could be designed into the heart of cities,to bring trees,birds,running water and green areas into the daily lives of urban dwellers.By rebuilding the connections that have for many of us been lost,it would be possible to restore the meaning that enabled many pre-industrial societies to live in nature,not outside it. 15.It is also vital to change the cast of actors.The private sector companies who touch billions of people every day must be at the heart of the solutions we adopt. And to help with that process business schools need to get on top of these issues.So must mainstream economists, psychologists,educationalists and engineers
Text A Overview The Green Movement at 50：What Next? Tony Juniper Nature could be designed into the heart of cities, to bring trees, birds, running water and green areas into the daily lives of urban dwellers. By rebuilding the connections that have for many of us been lost, it would be possible to restore the meaning that enabled many pre- industrial societies to live in nature, not outside it. 15. It is also vital to change the cast of actors. The private sector companies who touch billions of people every day must be at the heart of the solutions we adopt. And to help with that process business schools need to get on top of these issues. So must mainstream economists, psychologists, educationalists and engineers. Unit 4 Environment
Unit 4 Text A Overview Environment The Green Movement at 50:What Next? Tony Juniper 16.All this needs to be presented as a positive agenda that is about gain.It needs to be an inclusive process that encourages everyone with a contribution to make to be part of the solution.It needs to be a program that is not about whether we go back to nature,or pursue progress based on ever more technology and growth,it is a question of painting a compelling picture of a bright human future founded on an ecological economy,and in turn a different relationship with the natural systems that sustain us and everything else
Text A Overview The Green Movement at 50：What Next? Tony Juniper 16. All this needs to be presented as a positive agenda that is about gain. It needs to be an inclusive process that encourages everyone with a contribution to make to be part of the solution. It needs to be a program that is not about whether we go back to nature, or pursue progress based on ever more technology and growth, it is a question of painting a compelling picture of a bright human future founded on an ecological economy, and in turn a different relationship with the natural systems that sustain us and everything else. Unit 4 Environment