4 Finding the Long-Lost Path: Developing …
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manner, in order to help reduce or prevent damage caused to the environment, because
more often than not, the major polluters are certain corporations that hold enough
power to ignore individual criticisms. The mass media can also be a very important
influence in making this process happen. In fact, it has played an important role in
promoting awareness among the masses, in helping to organise, conduct and call
for environmental action. Through promotion of the campaigns, showing models
behaving in a pro-environmental and sustainable manner and adopting eco-friendlier
ways of functioning, the media can motivate individuals to also engage in such
behaviours.
Another means of creating the motivation for change would be to provide clear
behavioural norms—which would have to be done at the larger global or national
level. Some countries have already moved in this direction, such as The United
States, and many other countries that signed the Montreal Protocol, phasing out the
production of CFCs; banning open fire in Los Angeles County as a means to reduce
smog and other stringent smog checks in America. These are some of the examples for
laws, rules, policies and norms that can be implemented in order to create motivation
among people to adopt more environmentally appropriate behaviours.
Another way to unite the people towards larger change would be to make them
aware of the achievement of sustainable lifestyle as a superordinate goal that can be
shared among all nations and people [61]. The common enemy would be the enemy
of an uninhabitable Earth. This would definitely bring people together and make them
realise the urgency of the matter. Again, the pandemic has been successful to a degree
in achieving such a state. It has shown people what the world could look like without
their interruption, and if such short-term effects can create the sense of urgency
among the masses to come together to save their planet, a long-term, consistent and
dedicated effort could definitely do wonders. Therefore, now is the perfect time for
the environmental activists and governmental agencies to come together and work
towards educating and making the public aware of the concerns for the environment,
creating and fostering motivation among them, while at the same time providing
avenues to move towards the required change. These stakeholders would also have
to keep in mind certain obstacles that could come in the way of achieving such goals.
4.4.4 Blocks to Sustainable Action
There have been several warnings over the course of years, or rather decades, about
the irretrievable environmental degradation and mutilation that the humans, or particularly the Homo economicus have taken upon. Although he has reached the top of
the food chain in much a god-like manner, he has contradictorily ceased to behave in
that fashion [49]. Similarly, despite several environmental activists and organisations
cautioning the world leaders, there haven’t been many stringent actions being taken to
protect the environmental resources. In fact, some countries still seem to pay no heed
to such warnings, thus continuing to walk the glorified path to environmental destruction. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA), a comprehensive assessment
105
manner, in order to help reduce or prevent damage caused to the environment, because
more often than not, the major polluters are certain corporations that hold enough
power to ignore individual criticisms. The mass media can also be a very important
influence in making this process happen. In fact, it has played an important role in
promoting awareness among the masses, in helping to organise, conduct and call
for environmental action. Through promotion of the campaigns, showing models
behaving in a pro-environmental and sustainable manner and adopting eco-friendlier
ways of functioning, the media can motivate individuals to also engage in such
behaviours.
Another means of creating the motivation for change would be to provide clear
behavioural norms—which would have to be done at the larger global or national
level. Some countries have already moved in this direction, such as The United
States, and many other countries that signed the Montreal Protocol, phasing out the
production of CFCs; banning open fire in Los Angeles County as a means to reduce
smog and other stringent smog checks in America. These are some of the examples for
laws, rules, policies and norms that can be implemented in order to create motivation
among people to adopt more environmentally appropriate behaviours.
Another way to unite the people towards larger change would be to make them
aware of the achievement of sustainable lifestyle as a superordinate goal that can be
shared among all nations and people [61]. The common enemy would be the enemy
of an uninhabitable Earth. This would definitely bring people together and make them
realise the urgency of the matter. Again, the pandemic has been successful to a degree
in achieving such a state. It has shown people what the world could look like without
their interruption, and if such short-term effects can create the sense of urgency
among the masses to come together to save their planet, a long-term, consistent and
dedicated effort could definitely do wonders. Therefore, now is the perfect time for
the environmental activists and governmental agencies to come together and work
towards educating and making the public aware of the concerns for the environment,
creating and fostering motivation among them, while at the same time providing
avenues to move towards the required change. These stakeholders would also have
to keep in mind certain obstacles that could come in the way of achieving such goals.
4.4.4 Blocks to Sustainable Action
There have been several warnings over the course of years, or rather decades, about
the irretrievable environmental degradation and mutilation that the humans, or particularly the Homo economicus have taken upon. Although he has reached the top of
the food chain in much a god-like manner, he has contradictorily ceased to behave in
that fashion [49]. Similarly, despite several environmental activists and organisations
cautioning the world leaders, there haven’t been many stringent actions being taken to
protect the environmental resources. In fact, some countries still seem to pay no heed
to such warnings, thus continuing to walk the glorified path to environmental destruction. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA), a comprehensive assessment