Workshop: Fostering Sustainable Behavior
Getting People to Do the Right Thing
On October 27, 2003, 150 environmental
program managers gathered at the Hilton Hawaiian Village to
learn
more about human behavior from Dr. Doug McKenzie-Mohr, author
of "Fostering Sustainable Behavior" -- how to get more
people to do more of the right things to protect our
environment.
If you missed the workshop and would like to learn about Dr.
McKenzie-Mohr's new approach in community-based social marketing,
the video of the workshop is available for showing (call or email
us for more information). You can also link to his website, access
resources online, download or purchase his books.
McKenzie-Mohr Associates
(506) 455-5061
www.cbsm.com
Technology
is important for building capacity toward sustainability, and
then we've got to get people, the human factor, to move in the
right direction.
People want to do the right thing. But many times they don't.
Communities across the country are launching initiatives to promote
sustainability, including programs to increase energy efficiency,
reduce waste, conserve water, alter transportation patterns and
manage natural resources wisely. Most of our citizens agree that
to build a sustainable island community we need to address these
issues.
And most of our residents want to do the right thing to preserve
Oahu's incomparable environment. Sure, a few will purposefully
degrade our 'aina for their own gain or convenience, such as a
business which illegally dumps waste materials. For those, we
need to levy the full extent of our laws and powers. But for the
average citizen, it is often the daily pressures and demands of
life that can make it easier said than done to do the right thing
for the environment.
That's why social marketing can help us to learn ways to remove
the barriers that prevent people from engaging in sustainable
behaviors, and to learn how to employ tools that will help to
foster behavior change. Social scientists, such as Dr. McKenzie-Mohr,
are helping to identify these barriers to environmentally sound
behavior and to address the underlying shift in values, which
is essential to the success of sustainability. With such tools,
we begin to empower our communities.
You may be one of the leaders of that empowerment. Please take
time to look further into this work in behavior change. It may
provide new ideas that will strengthen your effort-and raise your
hopes-that together we can Do The Right Thing, and realize our
goals of a sustainable island community.
Summary:
Most people know that to protect the environment, we should recycle,
use less water, minimize the fuel we consume and conserve in general
to reduce our ecological footprint. But the actions people take
are not consistent with what they know is the right thing to do.
Dr. McKenzie-Mohr's offers a new approach-community-based social
marketing for delivering programs to change people's behavior
as it affects our environment. More
on workshop content
Expert: Dr. Doug McKenzie-Mohr is an environmental
psychologist working to incorporate scientific knowledge of behavior
change into the design of community programs. His book, Fostering
Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-Based Social
Marketing, is the basis for the workshops. He is a professor,
author and international expert and lecturer in engaging communities
in effective environmental programs. More
about Doug McKenzie-Mohr