Social Psychology – the crux of Environmental Science

Inviting changes in behavior the most difficult part of Environmental Science?

If everyone knows following the precepts of environmental science will slow down – if not stop – the huge damage the modern industry has wrought on the planet, why don’t we do it? Is it the large capital expense prescribed in the remedies suggested by the environmental science community? Is it some weird cabal of oil, auto, and energy executives lurking like vampires in mahogany-ensconced boardrooms? Is it sheer apathy and anti-intellectual disbelief in all that environmental science has to offer? No, the thing stopping people from taking heed of environmental science is none of those things, really.

Its collective ego that stops us from listening to the dire predictions environmental science points to.

When all is said and done, we know the message behind environmental science is right. The seas are rising. The trash is piling. It really is getting ghastly hot. The only problem is we don’t care. And that is the sign of a giant ego that flies in the face of common sense, decency and even the very laws of nature. Essentially we want to tell all the reams of data that environmental science has given us for decades to stick it. We don’t want to lose comfort or status.

And this is the biggest obstacle facing the acceptance of environmental science throughout the Western world. It’s the confluence of sacrifices both financially and culturally that would need to be made for environmental science to get its due. From rising prices, more crowded urban centers, lack of expansion in employment – all costs of implementing sound environmental strategies typically –is not how we’ve progressed for over 100 years.

Thankfully that ego is slowly starting to be quenched. And it’s the same environmental science community that prescribed a dreaded devolvement of the industrial world that will lead the way. Fetish objects such as the Tesla Roadster are a start. Anything green technology goes 0-60 in less than 5 seconds is something to support. Even if it is an overgrown R/C car, it still looks sweet. Thank you environmental science.

Add that to the growing list of must-have household items, ranging from white photovoltaic roofs to passive furnaces to solar water heaters. Put those fine-crafted pieces of environmental science together and you have the most enlightened suite of luxury goods since Hermes designed a leather lampshade.

Basically, in order to serve the world, environmental science needs to serve the Western ego. No discomfort or even gentle mocking will be tolerated.