2010 STATE OF THE WORLD Tran sforming Cultures

From Consumerism to Sustainability

THE WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE 2 0 1 0 STATE OF THE WORLD Transforming Cultures HOLD FOR RELEASE Tuesday,From Consumerism January 12, 2010 to Sustainability 12:00 PM EST, 1700 GMT 2010 STATE OF THE WORLD Transforming Cultures From Consumerism to Sustainability

A Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society

Erik Assadourian, Project Director

Mona Amodeo Joshua Farley Pamela Miller Robin Andersen Susan Finkelpearl Kevin Morgan Ray Anderson Kate Ganly Peter Newman Cecile Andrews Gary Gardner David W. Orr Judi Aubel Amy Han Michael Renner Albert Bates Jim Hartzfeld Jonah Sachs Walter Bortz Toby Hemenway Ingrid Samuelsson Robert Costanza Yoshie Kaga Juliet Schor Cormac Cullinan Ida Kubiszewski Michael H. Shuman Jonathan Dawson Susan Linn Roberta Sonnino John de Graaf Johanna Mair Wanda Urbanska Robert Engelman Michael Maniates

Linda Starke and Lisa Mastny, Editors

W . W . N O R T O N & C O M P A N Y N E W Y O R K L O N D O N Contents

Acknowledgments ...... vii Foreword ...... xv Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank, and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Preface ...... xvii Christopher Flavin, President, Worldwatch Institute

State of the World: A Year in Review ...... xxi Lisa Mastny with Valentina Agostinelli

THE RISE AND FALL OF CONSUMER CULTURES ...... 3 Erik Assadourian

TRADITIONS OLD AND NEW ...... 21 Engaging Religions to Shape Worldviews ...... 23 Gary Gardner

Ritual and Taboo as Ecological Guardians ...... 30 Gary Gardner

Environmentally Sustainable Childbearing ...... 36 Robert Engelman

Elders: A Cultural Resource for Promoting Sustainable Development ...... 41 Judi Aubel

From Agriculture to Permaculture ...... 47 Albert Bates and Toby Hemenway

EDUCATION’S NEW ASSIGNMENT: SUSTAINABILITY ...... 55 Early Childhood Education to Transform Cultures for Sustainability ...... 57 Ingrid Pramling Samuelsson and Yoshie Kaga

Commercialism in Children’s Lives ...... 62 Susan Linn

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Rethinking School Food: The Power of the Public Plate ...... 69 Kevin Morgan and Roberta Sonnino

What Is Higher Education for Now? ...... 75 David W. Orr

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY: MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES ...... 83 Adapting Institutions for Life in a Full World ...... 85 Robert Costanza, Joshua Farley, and Ida Kubiszewski

Sustainable Work Schedules for All ...... 91 Juliet Schor

Changing Business Cultures from Within ...... 96 Ray Anderson, Mona Amodeo, and Jim Hartzfeld

Social Entrepreneurs: Innovating Toward Sustainability ...... 103 Johanna Mair and Kate Ganly

Relocalizing Business ...... 110 Michael H. Shuman

GOVERNMENT’S ROLE IN DESIGN ...... 117 Editing Out Unsustainable Behavior ...... 119 Michael Maniates

Broadening the Understanding of Security ...... 127 Michael Renner

Building the Cities of the Future ...... 133 Peter Newman

Reinventing Health Care: From Panacea to Hygeia ...... 138 Walter Bortz

Earth Jurisprudence: From Colonization to Participation ...... 143 Cormac Cullinan

MEDIA: BROADCASTING SUSTAINABILITY ...... 149 From Selling Soap to Selling Sustainability: Social Marketing ...... 151 Jonah Sachs and Susan Finkelpearl

Media Literacy, Citizenship, and Sustainability ...... 157 Robin Andersen and Pamela Miller

Music: Using Education and Entertainment to Motivate Change ...... 164 Amy Han

xii WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Contents

THE POWER OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS ...... 171 Reducing Work Time as a Path to Sustainability ...... 173 John de Graaf

Inspiring People to See That Less Is More ...... 178 Cecile Andrews and Wanda Urbanska

Ecovillages and the Transformation of Values ...... 185 Jonathan Dawson

Notes ...... 191 Index ...... 231

BOXES 1. Do High Consumption Levels Improve Human Well-being? by Erik Assadourian . . . 9 2. The Essential Role of Cultural Pioneers, by Erik Assadourian ...... 19 3. A Global Ecological Ethic, by Patrick Curry ...... 28 4. Deepening Perceptions of Time, by Alexander Rose ...... 34 5. Dietary Norms That Heal People and the Planet, by Erik Assadourian and Eddie Kasner ...... 49 6. Sustainability and the Human-Nature Relationship, by Almut Beringer ...... 58 7. Toy Libraries, by Lucie Ozanne and Julie Ozanne ...... 66 8. Transformation of the California Academy of Sciences, by Gregory C. Farrington . . 68 9. Unresolved Questions in Environmental Education, by David C. Orr ...... 77 10. Maximizing the Value of Professional Schools, by Erik Assadourian ...... 78 11. A New Focus for Scientists: How Cultures Change, by Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich ...... 81 12. The Folly of Infinite Growth on a Finite Planet, by Øystein Dahle ...... 87 13. Upgrading the Corporate Charter, by Kevin Green and Erik Assadourian . . . . . 102 14. Cradle to Cradle: Adapting Production to Nature’s Model, by William McDonough and Michael Braungart ...... 106 15. A Carbon Index for the Financial Market, by Eduardo Athayde ...... 108 16. The U.N. Marrakech Process on Sustainable Consumption and Production, by Stefanie Bowles ...... 120

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17. Making Social Welfare Programs Sustainable, by Kevin Green and Erik Assadourian ...... 141 18. Principles of Earth Jurisprudence, by Cormac Cullinan ...... 144 19. The Evolving Role of Environmental Journalism in India, by Raj Chengappa . . . 162 20. Lights, Camera, Ecological Consciousness, by Yann Arthus-Bertrand ...... 165 21. Art for Earth’s Sake, by Satish Kumar ...... 166 22. Growing a Degrowth Movement, by Serge Latouche ...... 181 23. The Slow Food Movement, by Helene Gallis ...... 182

TABLES 1. Sustainable World Population at Different Consumption Levels ...... 6 2. How Industries Have Shifted Cultural Norms ...... 14 3. Media Access by Global Income Group, 2006 ...... 15 4. Reference Works on Religion and Nature ...... 24 5. Selected Religious Perspectives on Consumption ...... 26 6. Economic Precepts of Selected Religious and Spiritual Traditions ...... 29 7. Childhood Marketing Efforts from Around the World ...... 64 8. Examples and Features of Choice Editing ...... 122 9. Health Care Performance, Selected Countries, 2006 ...... 139 10. Selected Successful Product and Social Marketing Campaigns ...... 153 11. Efforts to Promote Media Literacy, Selected Countries ...... 160

FIGURES 1. Humanity’s Ecological Footprint, 1961–2005 ...... 5 2. Aspirations of First-Year College Students in the United States, 1971 –2008 . . . 10 3. U.S. Gross Domestic Product versus Genuine Progress Indicator, 1950–2004 . . . 88 4. Annual Hours of Work in Selected Countries, 2007 ...... 92 5. Culture Change Model ...... 98

xiv WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG Foreword

Muhammad Yunus Founder, Grameen Bank, and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

I am pleased that the Worldwatch Institute has conventional banks are not people-worthy. chosen to tackle the difficult issue of cultural So we set out to create a different kind of change in State of the World 2010 . Over the bank, one geared to serve the poor. Conven - past three decades, at the heart of my work tional banks are built around the principle that with microfinance, I had to challenge the “the more you have, the more you can get.” centuries-old belief that poor, illiterate women We reversed that principle to the less you have, cannot be agents of their own prosperity. the higher your priority for receiving a loan. Microfinance rejects this fundamental cul - Thus began a new culture of finance and tural misconception. poverty alleviation, in which the poorest are Culturally rooted fallacies are difficult to served first and a fistful of capital could turn slay. My early requests to established bankers abject poverty into a livelihood. to lend to poor women were met with clear After years of careful cultivation, these ideals and strong objections. “Poor people are not became Grameen Bank, which today lends a bankable. They’re not creditworthy,” a local billion dollars annually to 8 million borrowers. banker insisted, adding for good measure, Our average loan is $360, and 99 percent of “You can say goodbye to your money.” The funds are paid back on time. Programs now initial experiment was highly encouragin g— include lending to beggars, micro-savings our borrowers turned out to be excellent cus - accounts, and micro-insurance policies. And we tomers who repaid their debts on time. The are proud to note that microcredit has conventional bankers were unimpressed, call - expanded worldwide. ing the results a fluke. When we were suc - A financial industry for impoverished peo - cessful in multiple villages, they shrugged ple, mostly women. That is a cultural change. their shoulders. Now I know that cultural assumptions, I realized that their cultural presumptions even well-established ones, can be overturned, about the poor would not budge easily, no which is why I am excited about State of the matter how many successes we earned. Their World 2010 . It calls for one of the greatest cul - minds were made u p—Poor people are not cred - tural shifts imaginable: from cultures of con - itworthy! My job, I realized, was to sow the sumerism to cultures of sustainability. The seeds of a new financial culture by turning book goes well beyond standard prescrip - this false notion on its head: the truth is not tions for clean technologies and enlightened that the poor are not creditworthy, but that policies. It advocates rethinking the founda -

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES xv Foreword STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 tions of modern consumeris m— the practices nized. Readers may not agree with every idea and values regarded as “natural,” which para - presented here. But it is hard not to be doxically undermine nature and jeopardize impressed with the book’s boldness: its initial human prosperity. assumption is that wholesale cultural transfor - Worldwatch has taken on an ambitious mation is possible. I believe this is possible agenda in this volume. No generation in his - after having lived through the cultural trans - tory has achieved a cultural transformation as formation of women in Bangladesh. Culture, sweeping as the one called for here. The book’s after all, is for making it easy for people to many articles demonstrate that such a shift is unleash their potential, not for standing there possible by reexamining core assumptions of as a wall to stop them from moving forward. modern life, from how businesses are run and Culture that does not let people grow is a what is taught in classrooms to how weddings dead culture. Dead culture should be in the are celebrated and the way cities are orga - museum, not in human society.

xvi WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG Preface

Christopher Flavin President, Worldwatch Institute

The past five years have witnessed an unprece - Strikingly, anthropologists report that many dented mobilization of efforts to combat the traditional cultures have at their core respect world’s accelerating ecological crisis. Since for and protection of the natural systems that 2005, thousands of new government policies support human societies. Unfortunately, many have been enacted, hundreds of billions of of these cultures have already been lost, along dollars have been invested in green businesses with the languages and skills they nurtured, and infrastructure, scientists and engineers pushed aside by a global consumer culture have greatly accelerated development of a new that first took hold in Europe and North generation of “green” technologies, and the America and is now pressing to the far corners mass media have turned environmental prob - of the world. This new cultural orientation is lems into a mainstream concern. not only seductive but powerful. Economists Amid this flurry of activity, one dimension believe that it has played a big role in spurring of our environmental dilemma remains largely economic growth and reducing poverty in neglected: its cultural roots. As consumerism recent decades. has taken root in culture upon culture over the Even if these arguments are accepted, there past half-century, it has become a powerful can be no doubt that consumer cultures are driver of the inexorable increase in demand for behind what Gus Speth has called the “Great resources and production of waste that marks Collision” between a finite planet and the our age. Of course, environmental impacts on seemingly infinite demands of human society. this scale would not be possible without an More than 6.8 billion human beings are now unprecedented population explosion, rising demanding ever greater quantities of mater - affluence, and breakthroughs in science and ial resources, decimating the world’s richest technology. But consumer cultures support— ecosystems, and dumping billions of tons of and exaggerate—the other forces that have heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere each allowed human societies to outgrow their envi - year. Despite a 30-percent increase in resource ronmental support systems. efficiency, global resource use has expanded Human cultures are numerous and 50 percent over the past three decades. And diverse—and in many cases have deep and those numbers could continue to soar for ancient roots. They allow people to make sense decades to come as more than 5 billion peo - of their lives and to manage their relation - ple who currently consume one tenth as many ships with other people and the natural world. resources per person as the average Euro -

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES xvii Preface STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 pean try to follow the trail blazed by the sance of cultures of sustainability is already world’s affluent. well under way. State of the World has touched on the cul - To ensure that this renaissance succeeds, tural dimensions of sustainability in the past— we will need to make living sustainably as nat - particularly in State of the World 2004 , which ural tomorrow as consumerism is today. This focused on consumption. But these discus - volume shows that this is beginning to happen. sions have been brief and superficial. Early last In Italy, school menus are being reformulated, year, my colleague Erik Assadourian convinced using healthy, local, and environmentally sound me that the elephant in the room could no foods, transforming children’s dietary norms longer be ignored. At Worldwatch, no good in the process. In suburbs like Vauban, Ger - idea goes unpunished, and Erik became the many, bike paths, wind turbines, and farmers’ Project Director for this year’s book. markets are not only making it easy to live While shifting a culture—particularly one sustainably, they are making it hard not to. At that is global in scope—sounds daunting if the Interface Corporation in the United States, not impossible, the chapters that follow will CEO Ray Anderson radicalized a business cul - convince you otherwise. They contain scores ture by setting the goal of taking nothing from of examples of cultural pioneers—from busi - Earth that cannot be replaced by Earth. And ness leaders and government officials to ele - in Ecuador, rights for the planet have even mentary school teachers and Buddhist monks. entered into the Constitution—providing a These pioneers are convincing their customers, strong impetus to safeguard the country’s eco - constituents, and peers of the advantages of cul - logical systems and ensure the long-term flour - tures based on nurturing the natural world ishing of its people. and ensuring that future generations live as well While sustainability pioneers are still few in or better than the current one. number, their voices are growing louder, and Religious values can be revitalized, busi - at a moment of profound economic and eco - ness models can be transformed, and educa - logical crisis, they are being heard. As the tional paradigms can be elevated. Even world struggles to recover from the most seri - advertisers, lawyers, and musicians can make ous global economic crisis since the Great cultural shifts that allow them to contribute to Depression, we have an unprecedented oppor - sustainability rather than undermine it. tunity to turn away from consumerism. While the destructive power of modern Forced deprivation is causing many to cultures is a reality that many government and rethink the benefits of ever-greater levels of business decisionmakers continue to willfully consumption—and its accompanying debt, ignore, it is keenly felt by a new generation stress, and chronic health problems. In early of environmentalists who are growing up in 2009, Time Magazine proclaimed the “end an era of global limits. Young people are of excess” and called for Americans to push the always a potent cultural force—and often a “reset” button on their cultural values. In fact, leading indicator of where the culture is many people are already questioning the cow - headed. From modern Chinese who draw boy culture, buying smaller cars, moving into on the ancient philosophy of Taoism to Indi - less grandiose homes, and questioning the ans who cite the work of Mahatma Gandhi, suburban sprawl that has characterized the from Americans who follow the teachings of postwar era. And in poor countries around the new Green Bible to Europeans who draw the globe, the disadvantages of the “American on the scientific principles of ecology, State model” are being discussed openly. In Blessed of the World 20 10 documents that the renais - Unrest , Paul Hawken has documented the

xviii WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Preface recent rise of a plethora of diverse non - as most people assume. Our cultures are in fact governmental movements that are working to already sowing the seeds of their own destruc - redefine human beings’ relationships to the tion. In the end, the human instinct for survival planet and each other. must triumph over the urge to consume at While consumerism remains powerful and any cost. entrenched, it cannot possibly prove as durable

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES xix The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures

Erik Assadourian

In the 2009 documentary The Age of Stupid , asking people who live in consumer cultures to a fictional historian who is possibly the last curb consumption is akin to asking them to man on Earth looks at archival film footage stop breathing—they can do it for a moment, from 2008 and contemplates the last years in but then, gasping, they will inhale again. Dri - which humanity could have saved itself from ving cars, flying in planes, having large homes, global ecological collapse. As he reflects on the using air conditioning…these are not deca - lives of several individuals—an Indian busi - dent choices but simply natural parts of life— nessman building a new low-cost airline, a at least according to the cultural norms present British community group concerned about in a growing number of consumer cultures in climate change but fighting a new wind turbine the world. Yet while they seem natural to peo - development in the area, a Nigerian student ple who are part of those cultural realities, striving to live the American dream, and an these patterns are neither sustainable nor innate American oilman who sees no contradiction manifestations of human nature. They have between his work and his love of the out - developed over several centuries and today are doors—the historian wonders, “Why didn’t actively being reinforced and spread to millions we save ourselves when we had the chance?” of people in developing countries. Were we just being stupid? Or was it that “on Preventing the collapse of human civiliza - some level we weren’t sure that we were worth tion requires nothing less than a wholesale saving?” The answer has little to do with transformation of dominant cultural patterns. humans being stupid or self-destructive but This transformation would reject con - everything to do with culture. 1 sumerism—the cultural orientation that leads Human beings are embedded in cultural people to find meaning, contentment, and systems, are shaped and constrained by their acceptance through what they consume—as cultures, and for the most part act only within taboo and establish in its place a new cultural the cultural realities of their lives. The cul - framework centered on sustainability. In the tural norms, symbols, values, and traditions a process, a revamped understanding of “nat - person grows up with become “natural.” Thus, ural” would emerge: it would mean individual

Erik Assadourian is a Senior Researcher at the Worldwatch Institute and Project Director of State of the World 2010 .

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 3 The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 and societal choices that cause minimal eco - As consumption has risen, more fossil fuels, logical damage or, better yet, that restore minerals, and metals have been mined from the Earth’s ecological systems to health. Such a earth, more trees have been cut down, and shift—something more fundamental than the more land has been plowed to grow food adoption of new technologies or government (often to feed livestock as people at higher policies, which are often regarded as the key income levels started to eat more meat). drivers of a shift to sustainable societies— Between 1950 and 2005, for example, metals would radically reshape the way people under - production grew sixfold, oil consumption stand and act in the world. eightfold, and natural gas consumption 14- Transforming cultures is of course no small fold. In total, 60 billion tons of resources are task. It will require decades of effort in which now extracted annually—about 50 percent cultural pioneers—those who can step out of more than just 30 years ago. Today, the aver - their cultural realities enough to critically exam - age European uses 43 kilograms of resources ine them—work tirelessly to redirect key cul - daily, and the average American uses 88 kilo - ture-shaping institutions: education, business, grams. All in all, the world extracts the equiv - government, and the media, as well as social alent of 112 Empire State Buildings from the movements and long-standing human tradi - earth every single day. 4 tions. Harnessing these drivers of cultural The exploitation of these resources to main - change will be critical if humanity is to survive tain ever higher levels of consumption has put and thrive for centuries and millennia to come increasing pressure on Earth’s systems and in and prove that we are, indeed, “worth saving.” the process has dramatically disrupted the eco - logical systems on which humanity and count - The Unsustainability of Current less other species depend. Consumption Patterns The Ecological Footprint Indicator, which compares humanity’s ecological impact with In 2006, people around the world spent $30.5 the amount of productive land and sea area trillion on goods and services (in 2008 dollars). available to supply key ecosystem services, These expenditures included basic necessities shows that humanity now uses the resources like food and shelter, but as discretionary and services of 1.3 Earths. (See Figure 1.) In incomes rose, people spent more on consumer other words, people are using about a third goods—from richer foods and larger homes to more of Earth’s capacity than is available, televisions, cars, computers, and air travel. In undermining the resilience of the very ecosys - 2008 alone, people around the world pur - tems on which humanity depends. 5 chased 68 million vehicles, 85 million refrig - In 2005 the Millennium Ecosystem Assess - erators, 297 million computers, and 1.2 billion ment (MA), a comprehensive review of scien - mobile (cell) phones. 2 tific research that involved 1,360 experts from Consumption has grown dramatically over 95 countries, reinforced these findings. It found the past five decades, up 28 percent from the that some 60 percent of ecosystem services— $23.9 trillion spent in 1996 and up sixfold climate regulation, the provision of fresh water, from the $4.9 trillion spent in 1960 (in 2008 waste treatment, food from fisheries, and many dollars). Some of this increase comes from the other services—were being degraded or used growth in population, but human numbers unsustainably. The findings were so unsettling only grew by a factor of 2.2 between 1960 and that the MA Board warned that “human activ - 2006. Thus consumption expenditures per ity is putting such strain on the natural functions person still almost tripled. 3 of Earth that the ability of the planet’s ecosys -

4 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures tems to sustain future genera - Figure 1. Humanity’s Ecological Footprint, 1961–2005 tions can no longer be taken for 6 granted.” 2.0 The shifts in one particular Source : Global Footprint Network ecosystem service—climate reg - ulation—are especially disturb - s 1.5 h ing. After remaining at stable t r

a Ecological levels for the past 1,000 years at E t Footprint e

about 280 parts per million, n

a World’s Biocapacity l atmospheric concentrations of P 1.0 f o carbon dioxide (CO 2) are now r e at 385 parts per million, driven b m by a growing human popula - u

N 0.5 tion consuming ever more fos - sil fuels, eating more meat, and converting more land to agri - 0 culture and urban areas. The 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Intergovernmental Panel on Cli - mate Change found that climate change due to human activities is causing major potentially submerge entire island nations. The disruptions in Earth’s systems. If greenhouse one sixth of the world who depend on glacier- gas emissions are not curbed, disastrous changes or snowmelt-fed rivers for water would face will occur in the next century. 7 extreme water scarcity. Vast swaths of the Ama - A May 2009 study that used the Integrated zon forest would become savanna, coral reefs Global Systems Model of the Massachusetts would die, and many of the world’s most vul - Institute of Technology found that unless sig - nerable fisheries would collapse. All of this nificant action is taken soon, median temper - would translate into major political and social ature increases would be 5.1 degrees Celsius by disruptions—with environmental refugees pro - 2100, more than twice as much as the model jected to reach up to 1 billion by 2050. 9 had projected in 2003. A September 2009 And climate change is just one of the many study reinforced that finding, stating that busi - symptoms of excessive consumption levels. ness as usual would lead to a 4.5 degree Cel - Air pollution, the average loss of 7 million sius increase by 2100, and that even if all hectares of forests per year, soil erosion, the countries stuck to their most ambitious pro - annual production of over 100 million tons of posals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, hazardous waste, abusive labor practices dri - temperatures would still go up by 3.5 degrees ven by the desire to produce more and cheaper Celsius. In other words, policy alone will not consumer goods, obesity, increasing time be enough. A dramatic shift in the very design stress—the list could go on and on. All these of human societies will be essential. 8 problems are often treated separately, even as These projected levels of temperature many of their roots trace back to current con - change mean the odds would be great that sumption patterns. 10 ocean levels would increase by two or more In addition to being excessive overall, mod - meters due to the partial melting of Greenland ern consumption levels are highly skewed, or Western Antarctica ice sheets, which in turn leading to disproportionate responsibility for would cause massive coastal flooding and modern environmental ills among the rich.

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 5 The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures STATE OF THE WORLD 2010

According to a study by Princeton ecologist Indeed, if everyone lived like Americans, Earth Stephen Pacala, the world’s richest 500 mil - could sustain only 1.4 billion people. At slightly lion people (roughly 7 percent of the world’s lower consumption levels, though still high, the population) are currently responsible for 50 planet could support 2.1 billion people. But percent of the world’s carbon dioxide emis - even at middle-income levels—the equivalent sions, while the poorest 3 billion are respon - of what people in Jordan and Thailand earn on sible for just 6 percent. These numbers should average today—Earth can sustain fewer people not be surprising, for it is the rich who have than are alive today. (See Table 1.) These num - the largest homes, drive cars, jet around the bers convey a reality that few want to confront: world, use large amounts of electricity, eat in today’s world of 6.8 billion, modern con - more meat and processed foods, and buy sumption patterns—even at relatively basic more stuff—all of which has significant eco - levels—are not sustainable. 12 logical impact. Granted, higher incomes do A 2009 analysis of consumption patterns not always equate with increased consump - across socioeconomic classes in India made tion, but where consumerism is the cultural this particularly clear. Consumer goods are norm, the odds of consuming more go up broadly accessible in India today. Even at when people have more money, even for eco - annual income levels of about $2,500 per per - logically conscious consumers. 11 son in purchasing power parity (PPP), many In 2006, the 65 high-income countries households have access to basic lighting and a where consumerism is most dominant fan. As incomes reach about $5,000 per year accounted for 78 percent of consumption PPP, access to television becomes standard expenditures but just 16 percent of world pop - and access to hot water heaters grows. By ulation. People in the United States alone $8,000 a year PPP, most people have an array spent $9.7 trillion on consumption that year— of consumer goods, from washing machines about $32,400 per person—accounting for and DVD players to kitchen appliances and 32 percent of global expenditures with only 5 computers. As incomes rise further, air condi - percent of global population. It is these coun - tioning and air travel become common. 13 tries that most urgently need to redirect their Not surprisingly, the richest 1 percent of consumption patterns, as the planet cannot Indians (10 million people), who earn more handle such high levels of consumption. than $24,500 PPP a year, are now each respon -

Table 1. Sustainable World Population at Different Consumption Levels

Per Capita Income, Biocapacity Used Sustainable Population Consumption Level 2005 Per Person, 2005 at this Level (GNI, PPP, 2008 dollars) (global hectares) (billion) Low-income 1,230 1.0 13.6 Middle-income 5,100 2.2 6.2 High-income 35,690 6.4 2.1 United States 45,580 9.4 1.4

Global average 9,460 2.7 5.0

Source: See endnote 12.

6 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures

sible for more than 5 tons of CO 2 emissions even eliminating the use of certain goods, such annually—still just a fifth of American per as cars and airplanes, that have become impor - capita emissions but twice the average level of tant parts of life today for many. Habits that are 2.5 tons per person needed to keep tempera - firmly set—from where people live to what tures under 2 degrees Celsius. Even the 151 they eat—will all need to be altered and in million Indians earning more than $6,500 per many cases simplified or minimized. These, person PPP are living above the threshold of however, are not changes that people will want 2.5 tons per person, while the 156 million to make, as their current patterns are com - Indians earning $5,000 are nearing it, pro - fortable and feel “natural,” in large part ducing 2.2 tons per person. 14 because of sustained and methodical efforts to As the Ecological Footprint Indicator and make them feel just that way. 17 Indian survey demonstrate, even at income In considering how societies can be put on levels that most observers would think of as sub - paths toward a sustainable future, it is impor - sistence—about $5,000 –6,000 PPP per person tant to recognize that human behaviors that are a year—people are already consuming at unsus - so central to modern cultural identities and tainable levels. And today, more than a third of economic systems are not choices that are fully the world’s people live above this threshold. 15 in consumers’ control. They are systematically The adoption of sustainable technologies reinforced by an increasingly dominant cultural should enable basic levels of consumption to paradigm: consumerism. remain ecologically viable. From Earth’s per - spective, however, the American or even the Consumerism Across Cultures European way of life is simply not viable. A recent analysis found that in order to produce To understand what consumerism is, first it is enough energy over the next 25 years to necessary to understand what culture is. Cul - replace most of what is supplied by fossil fuels, ture is not simply the arts, or values, or belief the world would need to build 200 square systems. It is not a distinct institution func - meters of solar photovoltaic panels every sec - tioning alongside economic or political sys - ond plus 100 square meters of solar thermal tems. Rather, it is all of these elements—values, every second plus 24 3-megawatt wind tur - beliefs, customs, traditions, symbols, norms, and bines every hour nonstop for the next 25 years. institutions—combining to create the overar - All of this would take tremendous energy and ching frames that shape how humans perceive materials—ironically frontloading carbon emis - reality. Because of individual cultural systems, sions just when they most need to be one person can interpret an action as insulting reduced—and expand humanity’s total eco - that another would find friendly—such as mak - logical impact significantly in the short term. 16 ing a “thumbs up” sign, which is an excep - Add to this the fact that population is pro - tionally vulgar gesture in some cultures. Culture jected to grow by another 2.3 billion by 2050 leads some people to believe that social roles are and even with effective strategies to curb designated by birth, determines where peo - growth will probably still grow by at least ple’s eyes focus when they talk to others, and another 1.1 billion before peaking. Thus it even dictates what forms of sexual relation - becomes clear that while shifting technolo - ships (such as monogamy, polyandry, or gies and stabilizing population will be essen - polygamy) are acceptable. 18 tial in creating sustainable societies, neither Cultures, as broader systems, arise out of the will succeed without considerable changes in complex interactions of many different ele - consumption patterns, including reducing and ments of social behaviors and guide humans at

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actors and institutions and by the partici - pants in the cultures themselves. Today the cultural paradigm that is dominant in many parts of the world and across many cultural systems is consumerism. 21 British economist Paul Ekins describes con - sumerism as a cultural orientation in which “the possession and use of an increasing num - ber and variety of goods and services is the principal cultural aspiration and the surest per - ceived route to personal happiness, social sta - tus, and national success.” Put more simply: z i consumerism is a cultural pattern that leads r a g e people to find meaning, contentment, and H Grub to go: Sago grubs, a gourmet delicacy in New acceptance primarily through the consump - Guinea. tion of goods and services. While this takes dif - ferent forms in different cultures, consumerism an almost invisible level. They are, in the words leads people everywhere to associate high con - of anthropologists Robert Welsch and Luis sumption levels with well-being and success. Vivanco, the sum of all “social processes that Ironically though, research shows that con - make the artificial (or human constructed) suming more does not necessarily mean a bet - seem natural.” It is these social processes— ter individual quality of life. (See Box 1.) 22 from direct interaction with other people and Consumerism has now so fully worked its with cultural artifacts or “stuff” to exposure to way into human cultures that it is sometimes the media, laws, religions, and economic sys - hard to even recognize it as a cultural con - tems—that shape people’s realities. 19 struction. It simply seems to be natural. But in Most of what seems “natural” to people is fact the elements of cultures—language and actually cultural. Take eating, for example. symbols, norms and traditions, values and All humans eat, but what, how, and even institutions—have been profoundly trans - when they eat is determined by cultural sys - formed by consumerism in societies around the tems. Few Europeans would eat insects world. Indeed, “consumer” is now often used because these creatures are intrinsically repul - interchangeably with person in the 10 most sive to them due to cultural conditioning, commonly used languages of the world, and though many of them would eat shrimp or most likely in many more. 23 snails. Yet in other cultures, bugs are an impor - Consider symbols—what anthropologist tant part of cuisine, and in some cases—like the Leslie White once described as “the origin and Sago grub for the Korowai people of New basis of human behavior.” In most countries Guinea—bugs are delicacies. 20 today people are exposed to hundreds if not Ultimately, while human behavior is rooted thousands of consumerist symbols every day. in evolution and physiology, it is guided pri - Logos, jingles, slogans, spokespersons, mas - marily by the cultural systems people are born cots—all these symbols of different brands into. As with all systems, there are dominant routinely bombard people, influencing behav - paradigms that guide cultures—shared ideas ior even at unconscious levels. Many people and assumptions that, over generations, are today recognize these consumerist symbols shaped and reinforced by leading cultural more easily than they do common wildlife

8 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures

Box 1. Do High Consumption Levels Improve Human Well-being?

Ultimately, whether high consumption levels electric rice cookers as essential goods for a make people better off is irrelevant if they lead satisfactory living standard. In due course, a to the degradation of Earth’s systems, as eco - car, an air conditioner, and a color television logical decline will undermine human well- were added to the list of “essentials.” And in being for the majority of society in the long the United States, 83 percent of people saw term. But even assuming this threat were not clothes dryers as a necessity in 2006. Even looming, there is strong evidence that higher products around only a short time quickly levels of consumption do not significantly become viewed as necessities. Half of Ameri - increase the quality of life beyond a certain cans now think they must have a mobile point, and they may even reduce it. phone, and one third of them see a high- First, psychological evidence suggests that speed Internet connection as essential. it is close relationships, a meaningful life, eco - A high-consumption lifestyle can also have nomic security, and health that contribute many side effects that do not improve well- most to well-being. While there are marked being, from increased work stress and debt to improvements in happiness when people at more illness and a greater risk of death. Each low levels of income earn more (as their eco - year roughly half of all deaths worldwide are nomic security improves and their range of caused by cancers, cardiovascular and lung opportunities grows), as incomes increase this diseases, diabetes, and auto accidents. Many extra earning power converts less effectively of these deaths are caused or at least largely into increased happiness. In part, this may influenced by individual consumption choices stem from people’s tendency to habituate to such as smoking, being sedentary, eating too the consumption level they are exposed to. few fruits and vegetables, and being over- Goods that were once perceived as luxuries weight. Today 1.6 billion people around the can over time be seen as entitlements or even world are overweight or obese, lowering their necessities. quality of life and shortening their lives, for By the 1960s, for instance, the Japanese the obese, by 3 to 10 years on average. already viewed a fan, a washing machine, and Source: See endnote 22. species, birdsong, animal calls, or other ele - particular interest is diet. It now seems natural ments of nature. One study in 2002 found to eat highly sweetened, highly processed that British children could identify more foods. Children from a very early age are Pokémon characters (a brand of toy) than exposed to candy, sweetened cereals, and other common wildlife species. And logos are rec - unhealthy but highly profitable and highly ognized by children as young as two years old. advertised foods—a shift that has had a dra - One investigation of American two-year-olds matic impact on global obesity rates. Today, found that although they could not identify fast-food vendors and soda machines are found the letter M, many could identify McDonald’s even in schools, shaping children’s dietary M-shaped golden arches. 24 norms from a young age and in turn rein - Cultural norms—how people spend their forcing and perpetuating these norms leisure time, how regularly they upgrade their throughout societies. According to a study wardrobes, even how they raise their chil - by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and dren—are now increasingly oriented around Prevention, nearly two thirds of U.S. school purchasing goods or services. One norm of districts earn a percentage of the revenue from

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vending machine sales, and a third receive average spent $942, $721, and $581 on gifts, financial awards from soda companies when a respectively. Increasingly, even many non-Chris - certain amount of their product is sold. 25 tians celebrate Christmas as a time to exchange Traditions—the most ritualized and deeply gifts. In Japan, Christmas is a big holiday, even rooted aspects of cultures—are also now shaped though only 2 percent of the population is by consumerism. From weddings that cost an Christian. As Reverend Billy of the tongue-in- average $22,000 in the United States to funeral cheek consumer education effort The Church norms that pressure grieving loved ones to of Stop Shopping notes: “We think we are purchase elaborate coffins, headstones, and consumers at Christmas time. No! We are being other expensive symbolic goods, consumerism consumed at Christmastime.” 27 is deeply embedded in how people observe Consumerism is also affecting peoples’ val - rituals. Choosing to celebrate rituals in a sim - ues. The belief that more wealth and more ple manner can be a difficult choice to make, material possessions are essential to achieving whether because of norms, family pressure, the good life has grown noticeably across or advertising influence. 26 many countries in the past several decades. Christmas demonstrates this point well. One annual survey of first-year college stu - While for Christians this day marks the birth of dents in the United States has investigated Jesus, for many people the holiday is more ori - students’ life priorities for more than 35 years. ented around Santa Claus, gift giving, and Over this time the importance of being well- feasting. A 2008 survey on Christmas spend - off financially has grown while the impor - ing in 18 countries found that individuals spent tance of developing a meaningful life hundreds of dollars on gifts and hundreds more philosophy has fallen. (See Figure 2.) And on socializing and food. In Ireland, the United this is not just an American phenomenon. A Kingdom, and the United States—the three study by psychologists Güliz Ger and Russell with the largest expenditures—individuals on Belk found high levels of materialism in two thirds of the 12 countries they surveyed, including several Figure 2. Aspirations of First-Year College Students transitional economies. 28 in the United States, 1971 –2008 While consumerism is now found in nearly all cultures, it is ” l 100 a i not without consequences. On t Source : HERI n e this finite planet, defining suc - s s E

“ 80 cess and happiness through how

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V 40 “ To develop a meaningful uct of growing incomes. It was g philosophy of life n i

y engineered over several cen - a s turies. Today, since con - e 20 g a t sumerism has been internalized n e c by many societies, it is self-per - r e 0 P 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 petuating to some extent, yet institutions within society—

10 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures including businesses, the media, governments, goods. Workers whose increased productivity and educational facilities—continue to prop up resulted in greater pay tended to favor more this cultural orientation. These institutions leisure time rather than the wealth that a full day also are actively working to expand markets at increased pay might have brought them. 31 around the world for new consumer goods But over time the emerging consumerist and services. Understanding the role of these orientation was internalized by a growing institutional drivers will be essential in order to share of the populace—with the continued cultivate new cultures of sustainability. help of merchants and traders—redefining what was understood as natural. The universe Institutional Roots of Consumerism of “basic necessities” grew, so that by the French Revolution, Parisian workers were As long ago as the late 1600s, societal shifts in demanding candles, coffee, soap, and sugar as Europe began to lay the groundwork for the “goods of prime necessity” even though all but emergence of consumerism. Expanding pop - the candles had been luxury items less than ulations and a fixed base of land, combined 100 years earlier. 32 with a weakening of traditional sources of By the early 1900s, a consumerist orienta - authority such as the church and community tion had become increasingly embedded in social structures, meant that a young person’s many of the dominant societal institutions of customary path of social advancement—inher - many cultures—from businesses and govern - iting the family plot or apprenticing in a father’s ments to the media and education. And in trade—could no longer be taken for granted. the latter half of the century, new innovations People sought new avenues for identity and like television, sophisticated advertising tech - self-fulfillment, and the acquisition and use of niques, transnational corporations, franchises, goods became popular substitutes. 29 and the Internet helped institutions to spread Meanwhile, entrepreneurs were quick to consumerism across the planet. capitalize on these shifts to stimulate purchase Arguably, the strongest driver of this cultural of their new wares, using new types of adver - shift has been business interests. On a diverse tising, endorsements by prominent people, set of fronts, businesses found ways to coax creation of shop displays, “loss-leaders” (sell - more consumption out of people. Credit was ing a popular item at a loss as a way to pull cus - liberalized, for instance, with installment pay - tomers into a store), creative financing options, ments, and the credit card was promoted heav - even consumer research and the stoking of ily in the United States, which led to an almost new fads. For example, one eighteenth-century 11-fold increase in consumer credit between British pottery manufacturer, Josiah Wedg - 1945 and 1960. Products were designed to wood, had salespeople drum up excitement for have short lives or to go out of style quickly new pottery designs, creating demand for (strategies called, respectively, physical and newer lines of products even from customers psychological obsolescence). And workers were who already had a perfectly good, but now encouraged to take pay raises rather than more seemingly outdated, set of pottery. 30 time off, increasing their disposable incomes. 33 Still, traditional social mores blocked the Perhaps the biggest business tool for stok - rapid advance of a consumerist mindset. Peas - ing consumption is marketing. Global adver - ants with extra income traditionally would tising expenditures hit $643 billion in 2008, increase landholdings or support community and in countries like China and India they works rather than buy new fashions or home are growing at 10 percent or more per year. furnishings—two of the earliest consumer In the United States, the average “consumer”

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In addition to direct advertising, product placement—intentionally showing products in television programs or movies so that they are positively associated with characters—is a growing practice. Companies spent $3.5 bil - lion placing their products strategically in 2004 in the United States, four times the amount spent 15 years earlier. And, like advertising, product placements influence choices. Research has found, for example, a causal relationship between cigarette smoking in the movies and the initiation of this behavior in young adults in a “dose-response” manner, meaning that the more that teenagers are exposed to cigarette smoking in the movies, the more likely they are to start smoking. 35 Other clever marketing efforts are also increasingly common tools. In “word of mouth” marketing, people who are acting as unpaid “brand agents” push products on unsuspecting friends or acquaintances. In 2008, U.S. businesses spent $1.5 billion on this kind of marketing, a number expected to grow to $1.9 billion by 2010. One company, Cereal content: a comic book ad from 1964. BzzAgent, currently has 600,000 of these brand agents volunteering in its network; sees or hears hundreds of advertisements every they help to spread the good word about day and from an early age learns to associate new products—from the latest fragrance or products with positive imagery and messages. fashion accessory to the newest juice bever - Clearly, if advertising were not effective, busi - age or coffee drink—by talking about them to nesses would not spend 1 percent of the gross their friends, completing surveys, rating Web world product to sell their wares, as they do. sites, writing blogs, and so on. In Tokyo, And they are right: studies have demonstrated Sample Lab Ltd. recently brought this idea to that advertising indeed encourages certain a new level with a “marketing café” specifically behaviors and that children, who have diffi - created to expose consumers to samples of culty distinguishing between advertising and new products. Companies now even harness content, are particularly susceptible. As one anthropologists to figure out what drives con - U.S. National Academy of Sciences panel sumers’ choices, as Disney did in 2009 in found, “food and beverage marketing influ - order to better target male teens, one of their ences the preferences and purchase requests of weaker customer bases. 36 children, influences consumption at least in the Any of these marketing strategies, taken short term, is a likely contributor to less health - alone, stimulates interest in a single good or ful diets, and may contribute to negative diet- service. Together these diverse initiatives stim - related health outcomes and risks among ulate an overall culture of consumerism. As children and youth.” 34 economist and marketing analyst Victor Lebow

12 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures explained in the Journal of Retailing over 50 materialistic aspirations, whether directly by years ago, “A specific advertising and promo - extolling the high-consumption lives of tional campaign, for a particular product at a celebrities and the wealthy or more subtly particular time, has no automatic guarantee of through stories that reinforce the belief that success, yet it may contribute to the general happiness comes from being better off finan - pressure by which wants are stimulated and cially, from buying the newest consumer gad - maintained. Thus its very failure may serve to get or fashion accessory, and so on. There is fertilize this soil, as does so much else that clear evidence that media exposure has an seems to go down the drain.” Industries, even impact on norms, values, and preferences. as they pursue limited agendas of expanding Social modeling studies have found connec - sales for their products, play a significant role tions between such exposure and violence, in stimulating consumerism. And whether smoking, reproductive norms, and various intentionally or not, they transform cultural unhealthy behaviors. One study found that for norms in the process. (See Table 2.) 37 every additional hour of television people The media are a second major societal insti - watched each week, they spent an additional tution that plays a driving role in stimulating $208 a year on stuff (even though they had consumerism, and not just as a vehicle for mar - less time in a day to spend it). 40 keting. The media are a powerful tool for trans - Government is another institution that often mitting cultural symbols, norms, customs, reinforces the consumerist orientation. Pro - myths, and stories. As Duane Elgin, author and moting consumer behavior happens in myriad media activist, explains: “To control a society, ways—perhaps most famously in 2001 when you don’t need to control its courts, you don’t U.S. President George W. Bush, U.K. Prime need to control its armies, all you need to do is Minister Tony Blair, and several other western control its stories. And it’s television and Madi - leaders encouraged their citizens to go out son Avenue that is telling us most of the stories and shop after the terrorist attacks of Septem - most of the time to most of the people.” 38 ber 11th. But it also happens more systemically. Between television, movies, and increas - Subsidies for particular industries—especially ingly the Internet, the media are a dominant in the transportation and energy sectors, where form of leisure time activity. In 2006, some 83 cheap oil or electricity has ripple effects percent of the world’s population had access throughout the economy—also work to stoke to television and 21 percent had access to the consumption. And to the extent that manu - Internet. (See Table 3.) In countries that facturers are not required to internalize the belong to the Organisation for Economic Co- environmental and social costs of production— operation and Development, 95 percent of when pollution of air or water is unregulated, households have at least one television, and for example—the cost of goods is artificially people watch about three to four hours a day low, stimulating their use. Between these sub - on average. Add to this the two to three hours sidies and externalities, total support of pol - spent online each day, plus radio broadcasts, luting business interests was pegged at $1.9 newspapers, magazines, and the 8 billion movie trillion in 2001. 41 tickets sold in 2006 worldwide, and it becomes Some of these government actions are dri - clear that media exposure consumes anywhere ven by “regulatory capture,” when special from a third to half of people’s waking day in interests wield undue influence over regulators. large parts of the world. 39 In 2008, that influence could be observed in During those hours, much of media output the United States through the $3.9 billion reinforces consumer norms and promotes spent on campaign donations by business

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Table 2. How Industries Have Shifted Cultural Norms

Industry Shift Bottled water This $60-billion industry sold 241 billion liters of water in 2008, more than double the amount sold in 2000. Through its global advertising efforts, the industry has helped create the impression that bottled water is healthier, tastier, and more fashionable than publicly supplied water, even as studies have found some bottled water brands to be less safe than public tap water and to cost 240 to 10,000 times as much. Fast food Fast food is now a $120-billion industry in the United States, with about 200,000 restaurants in operation. Among major restaurant chains, half are now hamburger joints. In the early 1900s, the hamburger was scorned in the United States as a dirty “food for the poor,” but by the 1960s the hamburger had become a loved meal. By spending an annual $1.2 billion in advertising, promoting convenience and value, and providing play places for children, McDonald’s in particular has helped transform dietary norms. It now serves 58 million people every day in its 32,000 restaurants spread across 118 countries. Disposable From paper towels and plates to diapers and facial tissue, the disposable paper prod- paper uct industry has cultivated the belief that these products provide convenience and products hygiene. In China, the market for these goods hit $14.6 billion in 2008, up 11 percent from the previous year. For many around the world, use of these products is today seen as a necessity, although this is a belief actively cultivated over many years by the industry. In China, when the disposable diaper industry entered the market it worked aggressively to make the use of “split-pants” taboo and instead to have disposable diapers be a symbol of affluence and sophistication. Vehicles Car companies are the second largest advertiser in the United States. They spent $15.6 billion on ads in 2008 and actively pushed the image of cars as sexy, exciting, and liberating. Since the 1920s, car companies have played an aggressive role in shifting the American culture to be car-centric, lobbying for increased road support, supporting organizations that fought against regulating car usage, even buying up several public trolley systems and dismantling them. Today car companies everywhere continue to promote auto-centric societies. In 2008, they spent $67 million on lobby - ing and $19 million on campaign contributions in the United States alone. Pet industry Views of specific animal species are primarily determined by cultures. The pet indus - try, which earns $42 billion globally each year on pet food alone, is a driving force in making it seem natural to view dogs, cats, and several other animals as friends and even members of the family. The “humanization” of these animals is a stated strategy of the industry and in 2005 was backed by over $300 million in advertising in the United States. As these pets are increasingly humanized, consumers become more willing to spend greater sums on expensive foods, veterinary services, clothing, and toys. Pets, however, consume considerable ecological resources. For example, two pet German Shepherds use more resources in a year than the average Bangladeshi does.

Source: See endnote 37.

interests (71 percent of total contributions) A clear example of official stimulation of and the $2.8 billion spent by business inter - consumption came in the 1940s when gov - ests to lobby policymakers (86 percent of total ernments started to actively promote con - lobbying dollars). 42 sumption as a vehicle for development. For

14 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures

Table 3. Media Access by Global Income Group, 2006

Household Households Consumption with Internet Income Group Population Expenditure Per Capita Television Users (million) (PPP 2008 dollars) (percent) (per 100 people) World 6,538 5,360 83 21 High-income 1,053 21,350 98 59 Upper-middle-income 933 6,090 93 22 Lower-middle-income 3,619 1,770 80 11 Low-income 933 780 16 4

Source: See endnote 39.

example, the United States, which came out of to be increasingly susceptible to business influ - World War II relatively unscathed, had mobi - ence. Today schools accept classroom materi - lized a massive war-time economy—one that als sponsored by business interests, like the was poised to recede now that the war was “bias-balanced” energy education materials over. Intentionally stimulating high levels of by groups representing oil companies in consumption was seen as a good solution to Canada. And Channel One News , a 12-minute address this (especially with the memory of the daily “news” program with 2 minutes of com - Great Depression still raw). As Victor Lebow mercials and some segments sponsored by explained in 1955, “our enormously produc - products or companies, is now shown in 8,000 tive economy demands that we make con - middle and high schools across the United sumption our way of life, that we convert the States, exposing 6 million students—nearly a buying and use of goods into rituals, that we quarter of all American teens—to marketing seek our spiritual satisfactions, our ego satis - and product placements with the tacit support factions, in consumption .” 43 of educators. 45 Today, this same attitude toward con - Perhaps the greatest critique of schools is sumption has spread far beyond the United that they represent a huge missed opportunity States and is the leading policy of many of the to combat consumerism and to educate stu - world’s governments. As the global economic dents about its effects on people and the envi - recession accelerated in 2009, wealthy coun - ronment. Few schools teach media literacy to tries did not see this as an opportunity to help students critically interpret marketing; shift to a sustainable “no-growth” economy— few teach or model proper nutrition, even essential if they are to rein in carbon emis - while providing access to unhealthy or unsus - sions, which is also on the global agenda—but tainable consumer products; and few teach a instead primed national economies with $2.8 basic understanding of the ecological sci - trillion of new government stimulus pack - ences—specifically that the human species is ages, only a small percentage of which focused not unique but in fact just as dependent on a on green initiatives. 44 functioning Earth system for its survival as Finally, education plays a powerful role in every other species. The lack of integration of cultivating consumerism. As with govern - this basic knowledge into the school curricu - ments, in part this is because education seems lum, coupled with repeated exposure to con -

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 15 The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 sumer goods and advertising and with leisure to change include that more stuff makes peo - time focused in large part on television, helps ple happier, that perpetual growth is good, reinforce the unrealistic idea that humans are that humans are separate from nature, and separate from Earth and the illusion that per - that nature is a stock of resources to be petual increases in consumption are ecologically exploited for human purposes. 47 possible and even valuable. Although paradigms are difficult to change and societies will resist efforts to do so, the Cultivating Cultures result of such a change can be a dramatic trans - of Sustainability formation of the system. Yes, altering a system’s rules (with legislation, for instance) or its flow Considering the social and ecological costs rates (with taxes or subsidies) can change a sys - that come with consumerism, it makes sense to tem too, but not as fundamentally. These will intentionally shift to a cultural paradigm where typically produce only incremental changes. the norms, symbols, values, and traditions Today more systemic change is needed. 48 encourage just enough consumption to satisfy Cultural systems vary widely, as noted ear - human well-being while directing more human lier, and so too would sustainable cultures. energy toward practices that help to restore Some may use norms, taboos, rituals, and other planetary well-being. social tools to reinforce sustainable life choices; In a 2006 interview, Catholic priest and others may lean more on institutions, laws, ecological philosopher Thomas Berry noted and technologies. But regardless of which tools that “we might summarize our present human are used, and the specific result, there would be situation by the simple statement: In the 20th common themes across sustainable cultures. century, the glory of the human has become Just as a consumerism paradigm encourages the desolation of the Earth. And now, the people to define their well-being through their desolation of the Earth is becoming the des - consumption patterns, a sustainability para - tiny of the human. From here on, the primary digm would work to find an alternative set of judgment of all human institutions, profes - aspirations and reinforce this through cultural sions, and programs and activities will be institutions and drivers. determined by the extent to which they Ecological restoration would be a leading inhibit, ignore, or foster a mutually enhancing theme. It should become “natural” to find human-Earth relationship.” Berry made it value and meaning in life through how much clear that a tremendous shift is necessary in a person helps restore the planet rather than society’s institutions, in its very cultures, if how much that individual earns, how large a humans are to thrive as a species long into the home is, or how many gadgets someone has. future. Institutions will have to be funda - Equity would also be a strong theme. As it mentally oriented on sustainability. 46 is the richest who have some of the largest How can this be done? In an analysis on ecological impacts, and the very poorest who places to intervene in a system, environmen - often by necessity are forced into unsustainable tal scientist and systems analyst Donella Mead - behaviors like deforestation in a search for ows explained that the most effective leverage fuelwood, more equitable distribution of point for changing a system is to change the resources within society could help to curb paradigm of the system—that is to say, the some of the worst ecological impacts. Recent shared ideas or basic assumptions around which research also shows that societies that are more the system functions. In the case of the con - equitable have less violence, better health, sumerism paradigm, the assumptions that need higher literacy levels, lower incarceration rates,

16 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures less obesity, and lower levels of teen preg - nancy—all substantial bonus dividends that would come with cultivating this value. 49 More concretely, the role of consumption and the acceptability of different types of con - sumption could be altered culturally as well. Again, while the exact vision of this will vary across cultural systems, three simple goals should hold true universally. First, consumption that actively undermines well-being needs to be actively discouraged. The examples in this category are many: con - suming excessive processed and junk foods, tobacco use, disposable goods, and giant houses that lead to sprawl and car dependency and to such social ills as obesity, social isolation, long commutes, and increased resource use. Through strategies such as government regu - lation of choices available to consumers, social pressures, education, and social marketing, certain behaviors and consumption choices can be made taboo. At the same time, creat - Back for more: Factory farm freedom fighters ing easy access to healthier alternatives is impor - from The Meatrix II. tant—such as offering affordable, easily accessible fruits and vegetables to replace cars is a cultural norm, not a natural fact—cul - unhealthy foods. 50 tivated over decades by car interests. But this Second, it will be important to replace the can once again be redirected, extracting cars private consumption of goods with public con - from cities, as Masdar in Abu Dhabi, Curitiba sumption, the consumption of services, or in Brazil, Perth in Australia, and Hasselt in Bel - even minimal or no consumption when possi - gium have already started to demonstrate. For ble. By increasing support of public parks, example, the Hasselt city council, facing rapid libraries, transit systems, and community gar - growth in car usage and budget shortfalls, dens, much of the unsustainable consumption decided in the mid-1990s to bolster the city’s choices today could be replaced by sustainable public transit system and make it free for all res - alternatives—from borrowing books and trav - idents instead of building another expensive eling by bus instead of by car to growing food ring road. In the 10 years since then, bus rid - in shared gardens and spending time in parks. ership has jumped 10-fold, while traffic has less - The clearest example of this is transporta - ened and city revenues have increased from an tion. Reorganizing infrastructure to support enlivened city center. 51 walkable neighborhoods and public transit Third, goods that do remain necessary could lead to a dramatic reduction in road should be designed to last a long time and be transportation—which pollutes locally, con - “cradle to cradle”—that is, products need to tributes about 17 percent to total greenhouse eliminate waste, use renewable resources, and gas emissions, and leads to 1.3 million deaths be completely recyclable at the end of their from accidents each year. The centrality of useful lives. As Charles Moore, who has fol -

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 17 The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 lowed the routes of plastic waste through act of walking to and from school is being oceans, explains, “Only we humans make used to teach children to live sustainably, as waste that nature can’t digest,” a practice that “walking buses” in Italy, New Zealand, and will have to stop. The cultivation of both psy - elsewhere demonstrate. In Lecco, Italy, for chological and physical obsolescence will need example, 450 elementary school students walk to be discouraged so that, for example, a com - with a “driver” and volunteering parents along puter will stay functional, upgradable, and 17 routes to 10 different schools each day. fashionable for a decade rather than a year. There are no school buses in the city. Since Rather than gaining praise from friends for their creation in 2003, these “piedibuses” have owning the newest phone or camera, having prevented over 160,000 kilometers of driving an “old faithful” that has lasted a dozen years and thus have reduced carbon emissions and will be celebrated. 52 other auto pollutants. Along with reducing Having a vision of what values, norms, and the ecological impact of children’s commutes, behaviors should be seen as natural will be the piedibuses teach road safety (in a supervised essential in guiding the reorientation of cultures setting), provide exercise, and help children toward sustainability. Of course, this cultural connect with nature on the way to school. 54 transformation will not be easy. Shifting cultural The basic role of business is also starting to systems is a long process measured in decades, be readdressed. Social enterprises are chal - not years. Even consumerism, with sophisti - lenging the assumption that profit is the pri - cated technological advances and many mary or even sole purpose of business. More devoted resources, took centuries to become businesses—from the Grameen Bank in dominant. The shift to a culture of sustain - Bangladesh to a restaurant chain in Thailand ability will depend on powerful networks of called Cabbages and Condoms—are putting cultural pioneers who initiate, champion, and their social missions front and center, helping drive forward this new, urgently needed par - people while being financially successful as adigm. (See Box 2.) 53 well. New corporate charters—like the B Cor - As the spread of consumerism also demon - poration (the B stands for Benefit)—are even strates, leading cultural institutions can be har - being designed to ensure that businesses over nessed by specific actors and can play a central time are legally bound to consider the well- role in redirecting cultural norms—whether being of Earth, workers, customers, and other government, the media, or education. stakeholders as they make business decisions. 55 The good news is that this process has In government, some innovative shifts are already started, as discussed in the 25 articles taking place. A long-standing government that follow this chapter. Significant efforts are role known as “choice editing,” in which gov - being undertaken to redirect societies’ cul - ernments encourage good choices while dis - tural orientation by harnessing six powerful couraging bad ones, is being harnessed to institutions: education, business, government, reinforce sustainable choices—everything from and the media, which have played such pow - questioning perverse subsidies to outright erful roles in driving consumerism, plus social bans of unsustainable technologies like the movements and sustainable traditions, both incandescent lightbulb. And more than that, old and new. entire ideas are being reassessed, from security In the realm of education, there are early to law. New concepts like Earth jurisprudence, signs that every aspect is being transformed— in which the Earth community has funda - from preschool to the university, from the mental rights that human laws must incor - museum to the school lunch menu. The very porate, are starting to take hold. In September

18 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures

Box 2. The Essential Role of Cultural Pioneers

Considering that consumerism is such a pow - agents who now volunteer to surreptitiously erful force and that the majority of resources promote the newest consumer product, indi - and wealth are still overwhelmingly being viduals who recognize the dangerous ecologi - used to stimulate it, how realistic is it to think cal and social disruptions arising from that the pattern can shift? James Davison unsustainable consumerism need to mobilize Hunter’s analysis of how cultures change is their networks to help spread a new paradigm. instructive. As Hunter, the Director of the These networks, tapping whatever resources Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at they have—financial, cultural, political, or the University of Virginia, explains, cultural familial—will play essential roles in pioneering change can best be understood not through a new cultural orientation. the Great Man approach (whereby heroic indi - The story of the documentary The Age of viduals redirect the course of history), but Stupid illustrates this point. The filmmakers through the Great Network approach. “The raised funds from small investments by key actor in history is not individual genius friends and supporters, and they marketed the but rather the network.” film and organized 600 showings in over 60 When networks come together, they can countries by tapping into a global network of change history. But not always. Change concerned individuals. They then channeled depends on “overlapping networks of leaders” the momentum of the film to build a climate of similar orientation and with complementary change campaign. This campaign, 10:10, resources (whether cultural clout, money, polit - encourages people to commit to reduce their ical power, or other assets) acting “in common carbon emissions by 10 percent in 2010 and purpose.” Networks can spread many ideas, to mobilize policymakers to do the same. By whether consumption patterns, habits, political October 2009, some 900 businesses, 220 views, or even a new cultural paradigm. schools, 330 organizations, and 21,000 indi - But as Hunter notes, as culture is driven by viduals had signed the 10:10 pledge. institutions, success will depend on pulling And if all these networks of pioneers fail? ideas of sustainability into the center of these As scientist James Lovelock notes, “Civiliza- institutions, not allowing them to remain on tion in its present form hasn’t got long.” the periphery. This means that as individuals Consumerism—due to its ecological impos- internalize new norms and values personally, sibility—cannot continue much longer. The they also need to actively spread these ideas more seeds sown by cultural pioneers now, along their networks. They need to bring these the higher the probability that the political, ideas directly to the center of leading human social, and cultural vacuum created by the institutions—spreading them through all decline of consumerism will be filled with available vehicles—so that others adopt this ideas of sustainability as opposed to other orientation and use their own leadership less humanistic ideologies. capacities to spread it even further. Like brand Source: See endnote 53.

2008, Ecuador even incorporated this into tions and its evolutionary processes” and that its new constitution, declaring that “Nature or “every person, community, and nation will Mother Earth, where life is reproduced and be able to demand the recognition of nature’s exists, has the right to exist, persist, maintain rights before public institutions.” 56 and regenerate its vital cycles, structures, func - Film, the arts, music, and other forms of

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 19 The Rise and Fall of Consumer Cultures STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 media are all starting to draw more attention and living more simply, the Slow Food move - to sustainability. Even a segment of the mar - ment, Transition Towns, and ecovillages are all keting community is mobilizing to use the inspiring and empowering people to redirect knowledge of the industry to persuade people both their own lives and broader society to live sustainably. These “social marketers” are toward sustainability. 58 creating ads, videos for the Internet, and cam - Finally, cultural traditions are starting to be paigns to drive awareness about issues as reoriented toward sustainability. New eco- diverse as the dangers of smoking, the impor - friendly ways to celebrate rituals are being tance of family planning, and the problems established, for instance, and are becoming associated with factory farming. One social socially acceptable. Family size norms are start - marketing campaign by Free Range Studios, ing to shift. Lost traditions like the wise guid - The Meatrix , spoofed the global blockbuster ance of elders are being rediscovered and used movie The Matrix by following a group of to support the shift to sustainability. And reli - farm animals as they rebel against factory gious organizations are starting to use their farms and the ecological and social ills these mighty influence to tackle environmental operations cause. This generally unpalatable issues—printing Green Bibles , encouraging their message, treated in a humorous way, spread congregations to conserve energy, investing virally across the Internet. It has reached an institution funds responsibly, and taking a stance estimated 20 million viewers to date while against abuses of Creation, such as razing forests costing only $50,000, a tiny fraction of what and blowing up mountaintops for coal. 59 a 30-second TV ad would have cost to reach Perhaps in a century or two, extensive an audience of the same size. 57 efforts to pioneer a new cultural orientation will A host of social movements are starting to no longer be needed as people will have inter - form that directly or indirectly tackle issues of nalized many of these new ideas, seeing sus - sustainability. Hundreds of thousands of orga - tainability —rather than consumerism —as nizations are working, often quietly on their “natural.” Until then, networks of cultural own and unknown to each other, on the many pioneers will be needed to push institutions to essential aspects of building sustainable cul - proactively and intentionally accelerate this tures—such as social and environmental jus - shift. Anthropologist Margaret Mead is often tice, corporate responsibility, restoration of quoted as saying: “Never doubt that a small ecosystems, and government reform. “This group of thoughtful, committed citizens can unnamed movement is the most diverse move - change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing ment the world has ever seen,” explains envi - that ever has.” With many interconnected cit - ronmentalist Paul Hawken. “The very word izens energized, organized, and committed to movement I think is too small to describe it.” spreading a sustainable way of life, a new cul - Together these have the power to redirect tural paradigm can take hold—one that will the momentum of consumerism and provide allow humanity to live better lives today and a vision of a sustainable future that appeals to long into the future. 60 everyone. Efforts to promote working less

20 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG Traditions Old and New

ountless choices in human lives uals, and even daily actions that can be redi - are reinforced, driven by, or stem rected from moments that stimulate con - from traditions, whether religious sumption to those that reconnect people with C traditions, rituals, cultural taboos, the planet and remind them of their depen - or what people learn from elders and their dence on Earth for continued well-being. families. Taking advantage of these traditions Traditions shape not just day-to-day activ - and in some cases reorienting them to reinforce ities but major life choices, such as how many sustainable ways of life could help make human children to have. Tapping into traditions— societies a restorative element of broader eco - families’ influence, religious teachings, and logical systems. As many cultures throughout social pressures—to shift family size norms to history have found, traditional ways can often more sustainable levels will be essential in help enhance rather than undermine sustain - global efforts to stabilize population growth. able life choices. Robert Engelman of Worldwatch points out This section considers several important that the prerequisite of this will be to ensure traditions in people’s lives and in society. Gary that women have the ability to control their Gardner of Worldwatch suggests that religious reproductive choices and that their families organizations, which cultivate many of human - and governments let them make these choices ity’s deepest held beliefs, could play a central in ways that respect their decisions. role in cultivating sustainability and deterring Another important and unfortunately consumerism. Considering the financial diminishing force for sustainability is the wis - resources of these bodies, their moral author - dom of elders. Through their long lives and ity, and the fact that 86 percent of the people breadth of experience, elders traditionally held in the world say they belong to an organized a place of respect in communities and served religion, getting religions involved in spread - as knowledge keepers, religious leaders, and ing cultures of sustainability will unquestion - shapers of community norms. These roles, ably be essential. 1 however, have weakened as consumerism and Rituals and taboos play an important role in its subsequent celebration of youth and rejec - human lives and help reinforce norms, behav - tion of tradition have spread across the planet. iors, and relationships. So Gary Gardner also Recognizing the power of elders and taking looks at rites of passage, holidays, political rit - advantage of all they know, as Judi Aubel of the

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 21 Traditions Old and New STATE OF THE WORLD 2010

Grandmother Project describes, can be an brated to reflect a changing reality—one in important tool in cultivating traditions that which 6.8 billion people live on Earth, another reinforce sustainable practices. 2.3 billion are projected to join by 2050, and Finally, one long-lived tradition that has the ecological systems on which humanity been dramatically altered in the past several depends are under serious strain. Cultures in the generations is farming. Albert Bates of The past have also faced ecological crises. Some, like Farm and Toby Hemenway of Pacific Univer - the Rapanui of Easter Island, failed to alter sity describe how sustainable societies will their traditions. The Rapanui continued, for depend on sustainable agricultural practices— example, to dedicate too many resources to systems in which farming methods no longer their ritual building of Moai statues—until deplete soils and pollute the planet but actu - their society buckled under the strain and Easter ally help to replenish soils and heal scarred Island’s population collapsed. Others have been landscapes while providing healthy food and more like the Tikopians, who live on a small livelihoods. island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. When Several Boxes in these articles also discuss they saw the dangers they faced as ecological important traditions, including the need for systems became strained, they made dramatic ethical systems to internalize humanity’s depen - changes in social roles, family planning strate - dence on Earth’s systems, the value of rekin - gies, and even their diet. Recognizing the dling an understanding of geologic-scale time, resource-intensive nature of raising pigs, for and the importance of reorienting dietary instance, they stopped raising them altogether. norms to encourage healthy and sustainable As a result, Tikopia’s population stayed stable food choices. and continues to thrive today. 2 These are just some of the many traditions —Erik Assadourian that need to be critically examined and recali -

22 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG Engaging Religions to Shape Worldviews

Gary Gardner

When Pan Yue, Vice-Minister of China’s Min - yet new vocabulary.” 2 istry of Environmental Protection, wants to The Chinese Taoists are not alone in their advance environmentalism these days, he often activism. Bahá’ís, Christians, Hindus, Jews, reaches for an unusual tool: China’s spiritual and Muslims—encouraged by a partnership heritage. Confucianism, Taoism, and Bud - of the United Nations and the Alliance for dhism, says Pan, can be powerful weapons in Religions and Conservation (a U.K. non - “preventing an environmental crisis” because profit)—developed seven-year climate and of each tradition’s respect for nature. Mary environment plans that were announced in Evelyn Tucker, a Confucian scholar at Yale November 2009, just before the start of the University, elaborates: “Pan realizes that the U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen. The ecological crisis is also a crisis of culture and of plans are the latest religious efforts to address the human spirit. It is a moment of re-con - the sustainability crises of our time, including ceptualizing the role of the human in nature.” 1 climate change, deforestation, water scarcity, Religious groups have responded with inter - and species loss. By greening their activities and est to Pan’s overtures. In October 2008, a uncovering or re-emphasizing the green group of Taoist masters met to formulate a for - dimensions of sacred texts, religious and spir - mal response to climate change, with initiatives itual groups are helping to create sustainable ranging from solar-powered temples to a Taoist cultures. 3 environmental network. Inspiration came from How influential such efforts will be is the Taoist concept of yin and yang, the inter - unclear—in most faiths, environmental play of opposites to create a balanced whole, activism generally involves a small minority. which infuses the climate crisis with transcen - But in principle, religious people—four out of dent meaning. “The carbon balance between every five people alive today identify them - Earth and Sky is off-kilter,” explains a U.N. selves as this—could become a major factor in official who attended the meeting, interpret - forging new cultures of sustainability. There ing the Taoist view. “It is…significant that the is plenty of precedent. The anti-apartheid and current masters of Taoism in China have started U.S. civil rights movements, the Sandinista to communicate precisely through this ancient revolution in Nicaragua, the Jubilee 2000

Gary Gardner is a senior researcher at the Worldwatch Institute who focuses on sustainable economies.

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 23 Engaging Religions to Shape Worldviews STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 debt-reduction initiative, the nuclear-freeze gesting broad latitude for religious activism. 5 initiative in the United States in the 1980s— More specific data from the United States all these featured significant input and support suggest that faith communities are potentially from religious people and institutions. And an influential gateway to discussions about indigenous peoples, drawing on an intimate environmental protection. A 2009 poll found and reciprocal relationship with nature, help that 72 percent of Americans say that religious people of all cultures to reconnect, often in a beliefs play at least a “somewhat important” role spiritual way, with the natural world that sup - in their thinking about the stewardship of the ports all human activity. 4 environment and climate change. 6 Another marker of the cultural influence The Greening of Religion of religious and spiritual traditions is the emer - gence of major reference works on religion Over the past two decades, the indicators of and sustainability, giving the topic added legit - engagement on environmental issues by reli - imacy. Over the past decade, an encyclopedia, gions and spiritual traditions have grown two journals, and a major research project on markedly. And opinion polls reveal increased the environmental dimensions of 10 world interest in such developments. The World Val - religions have documented the growth of reli - ues Survey, a poll of people in dozens of coun - gions in the environmental field. (See Table 4.) tries undertaken five times since the early 1980s, Dozens of universities now offer courses on the reports that some 62 percent of people world - religion/sustainability nexus, and the 2009 wide feel it is appropriate for religious leaders Parliament of the World’s Religions had major to speak up about environmental issues, sug - panels on the topic. 7

Table 4. Reference Works on Religion and Nature

Initiative Date Appeared Description “Religions of the World and 1995 –2005 A Harvard-based research project that produced 10 Ecology” Project volumes, each devoted to the relationship between a major world religion and the environment Encyclopedia of Religion 2005 A 1,000-entry reference work that explores relation - and Nature ships among humans, the environment, and religious dimensions of life The Spirit of Sustainability 2009 One volume in the 10-volume Berkshire Encyclopedia of Sustainability , examining the values dimension of sustainability through the lens of religions Green Bible 2008 The New Revised Standard Version, with environ- mentally oriented verses in green and with essays from religious leaders about environmental topics; printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink Worldviews: Global Religions, 1995, 1996 Journals devoted to the linkages among the spheres Culture, and Ecology and of nature, spirit, and culture Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture

Source: See endnote 7.

24 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Engaging Religions to Shape Worldviews

Religious activism on behalf of the envi - initiative of the San Francisco –based Regen - ronment is now common—in some cases, to eration Project, helps U.S. faith communities the point of becoming widespread, organized, green their buildings, conserve energy, educate and institutionalized. Three examples from about energy and climate, and advocate for cli - the realms of water conservation, forest con - mate and energy policies at the state and fed - servation, and energy and climate illustrate eral level. Led by Reverend Sally Bingham, an this broad-based impact. Episcopal priest, IPL is now active in 29 states First, His All Holiness, Patriarch Bartholo- and works with 10,000 congregations. It has mew, ecumenical leader of more than 300 mil - developed a range of innovative programs to lion Orthodox Christians, founded Religion, help faith communities green their work and Science and the Environment (RSE) in 1995 worship, including Cool Congregations, which to advance religious and scientific dialogue features an online carbon calculator and which around the environmental problems of major in 2008 awarded $5,000 prizes to both the rivers and seas. RSE has organized shipboard congregation with the lowest emissions per symposia for scientists, religious leaders, schol - congregant and the congregation that reduced ars, journalists, and policymakers to study the emissions by the greatest amount. 11 problems of the Aegean, Black, Adriatic, and These and other institutionalized initiatives, Baltic Seas; the Danube, Amazon, and Mis - along with the thousands of individual grass - sissippi Rivers; and the Arctic Ocean. 8 roots religious projects at congregations world - In addition to raising awareness about the wide—from Bahá’í environmental and solar problems of specific waterways, the symposia technology education among rural women in have generated initiatives for education, coop - India to Appalachian faith groups’ efforts to eration, and network-building among local stop mountaintop mining and the varied envi - communities and policymakers. Sponsors have ronmental efforts of “Green nuns”—suggest included the Prince of Wales; attendees include that religious and spiritual traditions are ready policymakers from the United Nations and partners, and often leaders, in the effort to World Bank; and collaborators have included build sustainable cultures. 12 Pope John Paul II, who signed a joint decla - ration with Patriarch Bartholomew on human - Silence on False Gods? ity’s need to protect the planet. 9 Second, “ecology monks”—Buddhist In contrast to their active involvement in envi - advocates for the environment in Thailand— ronmental matters, the world’s religious tra - have taken stands against deforestation, ditions seem to hold a paradoxical position shrimp farming, and the cultivation of cash on consumerism: while they are well equipped crops. In several cases they have used a Bud - to address the issue, and their help is sorely dhist ordination ritual to “ordain” a tree in an needed, religious involvement in consumerism endangered forest, giving it sacred status in is largely limited to occasional statements from the eyes of villagers and spawning a forest religious leaders. conservation effort. One monk involved in Religious warnings about excess and about tree ordinations has created a nongovern - excessive attachment to the material world are mental organization to leverage the monks’ legion and date back millennia. (See Table 5.) efforts by coordinating environmental activ - Wealth and possessiveness—key features of a ities of local village groups, government agen - consumer society—have long been linked by cies, and other interested organizations. 10 religious traditions to greed, corruption, self - Third, Interfaith Power and Light (IPL), an ishness, and other character flaws. Moreover,

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 25 Engaging Religions to Shape Worldviews STATE OF THE WORLD 2010

Table 5. Selected Religious Perspectives on Consumption

Faith Perspective Bahá’í Faith “In all matters moderation is desirable. If a thing is carried to excess, it will prove a source of evil.” (Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh ) Buddhism “Whoever in this world overcomes his selfish cravings, his sorrow fall away from him, like drops of water from a lotus flower.” ( Dhammapada , 336) Christianity “No one can be the slave of two masters ….You cannot be the slave both of God and money.” (Matthew, 6:24) Confucianism “Excess and deficiency are equally at fault.” ( Confucius , XI.15) Hinduism “That person who lives completely free from desires, without longing…attains peace.” ( Bhagavad Gita , II.71) Islam “Eat and drink, but waste not by excess: He loves not the excessive.” ( Qur’an , 7.31) Judaism “Give me neither poverty nor riches.” (Proverbs, 30:8) Taoism “He who knows he has enough is rich.” ( Tao Te Ching )

Source: See endnote 13.

faith groups have spiritual and moral tools Religion” led by Carl Sagan and signed by 32 that can address the spiritual roots of con - Nobel Laureates. 14 sumerism—including moral suasion, sacred Despite the logic for engagement, religious writings, ritual, and liturgical practices—in intervention on this issue is sporadic and addition to the environmental arguments used rhetorical rather than sustained and program - by secular groups. And local congregations, matic. It is difficult to find religious initiatives temples, parishes, and ashrams are often tight- that promote simpler living or that help con - knit communities that are potential models gregants challenge the consumerist orienta - and support groups for members interested in tion of most modern economies. (Indeed, an changing their consumption patterns. 13 extreme counterexample, the “gospel of pros - Moreover, of the three drivers of environ - perity,” encourages Christians to see great mental impact—population, affluence, and wealth and consumption as signs of God’s technology—affluence, a proxy for consump - favor.) Simplicity and anti-consumerism are tion, is the arena in which secular institutions largely limited to teachings that get little sus - have been least successful in promoting tained attention, such as Pope Benedict’s July restraint. Personal consumption continues 2009 encyclical, Charity in Truth , a strong upward even in wealthy countries, and con - statement on the inequities engendered by sumer lifestyles are spreading rapidly to newly capitalism and the harm inflicted on both peo - prospering nations. Few institutions exist in ple and the planet. Or simplicity is practiced by most societies to promote simpler living, and those who have taken religious vows, whose those that do have little influence. So sustain - commitment to this lifestyle—while often ability advocates have looked to religions for respected by other people—is rarely put forth help, such as in the landmark 1990 statement as a model for followers. 15 “Preserving and Cherishing the Earth: An Advocating a mindful approach to con - Appeal for Joint Commitment in Science and sumption could well alienate some of the faith -

26 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Engaging Religions to Shape Worldviews ful in many traditions. But it would also address arettes, or alcohol. Why not also steer funds directly one of the greatest modern threats to toward sustainability initiatives, such as solar religions and to spiritual health: the insidious power and microfinance (the via positiva , in message that the purpose of human life is to the words of the Archbishop of Canterbury)? consume and that consumption is the path to This is what the International Interfaith Invest - happiness. Tackling these heresies could nudge ment Group seeks to do with institutional reli - many faiths back to their spiritual and scriptural gious investments. In addition, why not stress roots—their true source of power and legiti - the need for personal portfolios (not just insti - macy—and arguably could attract more fol - tutional ones) to be guided ethically as well? In lowers over the long run. the United States alone the value of investment portfolios under professional management was Contributions to a Culture more than $24 trillion in 2007, only 11 percent of Sustainability of which was socially responsible investment. 18 Express the sacredness of the natural world Most religious and spiritual traditions have a in liturgies and rituals. The most important great deal to offer in creating cultures of sus - assets of a faith tradition are arguably the intan - tainability. gible ones. Rituals, customs, and liturgical Educate about the environment. As reli - expressions speak to the heart in a profound way gious traditions embrace the importance of that cognitive knowledge cannot. Consider the natural environment, it makes sense to the power of the Taoist yin and yang framing include ecological instruction in religious edu - of climate change, or of Christian “carbon cation—just as many Sunday Schools include a fasts” at Lent, or of the Buddhist, Hindu, and social justice dimension in their curricula. Jain understanding of ahimsa (non-harming) as Teaching nature as “the book of Creation,” and a rationale for vegetarianism. How else might environmental degradation as a sin, for exam - religious and spiritual traditions express sus - ple—positions adopted by various denomina - tainability concerns ritualistically and liturgically? tions in recent years—is key to moving people Reclaim forgotten assets. Religious tradi - beyond an instrumentalist understanding of tions have a long list of little-emphasized eco - the natural world. 16 nomic teachings that could be helpful for Educate about consumption. In an increas - building sustainable economies. These include ingly “full world” in which human numbers prohibitions against the overuse of farmland and and appetites press against natural limits, intro - pursuit of wealth as an end in itself, advocacy ducing an ethic of limited consumption is an of broad risk-sharing, critiques of consumption, urgent task. Religions can make a difference and economies designed to serve the common here: University of Vermont scholar Stephanie good. (See Table 6.) Much of this wisdom Kaza reports, for example, that some 43 percent would be especially helpful now, as economies of Buddhists surveyed at Buddhist retreat cen - are being restructured and as people seem open ters were vegetarians, compared with 3 per - to new rules of economic action and a new cent of Americans overall. Such ethical influence understanding of ecological economics. 19 over consumption, extended to all wisdom tra - ditions and over multiple realms in addition to Coming Home food, could be pivotal in creating cultures of sus - tainability. (See Box 3.) 17 Often painted as conservative and unchanging Educate about investments. Many religious institutions, many religions are in fact rapidly institutions avoid investments in weapons, cig - embracing the modern cause of environmen -

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 27 Engaging Religions to Shape Worldviews STATE OF THE WORLD 2010

Box 3. A Global Ecological Ethic

The modern global ecocrisis is a strong signal value—they stabilize the climate, air, and soil that “environmentally at least, all established upon which people ultimately depend. Further - ethics are inadequate,” in the words of ethicists more, it would show that an old-growth forest Richard Sylvan and David Bennett. Most ethi - is vastly richer (in terms of biodiversity) than a cal systems today are indifferent to the steady planted monoculture and can never, as such, degradation of natural systems and need to be be replaced; that it has value in and of itself reformed or replaced. Ecological ethics is a regardless of its use-value to humans; and that complementary ethical system that gives the its conversion into, say, cardboard and toilet natural world a voice in ethical discourse. paper would be despicable or even mad. A specifically ecological ethic is “ecocentric” When this full toolbox of arguments is given (perceiving and protecting value in all of standing, the ecological point of view has a nature), not “anthropocentric” (restricting decent chance of prevailing. The paradox is value to humanity alone). It recognizes that that ecological ethics, though infused with humans are only a part of life on Earth, that nonhuman dimensions, greatly increases the humans need the rest of the planet and likelihood of humanity’s survival. its inhabitants vastly more than they need The prospects for institutionalizing ecolog - humans, and that there is an ethical dimension ical ethics may be growing as humanity recog- to all human relationships with the planet. nizes its radical dependence on the environ- Indeed, a truly ecocentric ethic recognizes that ment. To advance the cause will require work in certain situations, the needs or rights of on many fronts. To begin, it will be necessary Earth or its other inhabitants take precedence to replace the sense of self as consumer with over purely or narrowly human ones. a sense of self as green citizen. This implies An ecological ethic is distinct from ethics developing some limits to consumption— rooted in enlightened human self-interest, the fewer disposable items, for example. basis for virtually all ethical philosophies until It will also require appreciating and adopt - now. Anthropocentric ethics encourages rather ing many of the principles emerging from than counters the human inclination toward “traditional ecological knowledge”—local or short-termism, greed, and limited sympathies. bioregional ecological wisdom, spiritual It also denies any responsibility for the effects values, ritual practices, and ethics—that has of human behavior on the millions of other sustained traditional peoples for millennia. species and living individuals on this planet. Where such knowledge survives, it must be Suppose, for example, that a company protected and encouraged; where it does not, wants to cut down a forest of old-growth hard - it must be rediscovered and re-embodied in wood trees and convert them into paper prod - “invented traditions” that re-root humans in ucts. Company officials argue that local jobs the natural world. depend on the logging, that the public needs Finally, developing an ecological ethics will the logs for paper and wood products, that the require the help of the world’s spiritual and old-growth trees can be replaced by purpose- religious traditions, which are highly influen - grown ones that are just as good, and so on. tial in shaping the ethical sensibilities of a This is anthropocentric ethics at work. large share of humanity. An argument based on ecological ethics —Patrick Curry would assert that undisturbed trees are more University of Kent, Canterbury, U.K. useful to society because of their ecological Source: See endnote 17.

28 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Engaging Religions to Shape Worldviews

Table 6. Economic Precepts of Selected Religious and Spiritual Traditions

Economic Teaching or Principle Description Buddhist Whereas market economies aim to produce the highest levels of production and economics consumption, “Buddhist economics” as espoused by E. F. Schumacher focuses on a spiritual goal: to achieve enlightenment. This requires freedom from desire, a core dri - ver of consumerist economies but for Buddhists the source of all suffering. From this perspective, consumption for its own sake is irrational. In fact, the rational person aims to achieve the highest level of well-being with the least consumption. In this view, collecting material goods, generating mountains of refuse, and designing goods to wear out—all characteristics of a consumer economy—are absurd inefficiencies. Catholic At least a half-dozen papal encyclicals and countless bishops’ documents argue that economic economies should be designed to serve the common good and are critical of unrestrained teachings capitalism that emphasizes profit at any cost. The July 2009 encyclical Charity in Truth is a good recent example. Indigenous Because indigenous peoples’ interactions with nature are relational rather than economic instrumental, resource use is something done with the world rather than to the world. practices So indigenous economic activities are typically characterized by interdependence, reciprocity, and responsibility. For example, the Tlingit people of southern Alaska, before harvesting the bark of cedar trees (a key economic resource), make a ritual apology to the spirits of the trees and promise to use only as much as needed. This approach creates a mindful and minimalist ethic of resource consumption. Islamic Islamic finance is guided by rules designed to promote the social good. Because money finance is intrinsically unproductive, Islamic finance deems it ethically wrong to earn money from money (that is, to charge interest), which places greater economic emphasis on the “real” economy of goods and services. Islamic finance reduces investment risk— and promotes financial stability—by pooling risk broadly and sharing rewards broadly. And it prohibits investment in casinos, pornography, and weapons of mass destruction. Sabbath The biblical books of Deuteronomy and Exodus declare that every seventh (“Sabbath”) economics year, debts are to be forgiven, prisoners set free, and cropland fallowed as a way to give a fresh start to the poor and the imprisoned and to depleted land. Underlying these economic, social, and environmental obligations are three principles: extremes of con - sumption should be avoided; surplus wealth should circulate, not concentrate; and believers should rest regularly and thank God for their blessings.

Source: See endnote 19. tal protection. Yet consumerism—the opposite that happiness is found in self-emptying, that side of the environmental coin, and tradi - satisfaction is found more in relationships than tionally an area of religious strength—has in things, and that simplicity can lead to a received relatively little attention thus far. fuller life—is urgently needed today. Com - Ironically, the greatest contribution the world’s bined with the newfound passion of many religions could make to the sustainability chal - religions for healing the environment, this lenge may be to take seriously their own ancient wisdom could help create new and ancient wisdom on materialism. Their special sustainable civilizations. gift—the millennia-old paradoxical insight

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 29 Education’s New Assignment: Sustainability

or a shift away from consumerism to lic elementary school or through less-formal occur, every aspect of education— educational institutions such as museums, from lunchtime and recess to class zoos, and libraries—the more people will inter - F work and even the walk home— nalize teachings of sustainability from an early will need to be oriented on sustainability. age, and these ideas, values, and habits will Habits, values, preferences—all are shaped to become “natural.” If education can be har - a large degree in childhood. And throughout nessed, it will be a powerful tool in bringing life, education can have a transformative effect about sustainable human societies. on learners. Thus, harnessing this powerful This section investigates a sampling of what institution will be essential in redirecting is happening around the world as educators humanity toward cultures of sustainability. work to shift from a cultural pattern of con - No educational system is value-neutral, but sumerism to one of sustainability. Ingrid Pram - all teach and are shaped by a certain set of ling Samuelsson of Gothenburg University and ideas, values, and behaviors, whether that be Yoshie Kaga of UNESCO describe the forma - consumerism, communism, religious beliefs, or tive role that early education can play in teach - sustainability. As UNESCO states, “Educa - ing children to live sustainably when effectively tion is not an end in itself. It is a key instrument incorporating key environmental lessons into for bringing about the changes in the knowl - curricula. Susan Linn of the Campaign for a edge, values, behaviours and lifestyles required Commercial-Free Childhood focuses on how to achieve sustainability and stability within important it will be to reclaim childhood from and among countries, democracy, human secu - marketers and provide children with unstruc - rity and peace. Hence it must be a high prior - tured and creative playtime that does not stim - ity to reorient educational systems and curricula ulate consumerist values or desires. towards these needs. Education at all levels and Kevin Morgan and Roberta Sonnino of the in all its forms constitutes a vital tool for University of Cardiff explain that school meals addressing virtually all global problems relevant are a particularly important part of the school for sustainable development.” 1 day that could be better used to teach envi - The more sustainability can be integrated ronmental awareness, while helping establish into existing school systems—whether at a dietary norms that are healthy and sustain - Catholic school, a private university, or a pub - able. And David Orr of Oberlin College con -

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 55 Education’s New Assignment: Sustainability STATE OF THE WORLD 2010

siders the two important roles that universities gate how best to shift human cultures. play in reorienting learning on sustainability: Incorporating sustainability education into teaching environmental thinking to students teacher training and school curricula and pro - and modeling sustainability both for students viding lifelong opportunities to learn about sus - and surrounding communities. tainability will be essential in cultivating Included within these articles are several societies that will thrive long into the future. shorter discussions of other important devel - The key now will be to expand programs like opments: the benefits of getting children and the ones described here and embed them adults back into nature, toy libraries that have deeply into leading educational institutions. started up in dozens of countries, the effort of This will help transform education’s role from one museum to become a center of sustain - one that too often reinforces unsustainable ability education, the role of professional consumer behaviors to one that helps to cul - schools in cultivating a sustainability ethic, tivate the knowledge essential to living sus - and the proposed Millennium Assessment of tainable lives. Human Behavior, which could be used to —Erik Assadourian mobilize the academic community to investi -

56 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG Rethinking School Food: The Power of the Public Plate

Kevin Morgan and Roberta Sonnino

For the vast majority of children in industrial deployed to great effect to meet strategic pri - countries, school food is something that has orities—most notably, to create military tech - to be endured rather than enjoyed—a rite of nologies in the United States or nuclear passage to an adult world where healthy eat - energy in France—it is rarely used for such ing is the exception, rather than the norm, as prosaic things as fresh food for schools, hos - evidenced by the burgeoning problems of pitals, and extended care facilities. Fortu - diet-related diseases. Millions of children in nately, more and more people are beginning developing countries have to endure some - to realize that healthy eating must in itself be thing far worse, of course, because school a strategic priority in order to truly value food is still conspicuous by its absence in human health, social justice, and environ - many cases. mental integrity—the key principles of sus - In parts of Europe, North America, and tainable development. Africa, things are changing today. People have The school food service is a litmus test of moved beyond debates on whether public a society’s political commitment to sustain - bodies are capable of delivering a healthier able development because it caters to young school food service. The jury is in: it is indeed and vulnerable people whose physical tastes possible—because public bodies are already and habits of thought are still being formed. doing it. When properly deployed, public pro - But delivering a sustainable school food ser - curement—the power of purchase—can fash - vice is more challenging than it appears. ion a sustainable school food service that Indeed, despite the stereotype of being a delivers social, economic, and environmental simple service, school food is part of a quite dividends while also promoting a culture of sus - complex ecology in which many variables tainability. Healthy school food is also gener - have to be synchronized. To be effective, ally associated with behavioral improvements, school food reform requires changes especially in terms of children’s concentration throughout the system, given the interde - levels and learning capacity. 1 pendencies involved in the process that brings Although the power of purchase has been food from farm to fork.

Kevin Morgan is professor of governance and development and Roberta Sonnino is a lecturer in envi - ronmental policy and planning in the School of City and Regional Planning at Cardiff University.

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 69 Rethinking School Food: The Power of the Public Plate STATE OF THE WORLD 2010

Creating New Generations of Crucially, though, the healthy eating ethos Knowledgeable Consumers has to inform every aspect of the school envi - ronment—the classroom, the dining room, Being part and parcel of their communities, the vending machine, even the school schools cannot solve societal problems on their grounds—to ensure that the landscape and own, especially when it comes to something as the mind-set of the school are compatible and complex as people’s dietary habits. In virtually mutually reinforcing. Where it is fun, stimu - every society where it has been broadcast, the lating, and enabling, the whole-school “healthy eating” message has faced two for - approach can deliver handsome dividends even midable obstacles: it has been overwhelmed by in the most challenging social environments, the “junk food” message, which dwarfs it in creating the single most important ingredient terms of advertising spending, and the public of a sustainable school food service: knowl - health community has naively assumed that edgeable consumers who care about the origin getting the right information to the public of their food. would be sufficient to induce cultural change. A disposition for healthy eating is a socially Fashioning Sustainable Food Chains acquired facility, the result of learning with through School Food Reform family and friends at home and at school. A “whole-school” approach—one that embeds Whereas the role of school meals in forging the healthy eating message into a wider edu - new generations of informed consumers is cational package that stresses the positive links immediately evident, people do not necessar - between food, fitness, health, and both phys - ily think of schools as markets for quality food ical and mental well-being—can have a posi - producers. Yet many countries are using school tive influence on what children eat in and food reform as a tool to develop new supply outside of school, and to that extent it plays chains that set a high premium on the use of a key role in fostering the demand for health - “quality” food, which is generally equated ier food in schools. with fresh, locally produced food. 2 In the United States, securing food from local suppliers is one of the hall - marks of the Farm-to-School move - ment, which has been helping schools to reconnect with local food produc - ers. So far more than 1,000 schools in 38 states are buying fresh products from local farms. “Home-grown school feeding” has also become a priority in many developing coun - tries, where the World Food Pro - gramme of the United Nations has been trying to replace food imports (on which conventional school feed - t n a h ing programs were based) with locally p i l O

n grown foods. The chief aim of this a l y

D revolutionary initiative, which has Room for improvement: a high school cafeteria lunch in the U.S. been especially successful in Brazil

70 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Rethinking School Food: The Power of the Public Plate and Ghana, is to create markets for local pro - dom was conservative, Italy was bold; where ducers in the process of promoting the health the United Kingdom stressed value for money and education of the children involved. 3 in the narrow economic sense, Italy sought Sustainable food systems are not wholly values in the broadest sense of the term. The synonymous with local food systems. Although explanation for these divergent interpreta - there is no reason to assume that locally pro - tions is to be found in the interplay of cultural duced food is inherently better than imports, values and political willpower, which in Italy’s there is no doubt that the demand for health - case sets a high premium on the creative pro - ier school food creates important opportuni - curement of produce that is strongly associ - ties for economic development if local suppliers ated with seasonality and territoriality. In have the appropriate produce and the infra - short, EU procurement rules are not barriers structure to distribute it. Thus school food if public bodies have the competence and reform has an important role to play in creat - confidence to deploy the power of purchase ing new opportunities for small producers who within these rules. 5 have too often been marginalized, if not dis - In the United States, too, procurement placed, by globalization of the food system. 4 rules have been interpreted as a barrier, pre - venting school districts from purchasing locally Tapping the Power of Purchase produced food in the school lunch program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture inter - Public procurement is the most powerful prets the rules very conservatively, claiming instrument for creating a sustainable school that school districts are not allowed to specify food service, but its potential has been local geographic preferences when they issue stymied in some countries by narrow inter - their tenders—an interpretation that is fiercely pretations of what constitutes “value for contested by other legal experts. Nothing will money.” In cost-based contracting cultures, do more to promote the cause of local school like those of the United Kingdom and the food procurement in the United States than a United States, the biggest barrier to sustain - clarification of the regulations so that local able procurement has been a systemic ten - sourcing is positively and explicitly encour - dency for low cost to masquerade as best aged by federal and state legislation. 6 value—a tendency that procurement officers and catering managers often justify by refer - Pioneers of the School ring to the wider regulatory context of their Food Revolution work. In Italy, in contrast, as described later, best value embodies cultural as well as finan - Each of the reforms just described—the whole- cial attributes, allowing local authorities to school approach, the creation of sustainable take account of the qualitative features of the food chains, and creative public procurement— service when awarding contracts. is a major challenge in itself. But the biggest In the United Kingdom, European public challenge of all is to synchronize the reforms procurement regulations have often been so that they have a mutually reinforcing, syn - seen as a barrier to school food reform. But ergistic effect. This is what the pioneers of when the U.K. approach is compared with school food reform have in common: they all that traditionally adopted in Italy, which is recognize the ecological and interdependent subject to the same European Union (EU) character of the school food service. regulations, it is clear that the problem is one Even though all over the world people are of interpretation. Where the United King - becoming increasingly aware of the role of

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 71 Rethinking School Food: The Power of the Public Plate STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 school food in promoting the objectives of a creative procurement approach that aimed to sustainable development, two countries can help organic and small suppliers become be considered pioneers of the school food rev - involved in the school meal system. For exam - olution: Scotland and Italy. Indeed, in these ple, some of the “straightness” guidelines for countries all three fundamental aspects of the Class 1 vegetables were made more flexible to school reform process have been taken into attract organic suppliers; the contract was account, reflecting a new vision of the service divided into smaller lots to help smaller sup - that is beginning to transform cultural values pliers cope with the scale of the order; and at all stages of the school food chain—among award criteria were equally based on price and children and their parents, school staff, pro - quality. At the same time, the Council actively curement officers, suppliers, and policymakers. worked to create a shared commitment to the Scotland pioneered the British school food ideals of the reform all across the food chain. revolution long before Jamie’s School Dinners , Specifically, training sessions on nutrition and a popular TV series that in 2006 widely healthy eating were organized for catering exposed the general public to the problems of managers and cooks. Farmers were invited the British school meal service. By then Scot - into the classroom to explain where and how land had just ended the first stage of its school they produce food. Parents were also taken on food reform, which included an investment board through a series of “healthy cooking of £63.5 million (some $104 million) to tips demonstrations.” 9 redesign the school meal service. This process In East Ayrshire, school food reform has started in 2002 with the publication of Hun - delivered important outcomes from a sustain - gry for Success , a report commissioned by the able development perspective. As a result of the Scottish government that explicitly promoted Council’s sourcing approach, food miles have the whole-school approach. In addition to been reduced by 70 percent and packaging emphasizing the need to echo the message of waste has decreased. Small local suppliers have the classroom in the dining room, this semi - been provided with new market opportunities, nal report introduced new nutrient-based stan - while users’ satisfaction with the service has dards to improve the quality of food served in increased significantly. A recent survey found schools and suggested that the school meal ser - that 67 percent of children think that school vice was closer to a health rather than a com - meals taste better, 88 percent of them like mercial service. 7 fresh food, and 77 percent of the parents The rural county of East Ayrshire, in cen - believe that the scheme is a good use of the tral Scotland, has gone farthest in implement - local council’s money. Even more important ing the government’s recommendations. perhaps, the school food revolution in this Making the most of the power of purchase deprived rural county has created a new shared gained through Hungry for Success , in 2004 vision of sustainable development that is cut - East Ayrshire introduced a pilot scheme in ting across the realms of consumption, pro - one of its primary schools based on the use of duction, and procurement, challenging fresh, organic, and local food. The initiative was widespread misconceptions about the poten - so successful among children, parents, and the tial for procuring quality food. 10 catering staff that one year later the Council In Italy, the whole-school approach is tra - decided to extend the reform to another 10 pri - ditionally embedded in the school meal service, mary schools. Today, all primary schools in which is considered an integral part of citizens’ the county are involved in the program. 8 right to education and health. As a result, as Central to the process was the adoption of noted earlier, best value there is not at all syn -

72 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Rethinking School Food: The Power of the Public Plate onymous with low cost; in fact, the qualitative tool to teach children the value of solidarity with characteristics of the service and its compati - developing countries). 12 bility with the curriculum (specifically, local tra - Like East Ayrshire, Rome understood the ditions) are always taken into account in the importance of creating a new collective cul - tendering process. Not surprisingly, then, Ital - ture of sustainability around school food. ian schools have been sourcing locally for Contracted suppliers have been ensured a decades, often complementing their emphasis constant dialogue with city authorities on local products with a wide range of educa - through the creation of a permanent round tional initiatives for children and their parents table, which aims to foster “a shared willing - that emphasize the values of seasonality and ter - ness of going in a certain direction,” as the ritoriality. Unlike what happens in most other director of one catering company explained. countries, these strategies are supported by At the same time, they have been asked to the national government, which enacted a law introduce food education initiatives among in 1999 that explicitly promotes “the use of service users, who have been given the oppor - organic, typical and traditional products” in tunity to participate in the reform through school and hospital canteens. 11 Canteen Commissions. These consist of two When this law was passed, the city of Rome parents who can inspect the school premises was governed by a Green Party administration and provide feedback on children’s reaction that, like many others in Italy, was interested in to the changes being introduced. 13 the potential of organic catering in schools. What made the situ - ation in Rome different from other cities was the size. Some 150,000 children who eat at school in Rome consume approximately 150 tons of food per day. To avoid the shock that such massive demand would have created on the organic food market, the city chose a pro - gressive procurement approach. In the beginning, catering com - panies were required to supply only organic fruit and vegeta - bles, but an incentive system n a T was created for them to increase g n i l i e

the range of organic products P for schools. At the same time, Doing a better job? A high school lunch in Grenoble, France. award criteria were designed to stimulate bidders to improve the socio-envi - After years of efforts and continuous ronmental quality of the products and services improvement, Rome is in the vanguard of the offered—including, for example, criteria that school food revolution. Today, 67.5 percent of reward initiatives to improve the eating envi - the food served in the city’s schools is organic, ronment for children or to provide products 44 percent comes from “bio-dedicated” food certified as Fair Trade (which are used as a chains that focus exclusively on organic prod -

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 73 Rethinking School Food: The Power of the Public Plate STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 ucts, 26 percent is local, 14 percent is certified prisons, government offices, and the like. In the as Fair Trade, and 2 percent comes from social context of climate change and food security, cooperatives that employ former prisoners or extending the benefits of school food reform that work land confiscated from the Mafia. As to larger, more significant social and spatial the reform process continues to unfold, a new scales is more and more an imperative, not type of quality-based food system is begin - just an option. ning to emerge—and with it new cultural val - Many cities around the world are beginning ues that are educating civil society to the values to move in this direction through the devel - and meanings of sustainability. 14 opment of a range of food strategies that are designed to ensure access to healthy food for From School Food to all citizens. As planners and policymakers begin Community Food to redesign the urban foodscape of cities like New York, London, Belo Horizonte, and Dar The examples of Scotland and Italy demon - es Salaam, among others, new challenges con - strate that properly designed and delivered tinue to arise in the realms of infrastructural school food reform can play a crucial role in development, transport, land use, and citi - creating new forms of “ecological citizenship” zens’ education, to name just a few. 16 that lead people to think more critically about In this context, one fundamental lesson their interactions with the environment, engage can be learned from school food reform. If practically with collective problems, and assume sufficient political will could be mustered for responsibility for their conduct. In simple a new “ethic of care” that has a global as well terms, school food reform is creating new gen - as a local reach, as has happened in Rome and erations of knowledgeable consumer-citizens. 15 East Ayrshire, community food planning Much more could be achieved if the power could play an invaluable role in promoting of purchase were to be harnessed across the human health, social justice, and environ - entire spectrum of the public sector—in hos - mental integration—the hallmarks of sus - pitals, nursing homes, colleges, universities, tainable development.

74 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG Business and Economy: Management Priorities

usiness is not just a central com - people work excessive hours earning more ponent of the global economy, it is money and converting that income into a leading driver of societies, cul - increased consumption—even as others search B tures, and even the human imagi - for work. Dividing work hours in a better way nation. And while today business is primarily will not only address unemployment and pro - shaping a cultural vision centered on con - vide more people with the means for a basic sumerism, this vision could as readily be cen - standard of living, it will free up time to enjoy tered on sustainability—given new life outside of the workplace. And it will reduce management priorities. the amount of discretionary income people Priority number one will be to gain a better have, which at the moment encourages them understanding of what the economy is for and to consume more than necessary. whether perpetual growth is possible or even Another priority will be to reassess the role desirable. As environmentalist and entrepre - of corporations. Consider their vast power and neur Paul Hawken explains, “At present we are reach: in 2006, the largest 100 transnational stealing the future, selling it in the present, corporations employed 15.4 million people and calling it gross domestic product. We can and had sales of $7 trillion—the equivalent of just as easily have an economy that is based on 15 percent of the gross world product. A sus - healing the future instead of stealing it.” 1 tainable economic system will depend on con - In this section, Robert Costanza, Joshua vincing corporations, through an array of Farley, and Ida Kubiszewski of the Gund Insti - strategies, that conducting business sustain - tute for Ecological Economics first describe ably is their primary fiduciary responsibility. 2 how redirecting the global economy is possible Ray Anderson of Interface, Inc., Mona through a variety of means such as creating Amodeo of idgroup, and Jim Hartzfeld of new sustainable economic metrics, expanding InterfaceRAISE note that some corporations the commons sector, and mobilizing leading have already figured out the importance of a economic and governmental institutions. thriving Earth to their business and are work - Another key economic shift will be the bet - ing to put sustainability at the heart of their ter distribution of work and working hours corporate cultures. Understanding how to among the global workforce, as Juliet Schor of shift business cultures and finding the resolve Boston College describes. Right now, many to do so will be an essential step in creating a

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 83 Business and Economy: Management Priorities STATE OF THE WORLD 2010

sustainable economic model. scenarios—provide a layer of resilience to global Beyond the corporate system, there are disruptions by being rooted locally. Moreover, opportunities to completely reinvent the pur - the rise of social enterprises and local busi - pose and design of business, also a key prior - nesses should provide additional pressure to ity. Johanna Mair and Kate Ganly of IESE stimulate change within corporate cultures. Business School describe social enterprises that Throughout the section, Boxes describe are turning the mission of business upside other sustainable business innovations, such as down. Business does not have to be only or redesigning manufacturing to be “cradle to even primarily about profit, but profit can pro - cradle,” a new corporate charter that inte - vide a means to finance a broader social mission. grates social responsibility directly into the Social enterprises worldwide are addressing legal code, and a carbon index for the finan - pressing social problems, from poverty to eco - cial market. There is also a Box that examines logical decline, and are doing so profitably. the absurdity of the concept of infinite eco - Local businesses are also starting to crop nomic growth. up, like pioneer species in disturbed ecosys - Business is a powerful institution that will tems. As most corporations fail to respond to play a central role in our future—whether that increasing concern for social and environmen - future is an era of sustainability or an age of tal injustices, people are creating local alterna - reacting to accelerating ecological decline. tives—from grocery stores and restaurants to With a combination of reform of current inter - farms and renewable energy utilities. Michael ests and the growth of new socially oriented Shuman of the Business Alliance for Living business models, the global economy can help Local Economies notes that these local enter - avert catastrophe and instead usher in a sus - prises can have improved environmental per - tainable golden age. formance, treat workers better, provide healthier —Erik Assadourian and more diverse products, and—in worst-case

84 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG Changing Business Cultures from Within

Ray Anderson, Mona Amodeo, and Jim Hartzfeld

The current Industrial Age was born out of the their customers, shareholders, and other Enlightenment and the unfolding under - stakeholders. standing of humanity’s ability to tap the power More and more organizations are turning and expansiveness of nature. The mindset that to sustainability as a source of competitive was developed early in the Age was well advantage. Yet many companies are trapped adapted to its time, when there were rela - and frustrated by their limited understanding tively few people and nature seemed limit - of this challenge; many see it only as a set of less. Unfortunately, this mindset is poorly technical problems to solve or a clever mar - adapted to the current reality of nearly 7 bil - keting campaign to organize. Perhaps the lion people and badly stressed ecosystems. A greatest danger is that these superficial new, better-adapted worldview and global approaches give companies a false sense of economy are being born today from a greater progress, which in the long run will very understanding of how to thrive within the likely lead to their demise. frail limits of nature. On the other hand, businesses that are will - Vital to the transition of the economy is ing to address change at the deeper cultural the very institution that serves as its primary level have the opportunity to embrace a new engine: business and industry. To lead this paradigm built on the values of sustainability. shift, business must delve much deeper than Those willing to lead the way will reap the just the array of eco or clean technologies that “first-mover” benefits, while supporting and are in vogue, to the core beliefs that drive accelerating the fundamental societal shifts actions. While a few visionary companies that are becoming increasingly apparent. Every have been founded on the principles of sus - company’s sustainability journey will be tainability, most businesses will require rad - unique, but a basic road map, using what has ical change. In the coming decades, business been learned from pioneering companies and models and mindsets must be fundamentally researchers, can help those that are interested transformed to sustain companies’ value to in the journey to travel at a faster pace. 1

Ray Anderson is founder and chairman of Interface, Inc. Mona Amodeo is president of idgroup, a con - sulting and creative firm on branding, organization change, and sustainability. Jim Hartzfeld is founder and managing director of InterfaceRAISE.

96 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Changing Business Cultures from Within

The Need for processes, practices, and stories that can drive Transformational Change the organization forward. When organizations embrace sustainability in At the societal, business, and personal levels, this way, it is fully woven into every facet of the the understanding and adoption of sustain - enterprise. Sustainability becomes definitional, ability practices is limited less by technical revealing itself in every decision—a strategic innovation than by people’s inability to chal - and emotional journey that enhances the entire lenge outdated mindsets and change cultural enterprise. After all, can anyone really make norms. Paraphrasing Edwin Land, physicist “green” products in a “brown” company ?4 Amory Lovins has observed that “invention is the sudden cessation of stupidity...[that is,] A Framework for Culture Change that people who seem to have had a new idea often have just stopped having an old idea.” 2 The U.S.-based global carpet manufacturer A company’s rate of adoption of new ideas, Interface, Inc. offers a valuable case study of a and therefore business opportunities, can be company that has embraced and achieved trans - increased significantly by understanding the formational change toward sustainability. Inter - stages of change and the strategic decisions face reports being only about 60 percent of the needed to support the evolving belief systems way toward achieving its Mission Zero 2020 necessary for culture change. Personal change goals, but the company has come far in its of this magnitude rarely occurs overnight, and 15-year journey to sustainability. It has reduced changing an organization is often an even net greenhouse gas emissions by 71 percent, longer process. water intensity by 74 percent, landfill waste by Much can be learned from businesses that 67 percent, and total energy intensity by 44 have moved beyond surface-level change to percent. It has diverted 175 million pounds of fully embrace sustainability and in doing so old carpet from landfills, invented new carpet have created deep changes within their orga - recycling technology, and sold 83 square kilo - nizational culture. Experience suggests that meters of third-party certified, climate-neu - sustainability derives its greatest power and tral carpet. In the process, Interface has effect in organizations when it is deeply generated substantial business value in its brand embraced as a set of core values that genuinely and reputation, cost savings of $405 million, integrate economic prosperity, environmental attraction and alignment of talent, and indus - stewardship, and social responsibility: profit, try-leading product innovation. 5 planet, and people. 3 Interface’s sustainability leadership has been To achieve this degree of change, leaders recognized internationally in multiple Globescan must put forth bold visions—so bold that they surveys of “global sustainability experts,” receiv - take the breath away—and they must engage ing the number one ranking in 2009. But the their organizations in different, deeper con - company’s transition was not choreographed versations about the purpose and responsibil - in advance. During the first decade of the jour - ity of business to provide true value to both ney, Interface went through five developmen - customers and society. Moreover, the whole tal phases of change, driven by key levers that enterprise must be proactively engaged in such propelled its progress. (See Figure 5.) Deep a systemwide way that mental models become changes in the identity, values, and assumptions explicit, multiple stakeholder perspectives are about “how we do things here” moved the incorporated into the process, and collective company to a new view of purpose, perfor - interaction yields new knowledge, structures, mance, and profitability within the larger con -

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Figure 5. Culture Change Model . d e v r e s e r s t h g i r l l A . 9 0 0 2 , p u o r g d i ©

text of environmental and social responsibility. 6 validity of the values of sustainability, which in The Interface model of cultural change rep - time comes through successes actually experi - resents a journey of the head and heart, facil - enced. As the collective identity of the orga - itated by strategic decisions and deepening nization changes, new behaviors associated connections to the values of sustainability. with these values are reinforced and become These interacting factors closed the initial gap more embedded in the culture. Understand - between the vision—a future sustainable com - ing is augmented by belief and commitment. pany—and the actual unsustainable existing New ways of thinking, believing, and doing company, by incrementally transforming the emerge incrementally as strategic decisions are culture through successive phases along a time confirmed, and sustainability becomes fully continuum. As the company went through embraced as “the way we do things around the phases of transformative change (awaken - here.” This shifting paradigm produces inno - ing, cocooning, metamorphosis, emergence, vations in technologies, sustainable business and engagement), an evolution of belief sys - practices, and new leadership capacity, as well tems also occurred, moving from skepticism to as a sense of pride, purpose, and commitment understanding, belief, commitment, and advo - on the part of those associated with the orga - cacy. This psychological progression worked in nization. Externally, the organization realizes tandem with strategic decisions (vision, road increasingly strong connections and levels of map, alignment, integration, and influence) trust with its marketplace. to create deep culture change. Over time, the transformation can be envi - The Stages of Change sioned as a dynamic process where new and ongoing connections, relationships, and net - Awakening: defining the vision. To allow works come into being and flourish through an change to occur, a company must first be open infusion of knowledge, wisdom, and grass - to sensing and considering aberrant signals roots experience. Early skepticism gives way to that may suggest or uncover new challenges or understanding as an organization confirms the opportunities. The source of the signal can

98 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Changing Business Cultures from Within be internal or external, subtle or cacopho - leadership makes a go/no-go decision. A clear nous. Likewise, a company’s awareness of the vision is created, and the process of expanding need to address sustainability can be stimulated the engagement of others in the organization in many ways, including inspired leadership, a begins—with the leadership acting as the mes - grassroots internal uprising, a technical or senger, evangelist, teacher, and cheerleader. physical challenge, or an unanticipated shock At Interface, Ray Anderson was inspired to in the cost or availability of key resource inputs. declare his vision of sustainability for the com - At some point the magnitude of the emerging pany after reading the groundbreaking 1993 risks or opportunities become “real” enough book The Ecology of Commerce , which pro - to cause the organization to begin to seek posed a culture of business in which the nat - more information and direction. ural world is allowed to flourish. Jeff Mezger, At Interface, the persistent and aggressive CEO of U.S. home construction company KB voice of a single customer caught the ear of the Home, recently directed his leadership team to founder, Ray Anderson. At Walmart, the impe - explore what goals and commitments they tus was inspired leadership stimulated by a should make toward sustainability, even in the barrage of external challenges on multiple teeth of the industry’s historic downturn. In fronts. At Nike, it was the outrage sparked by July 2008, he communicated this vision in the a 1996 LIFE magazine article about child company’s first sustainability report. 8 labor in Pakistan, which featured a photo of a At Walmart, CEO Lee Scott and members 12-year-old boy surrounded by Nike-brand of his leadership team took a year to person - soccer balls he had been stitching. Other exam - ally explore, challenge, read, and tour settings ples of external stimuli for increased sustain - around the world, from the ecologically crip - ability awareness include Greenpeace’s pressure pled state of Montana described in Jared Dia - on Electrolux and the Rainforest Action Net - mond’s book Collapse to cotton fields in work’s pressure on Mitsubishi. 7 Turkey and an Interface carpet mill in Geor - Once a general direction is suggested, a gia. Only after that year of exploration did small group of innovators or “scouts” may Scott announce the company’s direction in a explore the magnitude of the problem and landmark speech in October 2005, “21st Cen - what it means to the organization and then tury Leadership.” Even while stating ambi - propose a potential vision of the future. Dur - tious goals for Walmart—“to be supplied by ing this stage, it is important to suspend skep - 100 percent renewable energy, to create zero ticism and engage the top leadership in a deep waste, and to sell products that sustain our and honest exploration of the facets of sus - resources and environment”—Scott admitted tainability—what it means to each person as that he was not sure how to achieve them. 9 well as to the organization. Investing the time, Cocooning: creating the road map. With a energy, and effort in individual and organiza - vision defined, a company must then determine tional reflection will establish the necessary how to translate the vision into action. In tension to propel change and determine the addition to deeper planning and early proto - level of commitment needed to move forward. types, the learning of the awakening phase is A natural sense of curiosity and the persis - taken deeper and shared more widely across the tent ability to resist the pressures of the dom - organization and beyond. The result is a road inant paradigms (and existing structures) is map of action that normally includes goals, important to allow new and unusual signals to timelines, resource allocation, and—most penetrate and to overcome the natural response important—metrics. of defending the status quo. At this point, the During this stage, the company is engaged

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 99 Changing Business Cultures from Within STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 in activities that further “awaken” people in the packaging, and transportation. A stunning organization to sustainability—the problems, facet of this period was the extent to which challenges, and opportunities—with the view Walmart proactively engaged environmental that people will typically only defend and sup - groups and its suppliers. As evidence of the port that which they help build and create. Fre - company’s key words for the era, “collabo - quently, an organization’s “whole” cannot be rate and innovate,” Walmart convened collec - changed until the collective is assembled to tive learning opportunities for the entire work together to shape a new potential future. network. One early meeting included 800 It is important at this point to tap into the attendees and began with Interface’s “Global organization’s creative intelligence and its Village Exercise,” where Ray Anderson and Jim stakeholders through dialogue, collaborative Hartzfeld facilitated an interactive session high - inquiry, community building, and cutting- lighting global environmental and social con - edge methods of change that support new ditions. In another meeting, Al Gore appeared ways of thinking and transforming. 10 at the screening of his film “An Inconvenient At Interface, Ray Anderson sought to simul - Truth,” and U.S. evangelical leader Jim Ball taneously engage a wide range of his internal spoke on the alignment of scripture and con - leadership team, who were already associated cern for the environment. 12 with the company’s QUEST waste initiative, Metamorphosis: aligning the organization. as well as the most visionary collection of Once a well-defined road map and early pro - external experts he could find, eventually totypes are established, the hard process of named the EcoDream Team. Through an driving widespread change in the company intense 18-month process, Interface’s Seven begins. As with a caterpillar’s metamorphosis, Fronts initiative (later renamed Seven Faces of the process will likely require the creative Mt. Sustainability) was identified and pub - destruction of entrenched mindsets and lished in the company’s first sustainability processes. Sustainability cannot be a program report in November 1996. The document laid confined to a specific grouping of staff. Instead, out the sustainability challenge and proposed it must be broadly aligned, integrated, and solutions in detail, with supporting metrics institutionalized into corporate systems, struc - that outlined an extensive list of everything the tures, and processes. company “takes, makes and wastes.” This is a period of intense learning and Nike, following the media storm created experimentation. During this often messy time, by the 1996 LIFE article, went rapidly into it is important for the leadership to continu - cocooning with its internal staff and external ally and consistently remind the organization experts and commissioned various university of the vision, while at the same time meeting studies—taking nearly two years to develop a people where they are. Leaders should be pre - code of conduct for labor and environmental pared to support the push toward new inno - practices. CEO Phil Knight unveiled the code vations while maintaining a high tolerance for at a widely publicized 1998 speech at the the associated risk of failure. Permission to fail National Press Club in Washington, D.C. 11 is essential to empowering people to innovate An extreme example of externally engaged at their best. 13 cocooning is Walmart’s Sustainable Value Net - Structures and programs that support orga - works and quarterly Milestone Meetings. nizational learning by rewarding and celebrat - Announced in December 2005, Walmart cre - ing success will reinforce the organization’s ated 14 teams to address major product cate - commitment and provide the motivation needed gories and cross-cutting issues such as waste, to keep people going. Providing the necessary

100 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Changing Business Cultures from Within resources, both financial and human, is of para - energy of the process. Early successes drive mount importance. And while there can be learning, which stirs further innovation. Good great power in telling the sustainability story to metrics inform positive feedback loops of learn, internal and external audiences, it is also criti - do, measure, recognize—reinforcing the val - cal that the story be authentic—not to let the ues and belief systems. At some point, the “talk” get in front of the “walk.” Outspoken company’s identity must be fully invested in commitment serves as a strong reinforcing sustainability, and the associated beliefs and mechanism for organizational members—a behaviors must become ingrained into the source of pride and pressure. Incorporating the DNA, or cultural assumptions, of the organi - sustainability story into marketing communi - zation. If this level of cultural integration is not cations programs also creates increased mar - achieved, the organization will never really ketplace recognition, trust, and connection. achieve liftoff. At Interface, this process extended to all Engagement: influencing others. Even functions and regions of the company, includ - many years into a company’s sustainability ing cascading dialogue with employees about journey, engagement is a continuing effort. dominant corporate values, as well as incentives Each level of success reveals new questions and rewards. At Walmart, “metamorphosis” and challenges. This ongoing search for began with the creation in 2007 of the Personal answers spirals to new levels of understanding Sustainability Project, designed to eventually about what is possible. Relative to the model engage all 1.8 million employees by connect - presented, the stages of the process are con - ing the company’s sustainability journey to tinuous and recursive with deeper learning the personal lives of its employees. Taking it and innovation at every new loop in the spiral. one step further, Walmart created a supplier As an organization becomes more commit - “packaging” score card that gave clear direc - ted to sustainability, educating and influencing tion to its more than 60,000 suppliers that the others becomes an important part of the change company sought to engage everyone it was process. This advocacy role is beneficial to both connected with, and not just the few early the company and to the larger societal cause. In innovators, in its sustainability journey. 14 addition to helping others along in their jour - During this stage, companies often falter ney and building the company’s image, addi - after gathering the low-hanging fruit associated tional learning and expanding knowledge come with technical changes. But the metamorpho - through collaboration and teaching others. sis stage can also reveal the payoff of the “con - Interface, for example, formed a consulting sciousness-raising” work done during the subsidiary, InterfaceRAISE, to help other com - cocooning stage. If individuals in the organi - panies move more quickly up the learning curve zation move beyond understanding to belief, and through the phases of their journey. The the organization will progress beyond minor company also developed an extensive speak - improvements or adjustments that have little ers’ bureau consisting of Interface associates impact on the core of the organization. As a for general public and business education. 15 result, new innovations will begin to emerge as members begin to dismantle existing para - Conclusion digms by asking new questions. Emergence: ongoing integration. As the Business and society are in a period of crisis as metamorphosis reaches critical mass, engaging well as potential. Doing the same things a lit - more people and demonstrating success, the tle differently, better, or faster will not bring momentum is accelerated by the positive about the transformational changes needed

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 101 Changing Business Cultures from Within STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 to address today’s challenges or grasp new grounded in the values of sustainability, the opportunities. The Industrial Age can be sup- people who work in those firms will also likely planted by a new age of evolving human wis- accept and adopt the behaviors associated with dom and emergent innovations, but only if sustainability as the “way things are and should businesses are willing to challenge existing be.” This offers business and industry a unique paradigms and proactively discover new opportunity to accelerate the tipping point answers through collective inspiration. (See needed to correct society’s current trajectory. Box 13.)16 To achieve this shift, companies must explore Business and industry—the most dominant new worldviews and discard the old flawed institutions on the planet in both size and views by encouraging personal reflection and influence—can bring about organizational new dialogue about the purpose and respon- awakening that can catalyze more sweeping sibility of business. societal change. If business models are

Box 13. Upgrading the Corporate Charter

Many U.S. businesses are redesigning their In order to be certified as a B Corporation, corporate charters to incorporate the interests a company must submit responses to an of all stakeholders—customers, employees, extensive survey, which is then reviewed by communities, and the planet—rather than B Labs. The company is subsequently audited just those of their shareholders. Since 2007 in order to validate compliance with the B Rat- the nonprofit organization B Labs has had a ings System. A minimum passing score of 80 thoroughgoing certification process that iden- indicates that the organization is eligible for tifies and validates precisely these types of certification, at which point it is obligated to businesses as B Corporations (the B stands submit a new corporate charter amended with for “benefit”). the B Corps Legal Framework. By expanding legal responsibility, B Corpo- The B Corporation brand has already certi- ration certification allows businesses to allevi- fied more than 190 companies spread across ate the pressure to pursue nothing but the 31 industries with revenues totaling over $1 exclusively profit-centered “bottom line.” In billion. Although its financial depth is admit- addition, the designation helps to distinguish tedly a drop in the bucket compared with the the corporations that are truly committed to roughly $14-trillion U.S. economy, this innova- socially valuable and environmentally sustain- tive tool could have lasting impact as corpora- able practices from those just wanting to tions strive to reach B Corporation standards “greenwash” their operations. A B Corpora- and, in so doing, acknowledge their increasing tion can also use the rigorous standard by responsibility to pursue social and environ- which it is certified to monitor its own sustain- mental benefits that extend beyond the tradi- ability performance—a useful tool for compa- tional constraints of the profit motive. nies that genuinely want to have a positive —Kevin Green and Erik Assadourian impact on society and the environment. Source: See endnote 16.

102 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG Government’s Role in Design

n a sustainable society, eco-friendly clear that the biggest threats to national secu - choices should not be difficult to make. rity are not foreign armies or terrorist groups The sustainable choice in any situa - but the weakened state of the planet. Michael I tion, whether it be buying a new light - Renner of Worldwatch describes how to take bulb or designing a suburban development, the almost $1.5 trillion spent each year on should be the default choice, the path of least militaries around the world and use it instead resistance, even natural. This section confirms to heal environmental and social problems. that governments—which set laws, create soci - This shift will do more to protect people than etal priorities, and design the cities and towns the largest nuclear arsenal ever could, and in where people live—will be central players in the process it will create additional economic nurturing such a culture of sustainability. opportunities and new openings to improve An important role of governments—one diplomatic relations between countries. 2 that is almost invisible when it is done well— Where people live will also need to be is that of “choice editing.” Michael Maniates redesigned in order to make it easy to live sus - of Allegheny College notes that editing citi - tainably. Peter Newman of Curtin University zens’ options through laws, taxes, subsidies, of Technology outlines how and where this is and so on has been a long-standing role of gov - happening already, so that cities and towns ernments. What is new today is that choice have smaller ecological footprints or even no editing is now being used to make the sus - footprint at all. Cities could become free of cars tainable choice the default one by design. and could generate a significant portion of From a plastic bag ban in Rwanda and the their energy and even their food by harnessing phaseout of incandescent bulbs in Canada to their rooftops and green spaces for solar arrays, sweeping carbon taxes in Sweden and subsidies wind turbines, and gardens. And by tapping on solar power in China, many governments into community networks, city dwellers can be around the world are starting to try to make mobilized as active participants in accelerating it effortless for people to live sustainable lives. 1 the shift to sustainable urban design. Another concept that sorely needs to be Key social services like health care need to reconsidered is national security. As human be overhauled as well, as Walter Bortz of the activities disrupt a growing number of eco - Stanford University School of Medicine notes. logical systems, it will become increasingly In many societies today, health care is focused

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too much on treating symptoms instead of on made today and will give citizens legal preventing disease and encouraging healthy recourse when ecological degradation mas - and sustainable living. By shifting from “sick querades as economic development. care” to health care, governments can prevent Within these articles there are also two millions of unnecessary deaths and improve Boxes: one on how other social services could the lives of millions more. They can also save be redesigned to provide more for less and in billions of dollars and, by reducing the need for ecologically restorative ways and another on the resource-intensive treatments, cut the ecolog - international community’s role in making global ical impacts of keeping people healthy. consumption and production patterns sustain - One other key redesign needed is that of able through the Marrakech Process of the the very system of law. Cormac Cullinan, an United Nations. environmental attorney in Cape Town, The importance of government’s role in describes how legal systems today fail to inte - creating sustainable societies cannot be over - grate the rights of Earth’s systems and how stated. If policymakers make sustainability their this in turn allows the shortsighted conversion priority, bolstered by citizens’ support, vast of ecosystems into resources at the expense of societal transformations can occur so that one both human communities and the Earth com - day living sustainable lives will become nat - munity. Recognizing Earth’s rights in law ural—by design. will help make it natural to consider the —Erik Assadourian broader tradeoffs of development choices

118 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG Editing Out Unsustainable Behavior

Michael Maniates

By late 2010, Australians are going to have a prickly philosophical question at the heart of hard time finding an incandescent bulb for it all: Should products be removed from the their nightstand lamps or desk lights. The Aus - menu of consumer choice because of their tralian government, troubled by potential elec - environmental or other socially objectionable tricity shortages and global climate change, is qualities? Who decides what stays on the shelves the first to “ban the bulb” in favor of energy- and what goes? Shouldn’t the consumer be sipping compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and allowed to choose freely? Is “lightbulb fas - LEDs. The impact will be significant: 4 million cism” intruding into the marketplace? 2 fewer tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year by 2012, together with sizable economic Choice Editing Is Nothing New savings. And Australia is not alone. The Euro - pean Union is slowly phasing out incandescents Welcome to the world of “choice editing,” by 2012. Canada, Indonesia, and even the where the tussle over lightbulbs is but the United States are next in line. 1 opening salvo in a larger struggle to crowd out Environmental analysts like Lester Brown of environmentally negative products in favor of the Earth Policy Institute are delighted. Brown more benign choices. Choice editing for sus - says that if everyone followed Australia’s lead tainability is more than simply deleting what “the worldwide drop in electricity use would does not work. In the words of the U.K. Sus - permit the closing of more than 270 coal- tainable Development Council, it “is about fired (500 megawatt) power plants. For the shifting the field of choice for mainstream United States, this bulb switch would facilitate consumers: cutting out unnecessarily damag - shutting down 80 coal-fired plants.” But oth - ing products and getting real sustainable ers are not so sure. Reports abound of people choices on the shelves.” (See Box 16 for some hoarding incandescent bulbs in Australia and initiatives on sustainable consumption at the Germany, among other countries, and some international level.) 3 experts wonder if incandescents are being Choice editors remove environmentally forced out too quickly. And then there is the offensive products from commercial consid -

Michael Maniates is Professor of Political Science and Environmental Science at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania.

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Box 16. The U.N. Marrakech Process on Sustainable Consumption and Production

In recognition of their disproportionate share them. Develops train-the-trainer tools for of global consumption and the resulting sustainable consumption in youth, CD-roms impact on sustainability and equality, industrial on sustainability in marketing, and on-line countries agreed in 2002 to take the lead in galleries of sustainability communication. accelerating the shift toward sustainable pat - Projects implemented in more than 30 coun - terns of consumption and production. tries with materials in over 10 languages. To achieve this, a global informal multi- • Cooperation with Africa (Germany). Affirms stakeholder expert process was launched in Africa’s own 10-year framework on SCP (the 2003 in Marrakech, Morocco, to support first region to have developed and launched regional and national initiatives to accelerate such a program) by supporting an All Africa the shift to sustainable consumption and pro - Eco-Labeling scheme, the establishment of a duction (SCP) and to elaborate a 10-year network of Life-Cycle Assessment experts in framework of programs on SCP, which will Africa, and initiatives to “leapfrog” straight begin after its structure and content are nego - into clean energy sources. tiated at the U.N. Commission on Sustainable • Sustainable Public Procurement (Switzer- Development meeting in May 2011. land). Develops analysis and Web-based A key element of the Marrakech Process is Status Assessment tools to support public- its seven Task Forces, which are voluntary ini - sector organizations’ attempts to justify, tiatives led by governments in cooperation develop, and gauge the success of sustain - with various partners: able procurement programs. • Sustainable Lifestyles (Sweden). Identifies • Sustainable Products (United Kingdom). and compares grassroots social innovations Catalyzes networks of experts in key product for sustainability from around the world, areas to upwardly revise standards, develop finds promising examples, and diffuses labels, work together on policy roadmaps, eration, like smog-producing charcoal lighter among CFLs, LEDs, and other innovative fluid in Los Angeles or leaded gasoline in lighting technologies. 4 Europe and North America. Or they make If the idea of governmental choice editing such products expensive to use, like Ireland’s rankles, perhaps because it sounds manipula - levy on plastic shopping bags, which has tive or too “Big Brother,” remember that reduced plastic bag use by 90 percent. But choice editing is neither new nor novel. Gov - like any good editor, choice editors cannot ernment has long been at it, in ways both just chop. They must offer options or, at the obvious and obscure. (See Table 8.) Safety very least—in the words of environmental and performance standards for everything from reporter Leo Hickman—a sufficiently com - the food people eat to the cars they drive con - pelling illusion of choice. In Los Angeles, strain and shape choice. The same holds true backyard cooks denied their lighter fluid had for tax, tariff, and subsidy policies that heighten the choice of chimney or electric briquette the desirability of some products while making fire starters. In Ireland, shoppers can purchase others unattractive or unavailable. More sub - any number of cloth bags, some trendy or tly, government decisions about where to build stylish. And in Australia and the growing num - roads and rail lines, what schools and hospitals ber of other countries looking to edit out are constructed or closed, and which research incandescents, consumers will see more choice and development initiatives are supported or

120 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Editing Out Unsustainable Behavior

Box 16. continued

and collaborate on compliance. Three prod - (a global network of 8,500 educational insti - uct areas identified so far: lighting, home tutions in 179 countries founded in 1953) to entertainment products, and electric motors. disseminate best practices in sustainability • Sustainable Tourism (France). Creates education to teachers around the world. demand for greener travel offerings with By bringing consumption into the global the Green Passport Program for citizens, dialogue on sustainability, the Marrakech fosters industry supply with the revised Process raises questions of lifestyle, values, Environmental and Sustainable Tourism and progress, creating a unique space within Teaching Pack for the Hospitality Industry , national governments and regional forums for and encourages investment by convening reforming the cultures and institutions at the a Sustainable Investment and Finance in basis of all socioeconomic systems, while Tourism Network. bringing a suite of tools to the table for policy - • Sustainable Buildings and Construction makers who are serious about greening the (Finland). Works to move green building economy and improving human well-being. standards beyond the realm of the voluntary Clearly more could be done with greater by developing policy recommendations and leverage and resources. Unfortunately, the low working in partnership with national govern - profile of the Marrakech Process means the ments and private firms participating in effort suffers from a lack of serious attention the U.N. Sustainable Buildings and Climate by senior decisionmakers. In the run-up to the Initiative. negotiations in May 2011, this fledgling but • Education for Sustainable Consumption transformative U.N. process could be helped (Italy). Focuses on integrating sustainable by the greater involvement of governments, consumption into core curriculum in the the private sector, and the public. Mediterranean region, while working with the —Stefanie Bowles UNESCO Associate Schools Network Project Source: See endnote 3. starved converge to write the menu for hous - mass-consuming choices appear natural and ing, education, and jobs from which everyone inevitable: witness the single-family, detached must choose. home to be filled with products, a family car to The real worry is not that government get to it, and dispersed and abundant shopping engages in choice editing. Rather, it is that for outlets. Other, more environmentally sustain - decades such editing has aided and abetted an able consumption options and patterns—effi - especially narrow view of progress, one that cient streetcar and intercity rails systems, for imagines mass consumption as the foundation instance, or a returnable-bottle network for of human happiness, egalitarianism, and even milk, soda, and other products—were cast as democracy itself. As prize-winning historian backward, were made more difficult to find or Lizabeth Cohen writes in Consumers’ Repub - rely upon, and subsequently disappeared. 5 lic , “A strategy…emerged after the Second Cohen’s incisive gaze rests on the United World War for reconstructing the [U.S.] econ - States, but similar stories hold true for much omy and reaffirming its democratic values of the industrial world, and parallel tales are through promoting the expansion of mass con - now being told in developing countries, most sumption.” A central plank of this strategy was notably India and China. They all point to a to make energy-intensive, resource-depleting, provocative question: if the rise of fundamen -

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Table 8. Examples and Features of Choice Editing

Types of Choice Editing Examples Important Features Eliminate • Montreal Protocol and CFCs • Strong legislation, often sup- offending • Shift away from leaded petrol in the North ported by business interests choices America and Europe • Requires new choices to offset • Ban on incandescent bulbs in Australia the loss of previous choices • Compressed natural gas for public trans- • Demands a “phase-in” period portation in India that allows for adjustment • Walmart’s decision to carry only MSC- certified wild-caught fresh and frozen fish

Slowly trim • Japan’s “top runner” program for energy • The use of labeling to identify, away the worst efficiency over time, the most offending products and • LEED building requirements in the United practices and products practices States, which gradually increase the stand- • Clear standards and methods of ards for certifying a new building as “green” evaluation or “sustainable” • Collaborations among government, industry, and consumer groups

Make offending • Ireland’s levy on plastic shopping bags • Two primary instruments: taxa- choices less • Shifting fatty and processed foods from eye tion and product placement and attractive or level to higher or lower shelves positioning increasingly • Wide range of choice is retained, difficult but incentives and positioning privilege sustainable choices over unsustainable ones

Change context • Creative use of defaults (for instance, con- • Enduring question: How can con - for choices; sumers are subscribed to renewable forms sumer experience be structured alter “choice of electricity and must intentionally refuse so that doing the right thing is architecture” this option) natural and requires little or no • Focused changes to material flows; for uni- thought while doing the wrong versity and corporate composting programs, thing is difficult and requires con- for example, shift to all compostable dining scious thought and focused intent ware (plates and utensils) in cafeterias to • Building a choice architecture eliminate mixing of compostable and non- to oppose consumerism often compostable waste by consumers involves reintroducing meaning - • Embedded cues and drivers that encourage ful choice: choices among varied reduced consumption (for example, when transportation options, for trays in university cafeterias are removed, stu- example, or about work time dents take only what they need, reducing food and leisure waste, water use, and energy consumption) • Create real choice for trading leisure for income: four fifths work for four fifths pay as a viable work option

122 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Editing Out Unsustainable Behavior tally unsustainable consumer cultures was facil - University London, who coined the idea of itated by choice editing—by an elite who “food miles,” speaks for many analysts of sus - intently shifted the field of choice for main - tainable consumption when he asks “why stream consumers—will transforming con - should the consumer be the one left in the sumerism into something more sustainable supermarket aisle to agonize over complex require a similar degree of determination and issues such as animal welfare, carbon foot - sophistication by government and business? prints, workers’ rights and excessive packaging, The answer appears to be yes. In 2006, for often without any meaningful data on the label example, the Sustainable Development Round - to inform their decision-making?” Why, in table (SDR)—a project of the Sustainable other words, don’t producers and govern - Development Commission and the National ments shift their current choice-editing prac - Consumer Council in the United Kingdom— tices so that consumers choose only among a released an analysis of 19 promising transfor - range of environmentally “good” products? mations in consumer cultures, ranging from That way, making the right choice is—as busi - sustainable forestry products to fair-trade and nessman and environmental writer Paul organic food product lines. SDR concluded Hawken puts it—as “easy as falling off a log.” 8 that “historically, the green consumer has not One answer is that the favored alternative— been the tipping point in driving green inno - labeling products as environmentally “good” vation. Instead, choice editing for quality and or “bad” and letting consumers decide—is sustainability by government and business has sometimes thought to be less controversial. been the critical driver in the majority of cases. Product labeling is an important component Manufacturers, retailers and regulators have in the transformation of consumer societies made decisions to edit out less sustainable to sustainable ones. Yet experience suggests products on behalf of consumers, raising the that when product information is made avail - standard for all.” 6 able, perhaps as part of ecolabeling schemes, A classic example of this is the Montreal Pro - it influences no more than a minority of shop - tocol’s phaseout of ozone-destroying chloro - pers—and not nearly enough, not fast enough, fluorocarbons (CFCs). “Powerful economic, and not consistently enough to drive the trans - political, and technical factors combined to formation of consumer life required by a planet facilitate the phase-out of CFCs,” write James under stress. 9 Maxwell and Sanford Weiner of the Massa - At least three factors limit the effectiveness chusetts Institute of Technology. They note of labeling: the varying degree of environ - that a critical factor was DuPont’s desire to cre - mental commitment among the general pop - ate new consumer demand for its CFC sub - ulation; the complexity of consumer-choice stitute while establishing a competitive decisions, which are structured by intricate advantage over its major global competitor, sets of social processes and cultural influ - which had no such substitutes. The ozone ences; and a corrosive “choice architecture”— layer is healthier today because consumers the potent context within which people make shifted to more ozone-friendly substitutes, but decisions. Nutrition labeling, for example, this shift came about largely because of does not stand much of a chance in most methodical choice editing that pushed con - supermarkets, given that products are posi - sumers in that direction. 7 tioned (or hidden) on shelves and at end-of- Of course, consumers still have an impor - aisle displays to foster impulse purchases of tant role to play as they vote for sustainability fatty, sweet, and processed foods and that with their purchases. But Tim Lang of City sugary products are shelved at a child’s eye

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level. It is no surprise, then, that the Sus - ditions and the ability to pay permit. Regard - tainable Development Commission found less of their preferences, 20 percent of their that information about the environmental electricity will flow from renewable sources and economic benefits of less environmentally by 2010 due to Renewable Portfolio Stan - destructive products “failed to get more than dards imposed on electric utilities by the state a minority of people buying” the best prod - government. These are driving the develop - ucts. But the Commission also found that ment of renewables faster than uncoordinated when labeling and other information efforts consumer demand ever could. California’s were part of choice-editing efforts by gov - proportion of renewable electricity will slowly ernment, producers, and retailers, consumer grow, and 38 other states are following suit. 12 practices changed across the board. 10 In 2003, London implemented Europe’s first “congestion pricing” program for its city core: drivers pay a fee to operate their car in central city areas during peak periods, with the rev - enue going to boost bus service and fund subway renovations. Initially treated with skepticism, the program now enjoys growing public support and is a model for major cities world - wide. And in India, in response to a Supreme Court public health order, the government has required all buses, taxis, and auto-rickshaws in major cities to switch from dirty fuels to cleaner burning compressed nat - D -

A ural gas. Despite some initial protests, - M -

O New Delhi has led the way, and com - - N muters are now part of an ambitious New Delhi traffic jam: less pollution may be only half the battle. effort to curb air pollution. These examples, and others like them, Editing for Sustainability demonstrate the effectiveness and political via - If the goal is to move consumers toward less bility of choice editing. 13 environmentally damaging patterns of con - Business offers its own set of examples, sumption, contemporary experience says that though whether these practices will endure choice editing delivers. At a growing number and expand absent government regulation or of colleges and universities across the United persistent pressure by citizens’ groups remains States, for instance, fair-trade coffee and to be seen. Reacting to pressure from envi - renewably generated electricity are increas - ronmental groups, since 1999 Home Depot— ingly on the menu—and are often the only the largest home improvement retailer in the choice available on campus. 11 United States—has sold lumber certified and In California, consumers can choose from labeled by the Forest Stewardship Council. a variety of electricity generation options, and But it also has quietly altered significant aspects the most environmentally dedicated customers of its wood-product supply chain; it is conse - can opt for rooftop solar arrays where site con - quently harder today than 10 years ago for any -

124 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Editing Out Unsustainable Behavior one to purchase environmentally “bad” lum - because they understood their program as ber at Home Depot. 14 more than a simple labeling exercise. It was B&Q, Home Depot’s counterpart in the about changing critical components of the United Kingdom, pursued a similar strategy “choice architecture” at its stores. “It includes and has perhaps the most robust commercial signs, shelf tags, an advertising campaign, col - system in place for certifying the sources of its lateral materials, training materials, a web site, timber supply, easily outpacing U.S. retailers. and community outreach, among other ele - Interviewed in the late 1990s, Allen Knight, ments,” explains Hannaford spokesperson then Environmental Policy Coordinator for Michael Norton. And it meant changing prod - the company, explained that B&Q embarked uct placement and shelving strategies to rein - on sustainable wood “even though there was force healthier shopping habits. 18 no indication of consumer demand for certi - fied products.” He observed that “customers Obstacles to Change do not ask for certified products because they are unaware of them: Raising awareness and There remains immense potential for choice creating markets are the retailer’s role.” 15 editing to drive fundamental changes in con - Not to be outdone, in early 2006 Walmart sumption. But at least two obstacles stand in pledged to source all its wild-caught fresh and the way. One is the persistent belief that prod - frozen fish from suppliers certified as sustain - uct labeling alone can drive necessary change. ably harvested by the Marine Stewardship Even when logical and clear, labeling places the Council (MSC). Moreover, it required its sup - burden on consumers to drive needed social pliers to expand renewable fisheries rather than change with their purchasing decisions. It also jockey for access to or ownership of existing reinforces what Thomas Princen at the Uni - suppliers. The blue MSC ecolabel figures versity of Michigan calls one of the most dis - prominently on Walmart wild-caught fish, but abling myths about political life: the notion of unlike other labeling schemes the certification consumer sovereignty, which says that the is not meant to persuade buyers to choose decisions that producers and marketers make sustainable wild-caught fish over less sustain - about what to produce and what to sell is dri - able options, as the company has edited those ven solely by independent, uninfluenced con - out completely. 16 sumer choices. The consumer decides, in other Also in early 2006 Hannaford Supermarkets words, and the producer responds. This idea in the United States implemented its “guiding denies the power that government and business star” program in 270 stores, in which products have over the menu and architecture of con - identified as especially healthy or nutritious sumer choice. In doing so, it undermines the are given one to three stars. Some 28 percent very rationale for choice editing. 19 of items in the stores receive the rating, with Japan has pioneered a better use of labeling, the remainder not being good enough to get one that could move consumer cultures toward a star at all. Dan Goleman, author of Ecolog - an ethos of sustainability. Since 1998 the gov - ical Intelligence , reports that “poorly rated ernment has divided products up into similar brands dropped as much as 5 percent in sales,” categories and classes, and then graded and while sales of some three-star brands went up labeled them on a 1–5 scale for energy effi - by 7 percent. “Brand managers started con - ciency. Tiers one and two are the standard set tacting Hannaford to ask what they needed to by the best-performing products—and it is do to get higher ratings,” Goleman noted. 17 the standard that the entire industry must Hannaford’s apparent success comes meet within five years. As these “top runners”

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 125 Editing Out Unsustainable Behavior STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 improve, the overall standard shifts upward, trian walkways, mass transit—that would reduce placing ongoing pressure on manufacturers individual pressures to consume (thus sup - to improve their product lines or face a ban on porting de Graaf’s agenda for less work, less their products. In the short run, energy-con - income, but more life satisfaction). 22 scious consumers are empowered: the top- In Nudge , economist Richard Thaler and runner label offers important information legal scholar Cass Sunstein provide a suite of about the overall energy costs of a consumer additional ideas for altering the “choice archi - choice. In the longer run, the field of choice tecture” in service of sustainable consump - changes: the label provides a regulatory plat - tion. These include the pervasive use of form for driving constant product innovation, defaults to “nudge” consumers in environ - increasing the range of choice among the mentally appropriate directions. A person higher-performing categories and editing out could opt out of these defaults, but the bur - the worst products. Germany is considering a den rests on the individual to choose the similar program. Advocates of choice editing wrong behavior over the right one. Examples hope that Walmart’s recent commitment to include automatic and certified carbon-offsets environmental labeling will incorporate this for all travel bookings, default savings plans, “top runner policy.” 20 and pricier renewable energy automatically A second impediment to the power of included in residential energy bills (so a cus - choice editing is its prevailing focus on “con - tomer would have to say explicitly “I want to sumption shifting” rather than “consumption use dirty, polluting coal to save a small amount reducing.” Most choice editing has been about of money”). 23 moving consumers to less environmentally Choice editing has been with us a great damaging products. But genuinely sustain - long while, and it is here to stay. If that seems able patterns of consumption must also involve far-fetched, just bring an especially critical eye reductions in overall consumption. How can to the layout of products and displays in a the context within which everyday people supermarket. Which products draw customers’ make consumption decisions be edited to eyes? Which are easily reached? The question encourage that? John de Graaf suggests one now is this: Will a primary focus on the promise answer: make it attractive for people to trade of product labeling alone (and underlying work for leisure in ways that would lead to a notions of consumer sovereignty) continue to voluntary reduction in income (but not health shape policy for sustainable consumption? Or and other important benefits) for more free will more-realistic assessments emerge about time, which in turn has known environmen - how and why people make consumer choices? tal benefits. 21 Government and business, operating from a Cornell economist Robert Frank offers view that mass consumption means mass pros - another solution: shift taxes toward luxury con - perity, have tightly held the reins of choice sumption, reduce or eliminate taxes on income editing for too long. Now is the time for a diverted to savings, and invest more government more nuanced, more sustainable vision of resources in public uses—parks, inviting pedes - choice and choice architecture to prevail.

126 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG Media: Broadcasting Sustainability

he media can be a highly effective working to tackle advertising directly, such as tool to shape cultures—painting the Spanish government, which voted to ban pictures of how people live, broad - commercials on its public television stations T casting social norms, modeling starting in 2010. Yet with advertisers’ influence behaviors, acting as a vehicle of marketing, over policymakers, these efforts have been few and distributing news and information. These and far between. Robin Andersen and Pamela important roles can be used to spread either a Miller of Fordham University point out that cultural pattern of consumerism or one that media literacy can help limit the effectiveness questions consumerism and promotes sus - of the romantic visions of consumption created tainability. Although the vast majority of media by marketing—and unlike regulation, it can be today reinforce the former—through adver - easier to introduce across societies. 1 tising, product placement, and much of the Beyond the mass media, the arts also play content—there are efforts worldwide to tap an important part in inspiring people to bet - media’s vast reach and power to promote sus - ter understand the effects of consumerism tainable cultures, as described in this section. and to live sustainably. For example, the cover Considering the commanding role that mar - of State of the World 2010 by artist Chris Jor - keting plays in stimulating consumerism, redi - dan is a recreation of a famous woodprint by recting it to promote sustainable behaviors Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai—except will be essential. Jonah Sachs and Susan Finkel - Jordan’s version is made out of 1.2 million bits pearl of Free Range Studios describe “social of plastic trash. This vast number, represent - marketing”—marketing to encourage socially ing the pounds of plastic that enter the world’s positive behaviors like avoiding smoking, wear - oceans every hour, has a visual power that ing seatbelts, practicing safe sex, or consuming can represent the destructive nature of con - less stuff—which can play an important role in sumerism far better than yet another statistic redirecting how people live. Granted, at the would. Music, as Amy Han of Worldwatch moment just a tiny percentage of marketing describes, can also be a useful educational budgets promotes such social goods. tool, inspiring people to live more sustain - While social marketing is encouraged, gov - ably and mobilizing them to join political ernments will need to limit or tax overall mar - efforts to help drive change. 2 keting pressures. A few governments are Two Boxes in this section expand on the

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role of the arts: one describes the power of film tribute these farther than ever before—not and the other considers the potential for all just through formal channels but through individuals to become artists rather than con - YouTube, Facebook, local radio broadcasts, sumers. Finally, a Box on the importance of Web sites, even posters and self-published journalism in effectively educating people books. The more that this content can promote about the environment and their role in it sustainability and redirect people away from rounds out the section. consumerism, the more likely it is that human - People spend significant portions of their ity will avoid a future conjured up by movies lives interacting with media. Today they have like Soylent Green or WALL-E and instead cre - the potential to create their own program - ate a future of high-quality lives for all. ming, music, art, films, and news and to dis - —Erik Assadourian

150 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG From Selling Soap to Selling Sustainability: Social Marketing

Jonah Sachs and Susan Finkelpearl

Sixty years ago, Americans greeted the postwar ceived obsolescence, accepting that owning era with a thrift-based value system that had this year’s model television was a sign of virtue gotten them through two decades of war and even if last year’s model was still working per - economic depression. Corporate industry, fectly well. Before long, even cultural resis - meanwhile, exited the war capable tance had requisite consumable products, such of producing more goods than ever. But with as the Volkswagen (VW) Beetle. the soldiers they once supplied now back As is clear today, Madison Avenue’s success home, they needed a new customer base. If has had deep, unintended consequences, and only industry could reverse the thrift-based sophisticated story-based marketing contin - values of the American people, then their ues to drive its relentless growth. Yet the seeds ramped-up infrastructure could continue of the current consumption crisis may also pumping out goods, which would be readily contain powerful solutions. If marketers were bought by willing consumers. able to motivate a massive reorientation of Enter Madison Avenue. Marketers res- cultural values and behaviors in relatively little ponded to industry’s challenge deci - time 60 years ago, can they do it again? Could sively, taking a dramatic leap forward in a revolution in social marketing, where mar - marketing sophistication. They rejected the keting principles are used to change social typical fact-based approach of advertisements behavior rather than sell a product, drive a in favor of an identity-based, storytelling con - new set of values that would lead to the struct. The result? They created a radical rever - lifestyles and political changes necessary to sal of thrift values and an explosion of confront today’s ecological crises? consumerism that ignited in the United States Certainly, social marketing faces major hur - in the 1950s and spread around the world. This dles. In 2008, spending on advertising was became the era when people met the Marlboro estimated at over $271 billion in the United man and came to believe that the cigarette States and $643 billion worldwide. Today someone smoked said a lot about who the approximately only one in every thousand person was. They embraced the idea of per - marketing dollars is spent on broadcast pub -

Jonah Sachs is co-founder and creative director of Free Range Studios, a design and communications firm. Susan Finkelpearl is online strategy director at Free Range Studios.

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 151 From Selling Soap to Selling Sustainability: Social Marketing STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 lic service announcements that market for the rette, car, computer, or social behavior. But is public good—and only a tiny fraction of that it storytelling per se that makes these cam - is spent on sustainability issues. 1 paigns so successful? But there are also enormous opportunities. Writer and philosopher Joseph Campbell Social marketing has a 40-year history of expe - offers a compelling reason to believe that rience to draw upon, plus there are vast lessons human-scale storytelling is key to opening to learn by observing traditional consumer people up to changing instinctive “tribal” marketing. The Internet has rapidly leveled identities and altering behavior. Campbell’s the playing field in the media marketplace by views even imply that social marketing may reducing distribution costs and removing the have an advantage over product marketing in barriers of traditional corporate gatekeepers this arena. 3 who limited the broadcast of messages that ran In his seminal work, Hero with a Thousand counter to consumerism’s values. And the Faces , Campbell presents a survey of mythology emergence of social media has spawned a across broad cultural contexts and millennia and “viral” distribution model through which an finds strong commonalities. He hypothesizes inspiring message can move almost instantly that human beings are, in fact, genetically hard - and at nearly no cost through networks of wired to see their world in terms of stories. And mutual trust. what’s more, these stories are strikingly similar. For social marketers to play a role in the They share certain archetypal characters like the transition from consumerism to sustainabil - hero, the nemesis, and the mentor, and they fol - ity, they will need to draw on the main lesson low a plot of invitation to adventure, acceptance learned by consumer marketing in the 1950s: of that invitation, battle with the nemesis, and facts alone do not sell behavior change. Instead, then return. 4 people working to foster sustainable behavior What is of particular interest to social mar - must use storytelling to reach audiences on a keters about Campbell’s theories is that the set - human, personal scale. ting for these adventures is often a broken world in need of healing. What’s more, the Stories Change Behaviors return involves the hero coming back to soci - ety with the wisdom to heal it. Seen through As social marketers craft a strategy for this this lens, stories of a societal shift from con - critical next decade, understanding and har - sumerism to sustainability fit perfectly into nessing the power of emotional storytelling humanity’s pre-formed ideas of what a hero’s may be their most important task. Table 10 journey is all about. A hero is someone who outlines a few of the most successful product helps to heal society’s ills. and social marketing efforts since the 1950s Campbell’s theories do not stop at saying and describes how human-scale character and that people respond to stories. He believed that stories, as opposed to facts and product attrib - stories motivate behavior and identity, which utes, have built the most powerful brands and might explain the success of storytelling mar - behavior change. 2 keting efforts to change consumer activity. Iconic, story-based campaigns do not sim - “The myth is the public dream and the dream ply shift the perception of a product or activ - is the private myth,” wrote Campbell in ity. To change behavior on the scale they do, describing how deeply people internalize sto - such campaigns have to shift how millions of ries and seek to place themselves as the heroes people see themselves and how they are within them. 5 defined by, for example, their choice of ciga - In the field of public health, the power of

152 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 From Selling Soap to Selling Sustainability: Social Marketing

Table 10. Selected Successful Product and Social Marketing Campaigns

Product or Cause Story-Based Campaign Result Marlboro In a series of windows into the life of a The Marlboro Man is one of the most famil - cigarettes fictional American hero, the Marlboro iar faces in the world and solidified Marlboro Man, the campaign focuses on the man. as the top cigarette brand for the past 40 The product is merely an accessory. years. Volkswagen A campaign that began in 1959 spoke The campaign completely reversed Ameri- Beetle frankly about consumer frustration cans’ perception of what had been seen as a with planned obsolescence and the “Nazi car.” The VW beetle became the sym - Big Three car companies’ branding bol of cultural resistance and 1960s culture. puffery. Instead of targeting consumers’ It is still one of the most analyzed and impulse to buy a car, it targeted their admired campaigns in advertising history. impulse for cultural resistance. Seat belt use In 1985, the “You can learn a lot from In 1986, 39 percent of drivers in 19 U.S. cities a dummy” campaign introduced two reported using their safety belts, compared charming crash-test dummies, Vince with 23 percent in a 1985 study. The campaign and Larry. The dummies showed view - was a significant factor among several that ers exactly what it looked and felt like influenced this increase. The campaign also to be in a car accident. created political cover for mandatory seat belt legislation that eventually pushed com - pliance nationwide past 85 percent. Apple Apple’s “1984” ad said nothing about Adweek called 1984 “the best ad ever created”; computers computers and ran only once on tele - Apple II sales accounted for 15 percent of the vision during the 1984 Super Bowl. It market share in its first year. It was the begin - simply showed a lone rebel smashing ning of a string of story-based campaigns through the Orwellian dominance of that would make Apple one of the most iden - its PC competitor, laying the ground - tifiable lifestyle brands in history. Apple’s more work for Apple users to identify heav - recent “Get a Mac” campaign has millions of ily with the brand. Americans identifying so much with the brand that they repeat the mantra “I’m a Mac.” Raising The Story of Stuff took users into the This movie, by Free Range Studios, quickly awareness 10-year journey of activist Annie went “viral” on the Internet when it was about Leonard as she explored where “stuff” released in 2007. Since then, it has been over- comes from and where it winds up seen by more than 7 million people in 224 consumption when it gets thrown away. Leonard’s countries, translated into 10 languages, and high-level analysis of the materials featured in hundreds of U.S. classrooms. economy was boiled down to simple stories told on the human scale. Reduction Morgan Sperlock’s film Supersize Me The film was an enormous critical and com - in obesity showed viewers the disconcerting mercial success. Shortly after the film’s in the health and appearance effects on release, McDonald’s removed the Supersize United one man of eating nothing but option from its menu. States McDonald’s meals for 30 days. Source: See endnote 2. archetypal storytelling has gone well beyond vision executive Miguel Sabido began to prac - theory and has proved to be effective world - tice Entertainment-Education (E-E), which wide. Beginning in the 1970s, Mexican tele - spread public health messages by embedding

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them into soap operas. Sabido’s shows influ - because of hearing the radio drama Twende na enced audiences by encoding health behav - Wakati . Similar results have been documented iors into the interpersonal dramas of three in an analysis of 39 family planning commu - types of role models: positive, negative, and nications worldwide between 1986 and 2001. 7 transitional. These models map closely to Campbell’s archetypes of the mentor (the Few Stories Address source of wise behavior), the nemesis (the Climate Change antithesis of the mentor), and the hero (the ini - tiate who must choose the correct behavior). 6 Although social marketers have had some stun - Viewers of Sabido’s E-E shows were ning successes in harnessing the power of sto - expected to identify closely with a transitional ries, when it comes to the most pressing character and, by seeing that person make environmental sustainability issues, the lesson good choices about sex, marriage, and family has not been applied adequately. planning, believe that they too could make A survey of the Web communications of the positive behavior changes. “environmental G8,” the foremost interna - tional nongovernmental organiza - tions (NGOs) addressing climate change, reveals an approach that is still heavily devoted to the facts of the climate crisis, its dire consequences, and current policy proposals to address it. Emotional appeals that aptly reflect the reality of visitors’

s lives and concerns, as well as the o i d u t frames through which they receive S e g n and evaluate information about the a R 8 e crisis, are sorely lacking. e r F y

s A recent study by the Yale Pro - e t r u

o ject on Climate Change and George C The online movie The Story of Stuff reminds viewers how mar - Mason University’s Center for Cli - keters use emotion to sell their goods. mate Change Communication sig - nals that the time for a fact-alone In the years since its launch, E-E has been approach has past. Seventy percent of Ameri - adopted into radio plays, animations, reality cans already believe climate change is a prob - dramas, and even mobile phone programming lem and 51 percent view it as a serious with consistently demonstrated success well problem. With the public recognizing the need above other forms of public health education. to address climate change, NGOs must shift For example, in South Africa the weekly drama gears to inspire action, not merely persuade Tsha-Tsha drew an audience of 1.8 million. people that climate change exists through a People exposed to the show and with good barrage of facts. 9 recall of its plot reported significantly higher Moving beyond facts and information alone rates of HIV prevention practices, such as is critical because when it comes to taking abstinence and safe sex. And a study in Tan - action, humans tend not to be rational actors. zania found that 40 percent of new family In the wake of the 1970s energy crisis, planning users at government clinics came in researcher Scott Geller demonstrated this when

154 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 From Selling Soap to Selling Sustainability: Social Marketing he exposed research participants to three hours Today that model is quickly being over - of slide shows, lectures, and other educational taken by a many-to-many “narrowcast” model materials about residential energy consump - that is made possible by the Internet. In this tion. The result? Participants were more aware new world, messages travel through personal - of energy issues, understood more about how ized social networks. As each audience mem - they could save energy in their homes, but ber handles the message, he or she may failed to change their behavior. 10 comment on it or even alter it. Effective social Fortunately, there is a dawning realization marketing has become not just about creating among social marketers and the scientists whose great stories but about sparking great conver - work they support that facts alone are not sations out of which great social change stories enough. This was captured perfectly by activist can arise. Bill McKibben in describing the work of NASA To understand how powerful social mar - scientist James Hansen: “I think [Hansen] keting efforts might move around in this new thought, as did I, if we get this set of facts in media landscape, it is important to first under - front of everybody, they’re so powerful—over - stand the basics of social media today: whelming—people will do what needs to be • Social media refers to a new crop of Inter - done,” McKibben told the New Yorker . “Of net tools and content, where anyone with an course, that was naïve on both of our parts.” 11 Internet connection can publish text, images, Today, McKibben and Hansen are key evan - and video easily through Web sites such as gelists of the Internet-savvy, story-based cam - Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr or paign known as 350.org, which seeks to cast with tools such as blogging and podcast the climate crisis in terms of the health of a sin - software. Once published, others can inter - gle organism. As its Web site explains: “We’re act with the content by commenting on it, like the patient that goes to the doctor and integrating it with other content, sharing learns he’s overweight, or his cholesterol is it, or rating it. 13 too high. He doesn’t die immediately—but • Social media tools and users are growing until he changes his lifestyle and gets back exponentially, so that today online forums down to the safe zone, he’s at more risk for are no longer only for ardent Internet users. heart attack or stroke.” 12 Facebook alone boasts 250 million active Based on the patterns of success seen on users. About 70 percent of these individu - Madison Avenue and Mexican soap operas als live outside the United States, and the and on the predictions of Joseph Campbell, this fastest-growing Facebook demographic is shift to campaigns like 350 is desperately people 35 or older. 14 needed in order to see the mass behavior shifts • Social media are redefining people’s core required for a sustainable future. social networks. A recent Pew study found that people’s networks are more geograph - Social Marketing Meets ically dispersed, mobile, and varied thanks to Social Media the Internet. The study goes so far as to say that social media are changing the tradi - For most of the past 40 years, social market - tional orientation of human behavior. 15 ing distribution has occurred in a uniform • Social media content is among the most way. Whether messages were made available trusted sources of information for Ameri - through radio, television, or print, the domi - cans today. Sixty million Americans said infor - nant approach until a decade ago was the one- mation shared on the Internet has helped to-many broadcast model. them make a major life decision, and 90 per -

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 155 From Selling Soap to Selling Sustainability: Social Marketing STATE OF THE WORLD 2010

cent say that they trust the recommenda - social network level. By early September 2009 tions of their networks over any other form its highly successful social marketing campaign of communication (such as advertising). 16 had signed up over 1,700 groups in 79 coun - What are the inherent opportunities here tries to create actions before the Copenhagen and how will this enhance or diminish the climate talks at the end of the year. The orga - power of stories to create social change? nization did not provide top-down instruc - First, social media amplify the public’s tions for how these networks should behave. appetite for and access to human-scale stories. Instead, it offered a sort of social and identity For instance, after the 2008 Sichuan earth - glue that the networks eagerly embraced and quake and the 2009 Iranian presidential elec - used to further the organization’s cause. 20 tions, Twitter allowed thousands of authentic Third, social media can offer a natural individual stories to flood out of countries that advantage to social marketing over product previously would have repressed or controlled marketing. Because these networks are made the message. In the past, China’s government up of permission-based communications, it is had buried stories of natural disaster, leaving lit - difficult for people to “advertise” to each other tle space for public response. After the Sichuan without breaching natural social taboos. On the tragedy, the unfiltered stories of heartbreak other hand, social groups tend to welcome generated 1.5 billion yuan ($208 million) in education and values-based messages. Thus, relief donations from Chinese citizens alone. 17 despite having smaller budgets, social market - Similarly, after the Iranian elections, ing campaigns will likely move more quickly marchers in Tehran were joined in solidarity through social media. around the world by demonstrators in Wash - ington, London, Islamabad, Sydney, São Paulo, Now Is the Time and dozens of other cities. These story-based social marketing efforts harnessed social media Return for a moment to the 1950s, a turning both to spontaneously disseminate key infor - point in the evolution of the consumer-based mation and to create dramatic results that society. The marketing revolution that helped would not have been possible using the broad - reverse cultural norms so swiftly can be seen as cast model. 18 a small miracle—a miracle to learn from and Second, social media do not remove the perhaps repeat. It is true, of course, that the need for traditional “tribal” identities; they cre - stakes are much greater and the hurdles to ate an even deeper need for them. The Pew cross in terms of behavior and political change study showed that all this incredible new tech - seem much higher. But this is not the 1950s, nology has not fundamentally changed the when television was new and a handful of play - size of social networks. People still tend to ers dominated the media landscape. This is interact in small “tribes” of about 35 “close 2010, a time of exponentially greater connec - ties.” These close-knit communities, how - tivity, free information flow, and dramatically ever, are no longer necessarily held together lower distribution costs. By combining the by geographic proximity or traditional mark - key lessons of marketing’s past with the oppor - ers of social status. Thus the tribes need new tunities of today’s social media revolution, identity-forming concepts and behaviors to social marketers armed with the power of sto - hold them together. 19 rytelling have the chance to create another The group 350.org has taken advantage of great shift and move the world toward a sus - this by organizing a global protest at the micro- tainable future.

156 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG The Power of Social Movements

hroughout history, social move - employees are working longer hours even as ments have played a powerful part gains in productivity would allow shorter work - in stimulating rapid periods of cul - days and longer vacations. Taking back time T tural evolution, where new sets of will help lower stress, allow healthier lifestyles, ideas, values, policies, or norms are rapidly better distribute work, and even help the envi - adopted by large groups of people and subse - ronment. This last effect will be due not just quently embedded firmly into a culture. From to less consumption thanks to lower discre - abolishing slavery and ensuring civil rights for tionary incomes but also to people having all to securing women’s suffrage and liberating enough free time to choose the more reward - states nonviolently from colonial rulers, social ing and often more sustainable choice—cook - movements have dramatically redirected soci - ing at home with friends instead of eating fast etal paths in just an eye blink of human history. food, for example, making more careful con - For sustainable societies to take root quickly sumer decisions, even taking slower but more in the decades to come, the power of social active and relaxing modes of transport. movements will need to be fully tapped. Closely connected to Take Back Your Time Already, interconnected environmental and is the voluntary simplicity movement, as social movements have emerged across the Cecile Andrews, co-editor of Less is More , world that under the right circumstances could and Wanda Urbanska, producer and host of catalyze into just the force needed to acceler - Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska , discuss. ate this cultural shift. Yet it will be important This encourages people to simplify their lives to find ways to frame the sustainability move - and focus on inner well-being instead of mate - ment to make it not just possible but attrac - rial wealth. It can help inspire people to shift tive. This will increase the likelihood that the away from the consumer dream and instead changes will spread beyond the pioneers and rebuild personal ties, spend more time with excite vast populations. 1 family and on leisure activities, and find space This section looks at some ways this is hap - in their lives for being engaged citizens. pening already. John de Graaf of the Take Through educational efforts, storytelling, Back Your Time movement describes one way and community organizing, the benefits of the to “sell” sustainability that is likely to appeal to lost wisdom of living simply can be rediscov - many people: working fewer hours. Many ered and spread, transforming not just per -

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 171 The Power of Social Movements STATE OF THE WORLD 2010

sonal lifestyles but broader societal priorities. And a Box on the Slow Food movement A third movement that could help redirect describes the succulent power of organizing broader cultural norms, traditions, and values people through their taste buds. Across cul - is the fairly recent development of ecovillages. tures and time, food has played an important Sustainability educator Jonathan Dawson of the role in helping to define people’s realities. Findhorn ecovillage paints a picture of the Mobilizing food producers as well as con - exciting role that these are playing around the sumers to clamor for healthy, fair, tasty, sus - world. These sustainability incubators are rein - tainable cuisines can be a shrewd strategy to venting what is natural and spreading these shift food systems and, through them, broader ideas to broader society—not just through social and economic systems. modeling these new norms but through train - These are just a few of the dozens and ing and courses in ecovillage living, perma - dozens of social movements that could have culture, and local economics. Similar ideas are been examined. It is just our imaginations that also spreading through cohousing communi - limit how we can present sustainability in ways ties, Transition Towns, and even green com - that inspire people to turn off their televisions mercial developments like Dockside Green in and join the movement. Only then, with mil - Canada and Hammarby Sjöstad in Sweden. 2 lions of people rallying to confront political and Two Boxes in this section describe some economic systems and working to shift per - other exciting initiatives. One provides an ceptions of what should feel “natural” and overview of a new political movement called what should not, will we be able to transform décroissance (in English, “degrowth”), which our cultures into something that will with - is an important effort to remind people that stand the test of time. not only can growth be detrimental, but some - —Erik Assadourian times a sustainable decline is actually optimal.

172 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG Reducing Work Time as a Path to Sustainability

John de Graaf

There is a silver lining on the cloud of reces - pollution from cars and factories (as they pro - sion that hangs over the industrial world. Con - duce less) is also down, resulting in fewer trary to popular expectations, in some deaths, especially among children. 2 countries—particularly the United States— In time, workers may find that the increased health outcomes are actually improving. family time, improved health, and other ben - Christopher Ruhm at the University of North efits of more leisure outweigh the income Carolina finds a decline in mortality of half a losses. This should inspire more efforts to percent for each 1 percent increase in U.S. trade productivity for time instead of greater unemployment. How is this happening? Many purchasing power. of the newly jobless suffer acute stress, and sui - But we need to do this for another reason: cides are up. But some are using the time off preserving the biosphere for future generations. to improve the rest of their lives—learning to save, finding time to exercise, bonding more The Need to Limit Consumption closely to family and friends. 1 More important, the crisis has meant a Data from the Global Footprint Network reduction in working hours for most Americans suggest that if people in the developing world for the first time in decades. Some companies were to suddenly achieve American lifestyles, and public agencies have chosen to cut hours the world would need four more planets to through shorter workweeks or furloughs provide the resources for their products and instead of laying employees off. With more absorb their wastes. Already—and with half time and less money, people are smoking and the world’s people living in real poverty— drinking less, eating fewer calorie-laden restau - Earth’s carrying capacity is being overshot rant meals, and walking or bicycling more. by some 40 percent. 3 While auto sales have plunged, bicycle sales are Some environmentalists suggest that the on the upswing. As Americans drive less, they world can have its cake (expanded produc - die less often in accidents—U.S. traffic deaths tion) and eat it too simply by improving tech - declined by 10 percent from 2007 to 2008. Air nologies and investing in clean energy. Too

John de Graaf is a documentary filmmaker, co-author of Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic , and executive director of Take Back Your Time.

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 173 Reducing Work Time as a Path to Sustainability STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 often, however, technological improvements expended. For example, hourly labor produc - such as greater fuel efficiency merely lead to tivity in rich countries has more than doubled greater consumption of a product—people since 1970. The point is simple: to keep every - drive more, for example. As Gus Speth, former one employed at the current number of hours dean of the Yale School of Forestry, puts it: while productivity increases, it is necessary to “The eco-efficiency of the economy is improv - simply produce and consume more. It is ing through ‘dematerialization,’ the increased unlikely that scientific progress and increases productivity of resource inputs, and the reduc - in labor productivity are going to stop. There - tion of wastes discharged per unit of output. fore in order to limit consumption to current However, eco-efficiency is not improving fast levels (or lower), it will be necessary either to enough to prevent impacts from rising.” 4 lay off a portion of the workforce or to reduce Speth spells out clearly the cost of current everyone’s working hours. 6 trends in resources, pollution, and equity: dis - Since 1970, the United States has chosen to appearing rainforests and fisheries, exhaustion keep working hours stable—in fact, there is of fossil fuels, increasing hunger, a rapidly some evidence that U.S. working hours have widening gap between rich and poor. Despite even increased during the past 40 years. By the faith of many in “super” cars and order-of- contrast, most other industrial countries, espe - magnitude technical advances, the burden of cially in Europe, have used shorter workweeks, evidence is clearly on those who think the longer vacations, and other strategies to reduce economy and human activities can continue to working hours—sometimes significantly. grow exponentially without increasingly severe Today, the average American puts in 200–300 environmental consequences. 5 more hours at work each year than the average Industrial countries cannot deny the rights European does. Europeans have made a bet - of developing nations to greater economic ter choice. 7 prosperity while others continue to consume at current levels. That would be asking them The Benefits of Shorter Hours to sacrifice so that the rest of the world can binge awhile longer. Shorter working hours allow more time for connection with friends and family, exercise and Is There an Answer? healthy eating, citizen and community engage - ment, attention to hobbies and educational The current situation cannot continue, but advancement, appreciation of the natural people in industrial countries are reluctant to world, personal emotional and spiritual growth, reduce their “standard of living.” Is there a conscientious consumer habits, and proper solution to this stand-off? Yes: the rich nations environmental stewardship. The positive impact of the world must immediately begin to trade of greater free time can be seen by comparing advances in labor productivity for free time quality of life indices for European nations instead of additional purchasing power. and the United States. And people must understand that doing so Since 1980, for example, the United States will not be a sacrifice. Rather it will mean sub - has fallen from eleventh place in life expectancy stantial improvements in the quality of life. to fiftieth. West Europeans now live longer There is a simple economic law that might than Americans. On average—although this be called the growth imperative. Technical varies by country—they are also only a little progress consistently makes it possible to pro - more than half as likely to suffer from such duce more product per hour of labor chronic illnesses as heart disease, hyperten -

174 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Reducing Work Time as a Path to Sustainability sion, and type 2 diabetes after the age of 50. The United States now lags behind West - ern Europe in virtually every health outcome, despite spend - n o ing about twice as much per i t c e l l

capita for health care. More - o C h over, Americans, with their p a r g o more stressful and hurried lives, t o h P

are nearly twice as likely to suf - s e v i h

fer from anxiety, depression, c r A l and other abnormalities of men - a p i c 8 i tal health. n u M e

Happiness is also affected. l t t a e

While the United States ranks a S respectable eleventh in the world Bored in Seattle: the production line of a bottle factory. in life satisfaction, a recent study found that the four happiest countries in the Moreover, reductions in work time trans - world—Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, late rapidly into reductions in energy use, car - and Sweden—were all characterized by their bon footprints, and pollution (as already seen remarkable attentiveness to “work-life balance .” 9 in the current recession). A study conducted The environmental benefits of reduced work by the Center for Economic and Policy time are myriad and include: Research, a prominent Washington think tank, • Less need for convenience products. Fast concluded that if Americans were to reduce food, for example, is in part a response to an their working hours to European levels, they increasingly pressured way of life. Highly would almost automatically reduce their packaged and processed foods and other energy/carbon impacts by 20–30 percent. 10 products, including throwaway products, also appeal to those who feel time is short. Rushing Through • More time to reuse and recycle. Separating the Environment wastes into paper, plastics, metals, compost, or trash takes time. People often skip this if Finally, for many people environmental aware - they are feeling rushed or overwhelmed. ness is enhanced by exposure to the natural • Time to make other behavioral choices, such world, particularly in childhood. From John as drying one’s clothes on a clothesline rather Muir to Aldo Leopold to Rachel Carson to than in a dryer. When pressed for time, David Brower, prominent environmentalists “convenience” tends to take priority. have written of the impact of their experiences • Time to choose slower and more energy- in natural settings on their later commitment friendly forms of transport, including walk - to Earth. A love of nature often results in less ing, cycling, or public transit rather than desire for material things. Aware of this, Muir driving, or to take trains rather than planes. was one of the first to call for a law mandating • Time to make careful consumer choices, vacation time; he called it a “law of rest.” In including for certified products like Fair 1876, on the one-hundredth anniversary of the Trade, organic, and songbird-friendly coffee Declaration of Independence, Muir argued or Forest Stewardship Council lumber. for “Centennial Freedom” that would allow

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 175 Reducing Work Time as a Path to Sustainability STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 everyone, rich or poor, of whatever race or ori - ents to share 1.5 jobs, each working three- gin, time to get out into nature. “We work too quarters time, by requiring that employers much and rest too little,” Muir declared. allow workers to reduce their hours while “Compulsory education may be good; com - keeping the same hourly rate of pay and pro- pulsory recreation may be better.” 11 rating the benefits. While the right is used pri - All Europeans enjoy at least four weeks of marily by parents of young children, it applies paid vacation by law. So do citizens of many to all employees. Those who choose this option African and Latin American nations. Yet the also commonly fall into lower tax brackets; United States still has no law providing vaca - thus the economic penalty for working less is tion time, and half of all American workers now further reduced. 14 get only one week or less off each year. Con - In other European countries, innovative sequently, children are now only half as likely laws allow for such things as regular sabbati - to spend unstructured time outdoors as they cals, phased-in retirement, and guaranteed were in 1970, and visitors to Yosemite National days of rest, while sharply restricting long Park—which is more than 300,000 hectares in hours and overtime work. Europeans would do size—spend on average less than five hours well to resist calls by corporate leaders to drop there. People rush through, snapping quick restraints on work time and follow the Anglo- photographs of the granite cliffs and waterfalls, American model, as their shorter work time has checking their watches, answering their cell brought them a higher quality of life than in phones, and dashing on. There is no time to the United States. appreciate the rhythms of Earth or experience In the United States and other long-hours a connection to other species, no sense of loss nations, change must start with a sober assess - as they pass into extinction, no quiet time to ment of the costs of the higher produc - reflect on the wondrous world that now is tion/higher consumption lifestyles—what threatened with humanity’s insatiable mater - some now call “affluenza.” Americans have ial demands. 12 the farthest to go in this and therefore perhaps the best opportunity to make quick progress. Trading Stuff for Time The United States stands alone among indus - trial nations and most other countries in its lack What might people do to begin trading gains of laws guaranteeing such rights to time as in productivity for time instead of stuff? The paid maternity or family leave, paid sick days, organization Take Back Your Time has been or paid vacations. Paid maternity leave, for exploring the possibilities of this for the past example, is now guaranteed everywhere except eight years, encouraged by such developments the United States, Swaziland, Liberia, and as the Hours Adjustment Act in the Nether - Papua New Guinea. Many immigrants to the lands and France’s 35-hour week. 13 United States are shocked at how few protec - Dutch working hours are among the short - tions American workers have, particularly est in the world, and the Netherlands has the where the right to time is concerned. Bills highest percentage of part-time workers. In currently being considered in the United States part, this is a direct response to policy initia - Congress would correct some of these defi - tives. European Union law already requires ciencies, but powerful forces are arrayed against pay and benefit parity for part-time workers them. Business lobbies resolutely oppose all who do the same work as full-timers. More - “mandates” that would restrict their absolute over, in the Netherlands the Work and Care Act control of working hours. 15 and the Hours Adjustment Act encourage par - On the other hand, there is some reason for

176 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Reducing Work Time as a Path to Sustainability optimism. The voluntary simplicity movement vacation time without commensurate reduc - has helped many Americans choose time over tions in workers’ pay and benefits. While tem - money where the choice was actually theirs to porary, such transition funds, which reduce make and not the sole prerogative of their short-term economic sacrifice, would make it employers. The leaders of that movement possible for workers to see the value of understand that making these changes is not increased leisure and reduced work time. 18 only a matter of voluntary action, and it can be helped by progressive policies. Strong organi - Re-Visioning the Future zations that advocate a better work-life balance, like the 1-million member group MomsRising, Clearly the world is at a crossroads. For all the have emerged in recent years. And the great remarkable benefits that investments in “green debate over national health care offers a chance jobs” and new energy technologies will surely to make points about the health implications provide, they are only part of what’s needed for of shorter work time. 16 long-run sustainability—necessary change, but Since 2002, the Take Back Your Time cam - not sufficient. To survive and to let people in paign has worked to increase American aware - developing countries somehow achieve secure ness of the benefits of shorter working hours. and modest comfort, material economic These efforts have included celebrations of growth in rich nations simply must be limited. Take Back Your Time Day (October 24th) in Yet this must be done without stopping the about 200 U.S. municipalities, coverage of progress of science and the advance of pro - the issue in hundreds of media outlets, and ductivity and without casting millions into the campaigns for legislation such as the Paid Vaca - hell of unemployment. tion Act of 2009 introduced by Representative Ultimately, it can only be done by trading Alan Grayson of Florida. His proposed law is gains in productivity for time, by reducing the modest by international standards—offering hours of labor and sharing them equitably. All only one to two weeks vacation time for work - of this means limiting greed, understanding ers in firms of 50 employees or more. But it that a life less rich materially but more rich tem - would be a “down payment” on further porally is not a sacrifice, finding new indices of improvements and would enhance exposure of success to supplant the gross domestic prod - the issue in the media. Discussion of paid vaca - uct (which is more a measure of the churn of tion—the epitome of leisure legislation—can money in the economy than of true value), and help raise the broader issue of Americans’ time providing real freedom to workers so that their poverty and its social and ecological impacts. 17 choice to limit their hours of labor does not In his inaugural address, President Barack come at the cost of being fired and losing Obama honored workers who accepted shorter their livelihoods and health care. It is time to hours rather than see their colleagues fired. But take stock of the “best practices” already being more can be done. Economist Dean Baker implemented in some countries, expanding proposes that any further government stimu - them and applying them throughout the lus packages include tax credits for companies world. This way lies hope, sustainability, and that reduce working hours through shorter greater joy as well. workweeks, family or sick leave, or extended

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 177 Index

A alternative energy sources. See also energy abortion, 37, 38 conservation Abouleish, Ibrahim, 105 cradle-to-cradle design and, 106 Action Coalition for Media Education, 159 electricity generation options in California, Acumen Fund, 105 124 Adbusters Magazine, 184 music concerts and festivals promoting, 168, Adidas, 163 169 advertising and marketing. See also media “non-rival” nature of, 88 children, aimed at, 62, 64–67 as panacea, 173–74 in consumer cultures, 11–13, 15 American Academy of Pediatrics, 67 media literacy, need for, 15, 149, 157–63 American Association for Sustainability in Higher social marketing, 149, 151–56 Education, 79 storytelling approach to, 151–56 American Independent Business Alliance, 110 affluenza, 176 American Psychological Association, 67 Africa. See also specific countries Anderson, E. N., 31 Earth jurisprudence in, 147–48 Anderson, Ray, 99, 100 media literacy in, 161 Apple Computers advertising campaign, 153 obesity in, 138 Apwe Plezi (soap opera), 39 sustainable consumption and production Argentina, 107, 160, 163 framework, 120 Arizona State University, 77 The Age of Stupid (film), 3, 19, 165 Arrow, Kenneth, 139 agriculture the arts. See media in ecovillages, 187 Ashoka, 104–05 Farm Aid, 169 Aspen Institute, 78 local, 110–14 Atlantic, College of the, 77 social farming, 141 Auroville ecovillage, India, 188 sustainable, 22, 47–53 Australia wwoofing, 184 aboriginal communities, role of elders in, 45 agroforestry, 51–52 early childhood education in sustainability in, AID S/HIV, 44, 105, 154 60–61 Akatu Institute for Conscious Consumption ecovillage movement in, 190 (Brazil), 107 incandescent bulbs banned in, 119, 120 Alliance for a Media Literate America, 159 media literacy in, 160 Alliance for Religions and Conservation, 23 no-till/low-till agriculture in, 52, 53

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 231 Index STATE OF THE WORLD 2010

Australia (continued) Brown, Lester, 119 TravelSmart and LivingSmart in, 135, Brown University, 77 136, 137 Buddhism, 23, 25, 26, 27, 29 Austria, 160 Buffett, Warren, 89 automobiles. See transportation/travel Bumbershoot, 168 Bush, George W., 13 B business, 83–115 B Corporations, 18, 102 adapting institutions and practices for B Labs, 102 sustainability, 83, 85–90 Bahá’í faith, 25, 26 choice editing by, 124–25 Bainbridge Graduate Institute, 78 in consumer cultures, 13, 14, 18 Baker, Dean, 177 corporate charters, revising, 102 Ball, Jim, 100 corporate culture, transforming, 83–84, Banda, Fackson, 161 86–102 Bangladesh, 18, 103–04, 105, 107 cradle-to-cradle design, 17, 52, 84, 106 Barcelona, Universitat Autònoma de, 80 ecovillages, labor systems in, 187 Barefoot College, India, 184 education at professional and business schools, Bartholomew (Orthodox patriarch), 25 78 BedZED, 133–34, 136 national security implications of Belgium, 17 unemployment, 128, 132 Belize, 50, 51–52 relocalization of, 84, 110–15, 180 Belk, Russell, 10 social enterprises and entrepreneurs, 84, Bellingham, Washington, 110, 112, 114 103–09 Benedict XVI (Pope), 26 vacation time, 175–77 Bennett, David, 28 work hours and work schedules, 83, 91–95, Benyus, Janine, 50 171, 173–77, 182–83 Berry, Thomas, 16, 145, 147 Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, Beuys, Joseph, 166 110, 114 Bhutan, 81 Buy Nothing Day, 35, 184 Bingham, Sally, 25 biofuels, 169 C Bioneers, 80 Cabbages and Condoms restaurant (Thailand), birth control, 38, 39 18, 105, 109 Black Friday, 33, 35, 184 California Academy of Sciences, 68 Blair, Tony, 13 Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, 67 Blake, Robin, 163 Campbell, Joseph, 152, 154, 155 Bolsa Familia (Brazil), 141 Canada Bono, 168 consumer culture in, 15 Botswana, 44 green commercial developments in, 172 Boulding, Kenneth, 87 health care system, ecological footprint of, B&Q, 125 142 Brand, Stewart, 34 intergenerational learning programs, 44 Brazil media literacy in, 160 advertising to children in, 67 outdoor and environmental education in, 58 carbon index for financial markets, 108 Quebec, advertising to children in, 66 conditional cash transfer programs, 141 carbon emissions popular education movement in, 180 Christian churches, carbon fasts sponsored by, school meals in, 70 27, 33–35 social entrepreneurship in, 107 consumer culture and, 6, 18 broadcasting. See media Earth Atmospheric Trust, 90 Brög, Werner, 135 financial markets, carbon index for, 108

232 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Index

green campus movement and, 80 agricultural systems and, 47 Waste Concern, Bangladesh, 107 artists, transformation from consumers to, Carnegie-Mellon University, 77 150, 166 cars. See transportation/travel business response to, 88 Carson, Rachel, 77, 175 consumer culture and, 5 celebrations and festivals, 10, 32–35, 188 environmental journalism in India and, 162 Center for a New American Dream, 94 green campus movement and, 80 Center for Earth Jurisprudence, 147 media literacy and, 157–58 Center for Eco-Literacy (Berkeley, California), 80 population levels and, 36, 37, 40 Center for Economic and Policy Research, 92, security issues related to, 128, 129 175 social marketing as means of addressing, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 154–55 (U.S.), 9 social media and, 156 Centre for Green Burial, 33 Taoist response to, 23 Chadha, Narender, 42 UN and Alliance for Religions and Chalmers University (Gothenburg, Sweden), 78 Conservation, partnership between, 23 Channel One News, 15 Clinton, Bill, 168 Chapman, Tracy, 169 Coca-Cola, 163 charcoal lighter fluid ban in Los Angeles, Califor - Cohen, Lizbeth, 121 nia, 120 cohousing, 172, 180 Charity in Truth (2009 papal encyclical), 26, 29 collective versus individualistic values, 41, 183 Charles, Prince of Wales, 25 college buildings and operations, 79–80 Child Nutrition Act (U.S.), 182 college-level education, 56, 75–82 childbearing, ecologically sustainable, 21, 36–40 Colombia, 148, 184 children Colorado, University of, 79 in consumer cultures, 9–10, 15–16, 18, 55, common asset trusts, 89–90 62–67 “commons sector” of economy, expanding, 89–90 education of. See education communitarian versus individualistic values, 41, human/nature relationship, fostering, 58 183 music for, 167 community ecological governance, 148 play and commercialism, 62–67 Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund, toys, 64–66 144, 146–48 Children & Nature Network, 67 The Compact, 184 China complexity, 89 agricultural systems in, 47 conditional cash transfer programs, 141 Disney-themed English language programs in, Confucianism, 23, 26 64 Congo, Democratic Republic of, 130 one-child policy in, 36, 37 consumer cultures, 3–20 religious heritage of, 23 advertising and marketing in, 11–13, 15. See Sichuan earthquake (2008), 156 also advertising and marketing chlorofluorocarbons, phaseout of, 122, 123 ageism in, 41, 43 choice editing, 117, 119–26 artists, transformation from consumers to, Christian Children’s Fund, 45 150, 166 Christianity, 26, 27, 29, 33–35 children and, 9–10, 15–16, 18, 55, 62–67 Christmas, 10, 32, 33 defining culture, 7–8 Church of Stop Shopping, 10 dominant cultural paradigm, consumerism as, cinema, social power of, 150, 165 8–11 cities and towns, 117, 133–37, 180, 184 education and, 9–10, 15–16, 18, 55, 62–67 Clean Development Mechanism, Kyoto Protocol, happiness in, 8, 9, 10, 13, 27, 44, 64, 121, 107 157 climate change historical development of, 11

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 233 Index STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 consumer cultures (continued) D importance/difficulty of transforming, 3–4, 7, Damtie, Mellese, 147 18–20, 184 Daniel Pennock Democracy School, 147 institutional drivers of, 11–16, 18–20 Dave Matthews Band, 168 Marrakech Process project on education in DCarb Index, 108 sustainable consumption, 121 DCI Group, 158 population levels and, 4, 36 de Graaf, John, 126 promoting sustainable cultures, 16–20 décroissance (degrowth) movement, 172, 181 quality of life and consumption levels, 8, 9 democracy, improving, 90 religion, role of, 20, 25–27, 29 Democratic Republic of Congo, 130 rituals and taboos in, 10, 31–33 Denmark, 180 shopping, 33, 35, 63, 184 Depavers, 169 social marketing as means of transforming, Deudney, Daniel, 127 153, 154 Development Through Radio project, 161 symbols in, 8–9 Dewey, John, 75 unsustainability of, 4–7 Diamond, Jared, 99 voluntary simplicity movement as means of Diesel brand clothing ad campaign, 157–58, 163 changing, 8, 9 diet. See food/eating contraception, 38, 39 disasters, natural, 128, 131–32 Cool Congregations, 25 Discovery Channel, 64 Coomaraswamy, A. K., 166 Disney, 12, 64, 67 Cornell University, 186, 190 disposable paper products, 14 corporate charters, 102 diversity, celebration of, 106 corporate culture, transforming, 83–84, 86–102 dos Santos, Feliciano, 167 Counting Crows, 169 Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, 108 Cowichan Tribes of British Columbia, 44 downshifting, 94 cradle-to-cradle design, 17, 52, 84, 106 Dylan, Bob, 169 Criança e Consumo, 67 Criticos, Costas, 161 E Crompton, Tom, 183 early childhood education in sustainability, 55, CrystalWaters, Australia, 190 57–61 Cuba, 132, 139, 140 Earth Atmospheric Trust, 90 culture change Earth Charter, 80 academic/scientific understanding of, 81 Earth Day, 33 in business, 83–115. See also business Earth Hour, 35 community involvement and, 183 Earth jurisprudence, 118, 143–48 in consumer societies, 3–20. See also consumer Earth Markets, 182 cultures Earth Policy Institute, 119 defining culture, 7–8 Earth Summit (Rio, 1992), 162 education as means of, 55–82. See also Easter Island, Rapanui culture of, 22 education ecoAmerica, 80 governments’ role in, 117–48. See also Ecogainder (television program), 167 governments Ecological Footprint Indicator, 4, 5, 7 Great Network approach to, 19 “ecology monks” in Thailand, 25 importance/difficulty of, 3–4, 7, 18–20 economics long-term thinking, role of, 34 adapting institutions and practices for social movements fomenting, 171–90. See also sustainability, 83, 85–90 social movements carbon index for financial markets, 108 traditions and, 21–53. See also traditions “commons sector,” expanding, 89–90 unlimited growth in limited world, problem ecocentric versus anthropocentric ethics of, 28 of, 4–7, 88–88 global financial collapse (2008), 95, 128, 173

234 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Index

media literacy programs, funding of, 163 Interfaith Power and Light, 25 media reports, funding of, 158 national security consequences of, 130–31 metrics of well-being, redefining, 88–89 as panacea, 173–74 national security, relationship to, 127–29 enterprises and entrepreneurs, social, 84, 103–09 religious teachings and precepts, 27, 29 Entertainment-Education in Mexico, 153–54 relocalization of business, capital for, 115 environmental G8, 154 sustainable investments by religious Environmental Protection Agency (U.S.), 108, institutions, 27 142, 164 ecovillages movement, 20, 133, 172, 180, 185–90 equity/inequality Ecuador, 19, 131, 143 consumer cultures and, 6, 16–17 editing out unsustainable behavior, 117, 119–26 economic and business transition, populations education, 55–82 affected by, 89 California Academy of Sciences, greening of, national security, relationship to, 127–29, 130 68 Erin Brockovich (film), 165 consumer culture and, 9–10, 15–16, 18, 55, ethics. See values and ethics 62–67 Ethiopia, 147–48 early childhood, 55, 57–61 Europe. See also specific countries ecovillage initiatives, 189–90 consumer culture in, 4, 7, 11, 36 elders, cultural role of, 41–46 early childhood education in, 57 within the family, 60 green building movement and college campus family size and, 38–39 design and operation, 79 human/nature relationship, fostering, 58 green burials in, 33 journalism as force for, 150 placemaking in, 184 Marrakech Process project on education in school meals in, 69, 71 sustainable consumption, 121 Slow movement in, 180 media literacy, 15, 149, 157–63 social entrepreneurship in, 103 music as education and entertainment, 149, social farming in, 141 164–69 work hours in, 92, 93, 174–76 planetary lifestyles, encouraging, 137 European Union, 71, 119, 182 play, role of, 62–67 ExxonMobil, 158 popular education movement in Brazil, 180 professional and business schools, 78 F religious, 27 Facebook, 150, 155, 164 school meals, 55, 69–74, 182 La Fageda, 103 university-level, 56, 75–82 Fair Trade movement unresolved questions in environmental educa - choice editing and, 123, 124 tion, 77 relocalized businesses and, 112 Egypt, 105, 107 school meals and, 73–74 Ekins, Paul, 8 Slow Food movement and, 182 Ekwendeni Hospital (Malawi), 45 social entrepreneurship and, 107 elders as cultural and environmental resources, Take Back Your Time movement and, 175 21–22, 41–46, 185 families Electrolux, 99 childbearing, ecologically sustainable, 21, Elgin, Duane, 13 36–40 employment. See business as educators, 60 empty-world vision, 85 Farm Aid, 169 energy conservation. See also alternative energy The Farm, Tennessee, 190 sources farming. See agriculture electricity generation options in California, fast food/junk food, 14, 17, 70, 153 124 Federal Communications Commission (U.S.), 67 incandescent bulbs, banning, 119, 120 female genital mutilation, 45–46

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 235 Index STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 fertility, controlling, 21, 36–40 Gauntlett, David, 163 festivals and celebrations, 10, 32–35, 188 Gaye, Marvin, 164 Fiji, 64 Gehl, Jan, 184 film, social power of, 150, 165 Geldof, Bob, 167 finances. See economics Geller, Scott, 154–55 Findhorn ecovillage, Scotland, 186, 187, 188, 190 gender issues. See women Finland, 121, 140, 160 genuine progress indicator, 86, 88, 89 Flickr, 155 George Mason University Center for Climate Florida, Richard, 113 Change Communication, 154 food/eating Ger, Güliz, 10 cultural determination of, 8 Germany dietary norms, 49 Cooperation with Africa project, Marrakech disease burden and, 128 Process, 120 fast food/junk food, 14, 17, 70 ecovillages in, 133, 186 The Meatrix (marketing campaign), 17, 20 military spending in, 129 product labeling, 123–24, 125–26 outdoor and environmental education in, 58, relocalized food production, 110–14 67 school meals, 55, 69–74, 182 Ghana, 31, 43, 44–45, 70 Slow Food movement, 20, 49, 172, 182 Gilman, Robert, 185 university food systems, 79 Glastonbury Festival, 168 vegetarianism, 17, 20, 27, 49 Global Ecovillage Network, 185, 189 waste equals food principle, 106 global financial collapse (2008), 95, 128, 173 Food Inc. (film), 49 Global Footprint Network, 173 forest conservation, 25, 28, 51–52 Global Giving, 105 Forrester, Jay, 87 Global Sustainability 50 Index, 108 France Global Sustainability Alliance, 81 advertising to children in, 66–67 global warming. See climate change children’s play in, 63 globalization décroissance (degrowth) movement in, 181 early childhood education and, 61 health care in, 139, 140 elders and, 41, 42, 43 media literacy in, 160 marketing to children and, 64–65 social entrepreneurship in, 103 university-level education and, 76 social farming in, 141 Goldman Environmental Prize, 167 Sustainable Tourism project, Marrakech Goleman, Dan, 125 Process, 121 Gore, Al, 100, 162, 167 work hours in, 176 governments, 117–48 Frank, Robert, 126 choice editing, 117, 119–26 Frau-Meigs, Divina, 160–61 consumer culture and, 13–15, 18–19 Frayton, Bill, 104 health care, 117–18, 138–42 Free Range Studios, 20 legal system, Earth jurisprudence in, 118, French Revolution, 11 143–48 Friere, Paulo, 180 national security issues, 114, 117, 127–32 Fuglesang, Andreas, 42 population concerns of, 37, 39–40 funding. See economics public procurement, 71, 120 funerals, 10, 32, 33 urban environments and, 117, 133–37 work schedules, changes in, 95 G Grameen Bank, 18, 103–04 Gaia Education, 190 Grandmother Project, 45–46 Gaia Foundation, 145, 148 Grayson, Alan, 177 Ganesh Chathauri festival, 32–33 Great Network approach, 19 Gates, Bill, 105 Green Bibles, 20, 24

236 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Index green building movement, 79–80, 121 Helen Keller International, 45 green burial, 33 Heriot-Watt University (Edinburgh, Scotland), green jobs, 132 190 “Green nuns,” 25 Heschel, Abraham, 178 green Ramadan, 35 Hewitt Associates, 95 Green Revolution, 50 Hickman, Leo, 120 greenhouse gases. See carbon emissions High Sierra Music Festival, 168 Greenland ice sheet, 5 higher-level education, 56, 75–82 Greenpeace, 99 Highlander Center (Tennessee), 180 Grishino ecovillage, Russia, 188 Hillis, Danny, 34 gross domestic product, alternatives to, 81, 87, Hinduism, 26 88, 89 HIV/AIDS, 44, 105, 154 “gross national happiness” measures (Bhutan), 81 Hokusai, Katsushika, 149 gross national product, 87 holiday celebrations, 10, 32–35 Grossman, Richard, 147 Holmgren, David, 52 Grunwald Declaration (1982), 159 Home (film), 165 Home Depot, 124–25 H homeland security issues, 114, 117, 127–32 Halleck, DeeDee, 163 Hong Kong, China, 160 Hampâté Bâ, Amadou, 42 Honore, Carl, 180 Hannaford Supermarkets, 125 Hornborg, Anne-Christine, 31 Hansen, James, 155, 158 Horton, Myles, 180 happiness hospitals, greening, 140–42 Bhutan, “gross national happiness” measures hours of work, 83, 91–95, 171, 173–77, 182–83 in, 81 Howard, Sir Albert, 48, 50 in consumer cultures, 8, 9, 10, 13, 27, 44, 64, Howard, Steve, 169 121, 157 human/nature relationship, fostering, 58 ecovillage movement and, 186 Human Security Network, 129 religious precepts regarding, 27, 29 Hungry for Success report (2002), 72 voluntary simplicity and, 178, 179, 181 Hunter, James Davison, 19 work hours and, 175 Hartzfeld, Jim, 100 I Harvard Business School, 78 An Inconvenient Truth (film), 100, 162, 165 Hasbro, 64 India Hawken, Paul, 20, 83, 123 Barefoot College, 184 health, 117–18, 138–42 consumer culture in, 6–7 childbearing, ecologically sustainable, 21, Earth jurisprudence in, 148 36–40 ecovillages in, 188 in consumer cultures, 9, 17 elders, cultural role of, 42 diet. See food/eating environmental journalism in, 162 diplomacy, as form of, 132 Ganesh Chathauri festival, 32–33 disease burden, security issues related to, 128 Ladakh Project, 185, 189 female genital mutilation, 45–46 McDonald’s in, 64 focus on promoting health versus curing dis - natural gas for urban transport, switch to, 124 ease, 117–18, 138–40 population concerns in, 37 global financial collapse (2008) and, 173 indigenous peoples. See also specific groups greening health care systems, 140–42 Earth jurisprudence, practice of, 143 social marketing in, 152–54 economic precepts and practices, 29 social welfare programs, sustainability of, 141 elders, cultural role of, 42, 44, 45 work schedules and, 94, 173–75 rituals and taboos, ecological roles of, 31, 35 Health Care Without Harm, 142 individualistic versus collective values, 41, 183

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 237 Index STATE OF THE WORLD 2010

Indonesia, 65, 119, 132 Jevons Paradox, 135 industry. See business John Paul II (Pope), 25, 168 inequality. See equity/inequality Jordan, 6, 53 infinite growth in a finite world, problem of, 4–7, Jordan, Chris, 149 88–88 journalism standards, 150, 158, 162 institutional drivers of consumer cultures, 11–16 Judaism, 26, 29, 30 Integrated Global Systems Model, 5 judicial system, Earth’s rights under, 118, 143–48 Interface, Inc., 97–98, 99, 100, 101 Judith Marcuse Projects, 169 Interfaith Power and Light, 25 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 80, K 81, 162 Kahn, Herman, 77 International Centre of Art for Social Change, Kasser, Tim, 179, 183 169 Kaza, Stephanie, 27 International Interfaith Investment Group, 27 KB Home, 99 International Labour Organization, 128 Keniry, Julian, 79 Internet. See media Kenya, 148 Iranian presidential elections (2009), 156 Kibbutz Lotan, Israel, 189, 190 Ireland, 10, 120 King, Franklin Hiram, 48 Irthlingz, 167 Knight, Allen, 125 Islam, 26, 29, 35 Knight, Phil, 100 Israel, 64, 189 Korea, 47, 160 Italy Korowai people of New Guinea, 8 décroissance (degrowth) movement in, 181 kosher practices, 30 Education for Sustainable Consumption pro - Kyoto Protocol, 107 ject, Marrakech Process, 121 Kyoto University (Japan), 79 Lecco, piedibuses in, 18 school meals in, 71, 72–74 L Slow Food movement in, 182 labor. See business social entrepreneurship in, 103 Ladakh Project, 185, 189 Ithaca (New York), Ecovillage at, 186, 190 Land, Edwin, 97 Land Institute (Salina, Kansas), 51 J Lang, Tim, 123 Jackson, Lisa, 164 Latin America. See also specific countries Jackson, Michael, 167 New Year celebrations in, 33 Jackson, Wes, 51 social entrepreneurship in, 107 Jainism, 27 law, Earth jurisprudence in, 118, 143–48 Jamie’s School Dinners (television program), 72 Lawton, Geoff, 53 Japan Lden, Tsewang, 185, 189 agricultural systems in, 47 Lebow, Victor, 12–13, 15 children’s eco-programming in, 167 legal system, Earth jurisprudence in, 118, 143–48 children’s play in, 63 Leonard, Annie, 153 consumer culture in, 9, 10, 12 Leopold, Aldo, 77, 175 early childhood education in sustainability in, life expectancy statistics, 139 61 Linzey, Thomas, 146 military spending in, 129 Live Aid, 167 New Year celebrations in, 33 Live Earth, 167–68 population concerns in, 39 LivingRoots, 190 product labeling in, 125–26 LivingSmart, 137 social entrepreneurship in, 104 local businesses, revival of, 84, 110–15, 180 university-level education in, 78, 79 Locke, John, 75 Jefferson, Thomas, 75 Long Bets, 34

238 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Index long-distance travel, 35 music as education and entertainment, 149, Long Now Foundation, 34 164–69 Los Angeles, California, ban on charcoal lighter social marketing, 149, 151–56 fluid in, 120 social media, 155–56 Louv, Richard, 58 women and sexuality in, 39 Lovelock, James, 19 Media Link Worldwide, 158 Lovins, Amory, 97 media literacy, 15, 149, 157–63 Lyonchen Jigmi, 81 metrics of well-being, redefining, 88–89 Mexico M conditional cash transfer programs, 141 Maathai, Wangari, 77 social entrepreneurship in, 107 Madonna, 168 social marketing in, 153–54, 155 Malawi, 45, 161 Tlaxcala, history of agriculture in, 47, 53 Mali, 44, 45 Mezger, Jeff, 99 Malthus, Thomas, 85 micro-credit programs, 103–04 Mandela, Nelson, 42–43 Microsoft, 163 marketing. See advertising and marketing Middlebury College, 77 Marlboro Man advertising campaign, 151 ,153 migration patterns and national security, 128–29 Marrakech Process, United Nations, 118, 120 Mi’kmaq people (Nova Scotia), 31 Maryland, poultry industry in, 111 Mill, John Stuart, 87 mass transit. See transportation/travel Millennium Assessment of Human Behavior, 56, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 5, 78–79, 81–82 186 Millennium Development Goals, 130 Massukos, 167 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 4–5 materialism, 10, 64–65, 179 Milliband, Ed, 34 Mattel, 64 Mining Act (1872; U.S.), 85 Maurice, Angus, 52, 53 Mitchell, Joni, 169 Mauritania, 45 Mitsubishi, 99 Maxwell, James, 123 Moai statues, Easter Island, 22 Maya Mountain Research Farm, Belize, 50, 51–52 Mollison, Bill, 52 Mayer, Jean, 77 MomsRising, 177 Mazria, Edward, 80 Montreal Protocol, 122, 123 McDonald’s, 9, 14, 64, 67, 153, 182 Moore, Charles, 17–18 McKibben, Bill, 155, 179–80 Morales, Evo, 148 Mead, Margaret, 20 morality. See values and ethics Meadowcreek Project, 79 Morris, William, 166 Meadows, Donella, 16 mortality rates, 139, 140 The Meatrix (marketing campaign), 17, 20 motor vehicles. See transportation/travel media, 149–69 movies, social power of, 150, 165 advertising and marketing in. See advertising Mozambique, 167 and marketing Muir, John, 175–76 artists, transformation of consumers into, 150, music as education and entertainment, 149, 166 164–69 children’s play affected by, 64–65 music concerts and festivals, carbon footprint of, in consumer cultures, 13, 19–20, 64–65, 149 168–69 economic transformation, role in, 90 Musicians United for Safe Energy, 169 education regarding (media literacy), 15, 149, 157–63 N film, social power of, 150, 165 Namibia, 64 globalization of, 43–44 National Academy of Sciences (U.S.), 12 journalism standards, 150, 158, 162 National Adaptation Programmes of Action, 37

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 239 Index STATE OF THE WORLD 2010

National Association for Media Education, 159 perennial polycultures, 51 national security issues, 114, 117, 127–32 permaculture, 52–53 National Wildlife Federation, 79 Peru, 33, 131 natural disasters, 128, 131–32, 156, 162 Pickett, Kate, 179 nature, fostering human relationship with, 58 Pimentel, David, 49 Navdanya, 148 placemaking, 184 Nelson, Willie, 169 planetary lifestyles, encouraging, 137 Nesbitt, Christopher, 51 plastic waste, 18, 117, 120, 149, 168 Net Impact, 78 play, children at, 62–67 Netherlands, 67, 141, 176 El Poder de Consumidor (Mexico), 107 New Guinea, 8, 31 Poland, 107 New Year celebrations, 33 The Police (rock band), 168 New Zealand, 18, 58, 66, 112, 180 Pollan, Michael, 49 Nickelodeon Channel, 64 polycultures, perennial, 51 Nike, 99, 100 population Ningo people of Ghana, 31 consumption patterns and, 4, 36 No Child Left Inside Act (U.S.), 58, 67 family size, ecologically sustainable, 21, 36–40 no-till/low-till agriculture, 52 migration patterns and national security, North American Association for Environmental 128–29 Education, 79 Population and Community Development North American Industrial Classification System, Association, Thailand, 105 114 Porini, 148 North Karelia Project (Finland), 140 Portugal, 103 Norway, 58, 141 Presidio School of Management, 78 Pridmore, Pat, 44 O Princen, Thomas, 125 Obama, Barack, 103, 105, 177 procurement, public, 71, 120 Oberlin College, 80 product labeling, 123–24, 125–26 obesity, as health issue, 138, 140 product placement, 12 Oduaran, Akopovire, 43 productivity, work schedules, and ecological Office of Communications (U.K.), 163 footprint, 91–93, 173–77 Ojai Music Festival, 168 professional and business schools, 78 Oklahoma Food Coop, 111 project approach to teaching, 59–60 ONE Campaign, 168 public procurement, 71, 120 Oportunidades (Mexico), 141 public service announcements (social marketing), organic agriculture, 50–51 149, 151–56 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and public transport. See transportation/travel Development, 13 Pullman, Phillip, 67 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report (2008), Putnam, Robert, 183 58 Q P Quebec (Canada), advertising to children in, 66 Pacala, Stephen, 6 Pachauri, R. K., 162 R Paid Vacation Act of 2009 (U.S.), 177 radio and television. See media Pan Yue, 23 Raffi, 167 Panos Southern Africa, 161 Rainforest Action Network, 99 Paris Agenda (2007), 159 Raitt, Bonnie, 169 Parliament of the World’s Religions, 24 Ramadan, greening of, 35 Peace Parks, 131 Rapanui culture, Easter Island, 22 Pennsylvania, University of, 80–81 Rappaport, Roy, 31

240 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Index

Red List (World Conservation Union), 31 Sieben Linden ecovillage, Germany, 186 regulatory capture, 13–14 silkworm life cycle, as educational tool, 61 religion. See also specific faiths Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska (television consumer cultures, role in, 20, 25–27, 29 series), 183–84 family size and, 40 simplicity, voluntary, 171–72, 177, 178–84 Green Bibles, 20, 24 Simpson, Walter, 79 rituals and taboos, 21, 27, 30–35 Skoll, Jeff, and Skoll Foundation, 105 support for sustainable cultures from, 21, sky burials in Tibet, 32 23–29 Slow Cities movement, 180 Religion, Science and the Environment, 25 Slow Fish (2009), 182 relocalization movement, 84, 110–15, 180 Slow Food cafés and restaurants, 182 resilience, 89 Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity, 182 resource conflicts, national security issues Slow Food movement, 20, 49, 172, 180, 182 stemming from, 127–28, 130–31 Slow movement generally, 180–83 Richie, Lionel, 167 Smith, Stewart, 113–14 rituals and taboos, 21, 27, 30–35 Smithsonian, National Anthropological Archive, Rodale Institute, 50 34 Rodin, Judith, 80 Snoop Dogg, 168 Roman empire, 89 soap operas used for social marketing, 39, Rosetta Project, 34 153–54, 155 Roskilde Festival, 168 social enterprises and entrepreneurs, 84, 103–09 Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, 75 social farming, 141 Rugmark, 107 social marketing, 149, 151–56 Ruhm, Christopher, 173 social media, 155–56 Russia, 39, 160, 164, 188 social movements, 171–90 décroissance (degrowth) movement, 172, 181 S ecovillages, 20, 133, 172, 180, 185–90 Sabbath economics, 29 Fair Trade. See Fair Trade movement Sabido, Miguel, 153–54 green building movement, 79–80, 121 Sagan, Carl, 26 popular education movement in Brazil, 180 Sago grubs, 8 relocalization movement, 84, 110–15 Sample Lab Ltd., 12 Slow Cities movement, 180 Sarvodaya, 189 Slow Food movement, 20, 49, 172, 180, 182 Sawtell, Peter, 35 Slow movement generally, 180–83 schools and schooling. See education Take Back Your Time movement, 35, 171, Schumacher College (Devon, U.K.), 80 173–77, 182–83 Schwab Foundation, 105 voluntary simplicity movement, 171–72, 177, Scotland, 72, 186, 187, 188, 190. See also United 178–84 Kingdom social welfare programs, sustainability of, 141 Scott, Lee, 99 soil erosion and fertility, 48 scouting tradition, 58 in no-till/low-till systems, 52 seat belt use public service announcements, 153 in perennial polycultures, 51 Second Nature, 80 permaculture affecting, 53 security issues, 114, 117, 127–32 Soros, George, 105 Sekem, 105, 107 South Africa, 147, 154, 161 Senegal, 41, 42, 43, 45–46 South Korea, 47, 160 September 11th terrorist attacks, 13 Soylent Green (film), 150 7Rs, 59, 61 Spain, 79, 80, 103, 149, 181 Shiva, Vandana, 148 Speth, Gus, 174 shopping, 33, 35, 63, 184 spirituality. See religion Sichuan earthquake (2008), China, 156 SpongeBob Squarepants in Namibia, 64

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 241 Index STATE OF THE WORLD 2010

Sprengel, Carl, 48 Thailand, 18, 25, 105, 109 Spurlock, Morgan, 153 Thaler, Richard, 126 Sri Lanka, 132, 189 Three Mile Island, 169 St. Andrews, University of (Scotland), 190 350.org, 156 St. Lucia, 39 Tibet, sky burials in, 32 Standard & Poor U.S. Carbon Efficient Index, Tikopians, sustainable culture change made by, 22 108 time use and work schedules, 83, 91–95, 171, State University of New York–Buffalo, 79 173–77, 182–83 Stockholm Environment Institute, 186 Time with Grandma program, 44–45 Stone, Christopher, 145 TimeWarner, 159 The Story of Stuff (film), 153, 154 Tlingit people of Alaska, 35 storytelling, advertising, and social marketing, Tokyo, University of, 78 151–56 Toor, Will, 79 Stutzin, Godofredo, 145 top runner program, Japan, 125–26 Sunstein, Cass, 126 Torrent, Jordi, 160–61 Supersize Me (film), 153 tourism, sustainable, 121 Sustainable Business Network of Greater Towers Perrin, 95 Philadelphia, 114 towns and cities, 117, 133–37, 180, 184 Sustainable Connections, 110 toy libraries, 65, 66 Sustainable Development Commission/Council toys, 64–66 (U.K.), 119, 124, 1231 traditions, 21–53 Sustainable Development Roundtable, 123 agriculture, sustainable, 22, 47–53 Sweden celebrations and festivals, 10, 32–35, 188 early childhood education in sustainability in, in consumer cultures, 10, 20 61 elders as cultural and environmental resources, green commercial developments in, 172 21–22, 41–46, 185 media literacy in, 160 family size, 21, 36–40 Sustainable Lifestyles project, Marrakech religion, support for sustainable cultures from, Process, 120 20, 21, 23–29, 35 university-level education in, 78 rituals and taboos, 21, 27, 30–35 voluntary simplicity movement, 180 sustainability, reorientation towards, 20 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, 78 Training the Trainer on Media and Information Switzerland, 120 Literacy Curricula (UNESCO), 159 Sylvan, Richard, 28 Transfair USA, 107 symbols in consumer cultures, 8–9 Transition Towns, 20, 110, 172, 180, 181 transitional agriculture, 53 T transportation/travel taboos and rituals, 21, 27, 30–35 car tax in London, 124 Take Back Your Time movement, 35, 171, in consumer cultures, 14, 17, 18 173–77, 182–83 long-distance travel, attitude towards, 35 Talloires Declaration (1990), 77 natural gas for urban transport, Indian switch Tanzania, 154 to, 124 Taoism, 23, 26, 27 seat belt use public service announcements, Tbilisi Declaration (1977), 76, 80 153 teaching and teachers. See education in urban environments, 134–37 Tech Central Station Science Roundtable, 158 for weddings, 31 Technical University of Catalonia (Spain), 79 World Carfree Day, 35 Telecom, 163 TravelSmart, 135–37 television. See media trees and forest conservation, 25 Temps de Re-voltes, 181 Tsembaga people of New Guinea, 31 TERI University (India), 79 Tsering, Dolma, 185, 189

242 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 Index

Tsha-Tsha (television drama), 154 child tax credits and population levels in, 39 tsunami of 2004, 132 children’s play in, 58, 63, 67 Tucker, Mary Evelyn, 23 choice editing in, 121, 124–25 Turkey, 160 consumer culture in, 6, 9, 10, 11–1 2, 13, 33 Tuscon Originals, 115 Earth jurisprudence in, 147 TV Turnoff Week, 35 ecovillages in, 186, 187, 190 Twende na Wakati (radio drama), 154 green celebrations in, 35 Twin Oaks ecovillage, Virginia, 187 health and health care in, 138, 139, 140, 142 Twitter, 155, 164 intergenerational learning programs, 44 investment portfolios, sustainability of, 27 U labor productivity and work hours in, 92–95, U2, 168 174–77 UN-Alliance of Civilization, 159–61 military spending in, 129 UNESCO, 46, 55, 76, 79, 120, 159 music and social engagement in, 164 United Kingdom relocalization of businesses in, 110–15 advertising to children in, 67 school meals in, 70, 71 BedZED, 133–34, 136 Slow movement in, 180–83 carbon fasting in, 33–35 social entrepreneurship in, 107 choice editing in, 124, 125 TravelSmart, 135 consumer culture in, 9, 10, 13 university-level education in, 75, 77, 80 Earth jurisprudence in, 147 United Support of Artists, 167 ecovillages in, 186, 187, 188, 190 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 159 green burials in, 33 Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother London car tax, 124 Earth, call for, 148 media literacy in, 160, 163 university buildings and operations, 79–80 school meals in, 71, 72 university-level education, 56, 75–82 social entrepreneurship in, 103, 104, 107 unlimited growth in limited world, problem of, Sustainable Product project, Marrakech 4–7, 88–88 Process, 120–21 urban environments, 117, 133–37, 180, 184 Transition Towns in, 181 Ure, Midge, 167 TravelSmart, 135 university-level education in, 80 V United Nations vacation time, 175–77 Alliance for Religions and Conservation, part - values and ethics nership with, 23 in consumer cultures, 10, 16, 18, 2 7, 64–65 Convention on the Rights of the Child, 62 ecocentric versus anthropocentric, 28 Decade of Education for Sustainable Develop - ecovillage movement and, 186, 189 ment, 190 individualistic versus collective, 41, 183 Environment Programme, 52, 76, 131 materialism, 10, 64–65, 179 Framework Convention on Climate Change, religious, 27, 28 37 vegetarianism, 17, 20, 27, 49. See also food/eating Marrakech Process, 118, 120 Viet Nam, 37, 65 Millennium Development Goals, 130 Vivanco, Luis, 8 peacekeeping forces, 130, 131 Volkswagen Beetle advertising campaign, 153 Population Fund, 44 voluntary simplicity movement, 171–72, 177, on security issues of climate change, 129 178–84 World Food Programme, 70–71 von Liebig, Justus, 50 World Youth Report, 2005, 43 United States W advertising to children in, 64, 67 WALL-E (film), 150, 165 carbon indexes for financial markets, 108 Wall, Kevin, 167

BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES 243 Index STATE OF THE WORLD 2010

Walmart Women’s Alliance of Ladakh, 189 Buy Nothing Day at, 184 work. See business choice editing at, 125, 126 World Agroforestry Centre, 52 corporate culture, changing, 99, 100, 101, World Bank Institute, 109 111–12 World Carfree Day, 35 Wals, Arjen, 60 World Conservation Union, 31 Waste Concern (Bangladesh), 104, 105, 107 World Health Organization, 138, 139, 140 waste equals food principle, 106 World Trade Organization, 88 water and water conservation, 14, 25, 53, 131 World Values Survey, 24 Waves of Change (documentary), 163 World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms, weddings, 10, 31 184 Wedgwood, Josiah, 11 World Wrestling Entertainment programming in Weiner, Sanford, 123 Israel, 64 well-being metrics, redefining, 88–89 World Youth Report, 2005 (UN), 43 Welsch, Robert, 8 WTOK-11 (Meridian, Mississippi) news, 158 Western Antarctica ice sheet, 5 Wuthnow, Robert, 183 White, Leslie, 8 wwoofing, 184 Wikipedia, 90 Wild Law (Gaia Foundation), 145–47 Y Wilkinson, Richard, 179 Yale Project on Climate Change, 154 Williams College, 77 Yolngu tribe, Australia, 45 women Yosemite National Park, 176 ageist bias against, 43, 44 Yousman, Bill, 159 childbearing, ecologically sustainable, 21, Youth Commission on Globalisation, 43, 44 36–40 YouTube, 90, 150, 155 female genital mutilation, 45–46 Yunus, Muhammad, 103 introduction of television and rise in eating disorders, 64 Z micro-financing for, 104 Zambia, 161

244 WWW.WORLDWATCH.ORG SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT 2 0 1 0 STATE OF THE WORLD Transforming Cultures From Consumerism to Sustainability

Advance Praise for State of the World 2010: “If we continue to think of ourselves mostly as consumers, it’s going to be very hard to bring our environmental troubles under control. But it’s also going to be very hard to live the rounded and joyful lives that could be ours. This is a subversive volume in all the best ways!” —Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy and full image The End of Nature “Worldwatch has taken on an ambitious agenda in this volume. No generation in history has achieved a cultural transformation as sweeping as the one called for here…it is hard not to be impressed with the book’s boldness.” —Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank extreme close-up “This year’s State of the World report is a cultural Several million pounds of plastic mindbomb exploding with devastating force. I hope enter the world’s oceans every hour, it wakes a few people up.” portrayed on the cover by the 2.4 million bits of plastic that make up —Kalle Lasn, Editor of Adbusters magazine Gyre, Chris Jordan’s 8- by 11-foot reincarnation of the famous 1820s Like a tsunami, consumerism has engulfed human woodblock print, The Great Wave cultures and Earth’s ecosystems. Left unaddressed, we Off Kanagawa, by the Japanese artist risk global disaster. But if we channel this wave, intention- Katsushika Hokusai. ally transforming our cultures to center on sustainability, For discussion questions, we will not only prevent catastrophe but may usher in an additional essays, era of sustainability—one that allows all people to thrive video presentations, and event calendar, visit while protecting, even restoring, Earth. blogs.worldwatch.org/ In this year’s State of the World report, 50+ renowned transformingcultures. researchers and practitioners describe how we can Cover image: Gyre by Chris Jordan harness the world’s leading institutions—education, the Cover design: Lyle Rosbotham media, business, governments, traditions, and social movements—to reorient cultures toward sustainability.

W.W.NORTON B NEWYORK•LONDON www.worldwatch.org