Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

What Are Our Basic Needs?Obviously, each ofus has a basic needfor enough food,clean air, clean water,shelter, andSPOTLIGHTclothing to keep usalive and in good health. Accordingto various psychologists and othersocial scientists, each of us also hasother basic needs:■ A secure and meaningful livelihoodto provide our basic materialneeds■ Good physical and mentalhealth■ The opportunity to learn andgive expression to our intellectual,mechanical, and artistic talents■ A nurturing family and friendsand a peaceful and secure communitythat help us develop our capacityfor caring and loving relationshipswhile giving us the freedomto make personal choices■ A clean and healthy environmentthat is vibrant with biologicaland cultural diversity■ A sense of belonging to and caringfor a particular place and community■ An assurance that our childrenand grandchildren will be able tomeet these same basic needsA difficult but fundamental questionis asking how much of the stuffwe are all urged to buy helps usmeet these basic needs. Indeed, psychologistspoint out that many peoplebuy things in the hope or beliefthey will make up for not meetingsome of the basic needs listed here.Critical Thinking1. What basic needs, if any, wouldyou add to or remove from the listgiven here?2. Which of the basic needs listedhere (or additional ones you wouldadd) do you feel are being met foryou? What are your plans for tryingto fulfill any of your unfulfilledneeds? Relate these plans to yourenvironmental worldview.community—these are the sources of the greatest loveand joy we experience as humans. ... None of thesepleasures requires us to consume things from theEarth, yet each is deeply fulfilling.”How Can We Be More Effective as EnvironmentalCitizens? Avoid Mental Traps andDespair, Be Adaptable, and Enjoy LifeWe can help make the world a better place bynot falling into mental traps that lead to denialand inaction and by keeping our empowering feelingsof hope slightly ahead of our immobilizing feelingsof despair.When we first encounter an environmental problem,our initial response often is to find someone or somethingto blame, such as greedy industrialists or uncaringpoliticians. It is the fault of such villains, and weare the victims. This response can lead to despair, denial,apathy, and inaction because we feel powerless tostop or influence these forces.Upon closer examination we may realize that weall make some direct or indirect contributions to theenvironmental problems we face. Yet, we do not wantto feel guilty or bad about the environmental harm ourlifestyles may be inflicting. Thus we try not to thinkabout it much—another path to denial and inaction.According to primatologist Jane Goodall, “Thegreatest danger to our future is apathy. ... Can weovercome apathy? Yes, but only if we have hope. ...Technology alone is not enough. We must engage withour hearts also.”Analysts suggest that we move beyond blame,guilt, fear, denial, and apathy by recognizing andavoiding common mental traps that lead to denial, indifference,and inaction. These traps include gloomand-doompessimism (it is hopeless), blind technologicaloptimism (science and technofixes will save us), fatalism(we have no control over our actions and the future),extrapolation to infinity (if I cannot change the entireworld quickly, I will not try to change any of it), paralysisby analysis (searching for the perfect worldview,philosophy, solutions, and scientific information beforedoing anything), and faith in simple, easy answers.We will all accomplish more if we keep our empoweringfeelings of hope slightly ahead of our immobilizingfeelings of despair. It is also important not touse guilt and fear to try to motivate other people.Recognizing that there is no single correct or bestsolution to the environmental problems we face is alsoimportant. Indeed, one of nature’s most importantlessons is that preserving diversity—in this case, beingflexible and adaptable in trying a variety of solutionsto our problems—is the best way to adapt to theearth’s and life’s largely unpredictable, ever-changingconditions.Finally, we should have fun and take time to enjoylife. Laugh every day and enjoy nature, beauty, friendship,and love. This empowers us to become goodearth citizens who practice good earthkeeping.http://biology.brookscole.com/miller14639