A very ground-breaking report has just been put out by WWF raising some fundamental criticism of the extent to which many in the mainstream environment movement are focussing on hitching their wagon to appeals to financial self-interest, or the coincidence of business interest and environmental imperative. I personally think this report is timely and asks some crucial questions of the movement which could define the direction it takes. That this should come from WWF makes it all more interesting. It’s available here
The report supports a wider debate beginning to emerge in the ‘green movement’ which questions the way it has come to rely on ‘green consuming’ our way out of trouble. The report illustrates issues we raised in the QOL report about the crucial questions ‘what is progress’ and what is ‘a good life’. It investigates the way we have encouraged people to think of themselves as consumers rather than citizens and to become fixated on extrinsic values like image (which reduce our happiness) as opposed to intrinsic values like friendships and community involvement (which increase happiness).
This wider societal shift away from intrinsic to extrinsic values is merely being echoed by the green movement in its calls for people to just change a light bulb or unplug their mobile phones. Such incremental acts of greener consuming merely help to lock people into a mode of life centred on consuming rather than acting as citizens in a wider and deeper sense.
The report has set off a lively debate in the NGO movement and a debate which is timely for the wider sustainability shift that we all - citizens, companies and politicians - are part of.
No related posts.