only ! EnErgiEwEndE
now !
I
N ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION WE WOULD ALL HAVE TO RECONSIDER OUR VALUES.U
NFORTUNATELY, WE ARE DEALING WITH A STRONG FORCE OF INERTIAHERE, OUR ’INNER BEAST‘!
E
ATING VEGETARIAN FOR A CHANGE FROM TIME TO TIME IS NO BIG SACRIFICE, BUT IT OFFERS AN OPPORTUNITYNOT ONLY TO EAT MORE HEALTHILY, BUT ALSO TO ACT SUSTAINABLY AND DO
SOMETHING TO PROTECT THE CLIMATE AT THE SAME
TIME.
T
ELL ME, YOU REALLY DON’T EAT MEAT AT ALL?A
ND YOU’RESURE YOU’RE NOT LACKING ANYTHING?
THE BIGGESTANIMALS ONLY EAT VEGETABLES
T
HERE’S NO POINT IN ANY GOVERNMENT PASSING A LAW MAKING ALL CITIZENS VEGETARIANS.T
HAT WOULD BE A DICTATORSHIP OF VIRTUE.B
UT THE STATE COULD LAUNCH A CAMPAIGN OF PERSUASIONTO GENERATE INTEREST IN NEW IDEAS, SHOW THE OPPORTUNITIES OF SUCH A TRANSFORMATION, AND LINK IT WITH IDEAS OF A GOOD LIFE
WHICH THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE ALREADY HAVE ANYWAY.
M
RR
UDOLF, IT’SW
E’LL BE LAUNCHING IN ALL THE MAIN CITIES SIMULTANEOUSLY; WE MUST SWIM WITH THE SOCIALSTREAM.
A
T THE ADVERTISINGAGENCY
OK
, LET METALK TO HIM.
*SAVE THE PRINCESS GARDENS (AN URBAN GARDENING PROJECT)
*
D
EMOCRATIC LEGITIMACY IS MORE THAN JUST GAINING ACCEPTANCE.A
PART FROM THEOUTPUT, I.E. THE PRACTICAL RESULTS OF POLITICS FOR THE
CITIZENS, IT ALWAYS INVOLVES INPUT TOO: NAMELY THE POPULATION’S PARTICIPATION
IN THE DECISIONS.
I
N A DEMOCRACY THIS IS DONE BY ACTIVE MAJORITY CONSENT TO AN ISSUE, E.G. IN ELECTIONS ORREFERENDA.
P
ARTICIPATION IS THE BEST WAY TO GAIN LEGITIMACY FROM THE POPULATION.W
HENPEOPLE ACTIVELY TAKE PART IN POLITICAL DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES – WHETHER
BY SIGNING A PETITION OR JOINING A CITIZENS‘ ACTION GROUP – THEY ARE INVOLVED AS ACTORS.
T
HEY PARTICIPATEIN DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES, UNDERSTAND THEM AND ARE THEN WILLING
TO GIVE THEM THEIR SUPPORT.
112
I
NDEED, THERE HAVE BEEN TRENDS WITHIN THE POPULATION IN FAVOUR OF SUSTAINABILITY AND A CLIMATE-FRIENDLY LIFESTYLE FOR A LONG TIME.I
TS SUPPORTERS ARE NOT – OR NO LONGER – GOING AGAINST THE TIDE.T
HIS TREND CAN BE OBSERVED ACROSS CULTURES, EVEN WORLDWIDE.I
NS
PAIN, FOR EXAMPLE, ALMOST 100% OF THE POPULATION TAKE CLIMATE CHANGE VERY SERIOUSLY AS AGLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM.
SERIOUSLY / VERY SERIOUSLY
SPAIN
NOT VERY SERIOUSLY / NOT AT ALL SERIOUSLY
Source: World Values Survey 2009
B
ASIC NEEDS LIKE SHEL-TER AND FOOD SECURITY MUST BE ADEQUATELY MET BEFORE POST-MATERIALIST VALUES AND AN ORIENTA-TION TOWARDSSUSTAINA-BILITY CAN BECOME THE NORM.
T
HEN, QUALITATIVE NEEDS – SUCH AS EDUCA-TION, LIVING IN HARMONY WITH NATURE, LEISURE – BECOME MORE IMPORTANT,AND SO-CALLED GROWTH TARGETS (MORE MONEY
AND MORE MATERIAL GOODS) BECOME LESS ATTRACTIVE.
0
80%
72%
66%
58%
56%
12%
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Source: Bertelsmann-Stiftung 2010
T
HIS BECOMES ESPECIALLY CLEAR WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR DIET: IT’S NOT A MATTER OF EATING AS MUCH ASPOSSIBLE, ...
... BUT OF EATING AS WELL AS POSSIBLE AND TAKING CARE NOT
TO HARM YOURSELF OR OTHERS WITH YOUR EATING HABITS.
T
HE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS INVOLVES INTANGIBLE FACTORS LIKE BEING EMBEDDED IN COMMUNITIES ANDNETWORKS, PARTICULARLY FAMILIES.
B
UT FULFILLING LEISURE TIME IS ALSO IMPORTANT.T
HIS HAS BEENSHOWN BY STUDIES IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.
HEALTH INTACT FAMILY AND PARTNERSHIP FOLLOWING MY OWN LIFE SCRIPT PEACE COEXISTENCE WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND
SOCIAL COMMITMENT NATURE PROTECTION MORE MONEY AND POSSESSIONS
114
F
OR ME, A ‘GOOD LIFE’ MEANS NOT ONLY FOLLOWING MY OWN LIFE SCRIPT – WHICH IS A GOOD START – BUT ALSO TAKING ON RESPONSIBILITY FOR OTHERS AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.I
N OTHER WORDS, NOT TO LIVE IN AN ‘OTHER-DIRECTED’ AND EGOISTIC WAY, BUT IN A WAY THAT IS COMPATIBLEWITH MY ENVIRONMENT.
S
MARTPHONES, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE VERY POPULAR.A
ND THAT‘S A GOOD THING BECAUSE THEY ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION, KNOWLEDGE SHARING, PARTICIPATION AND TRANSPARENCY.B
UT MUST IT ALWAYS BE THE VERY LATEST MODEL?S
MARTPHONE MANUFACTUREPUTS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON THE ENVIRONMENT, AND THERE IS HARDLY ANY RECYCLING.
A
CCEPTANCE OF DIFFERENT ENERGY CARRIERS IN THEEU
,A
TTITUDES AS %C
HANGING VALUES DO NOT, HOWEVER, MEAN THAT THESE NEW ATTITUDES ARE TRANSLATED ONE-TO-ONE INTOACTION.
I
T’S BY NO MEANS RARE FOR PEOPLE TO ADVOCATE AMBITIOUS CLIMATE PROTECTION IN SURVEYS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME REJECTING HIGHER PRICES FOR ELECTRICITY AND FOSSILFUELS.
C
HANGE AGENTS CAN HELP OVERCOME THESE BARRIERS; THEY CAN SET A PROCESS IN MOTION THAT LEADS NOT FROM KNOWLEDGE TO ACTION, BUT FROM ACTION TOKNOWLEDGE.
J
UTE, NOT PLASTIC?N
EVER HEARD THAT ONEBEFORE!
Source: Eurobarometer 2007
116
T
AKE URBAN GARDENERS, FOR EXAMPLE.A
FEWPEOPLE START GROWING HERBS AND VEGETABLES ON UNUSED BROWNFIELD SITES IN THE CITY.
O
THERJOIN IN AND HELP OR BUY PRODUCE THERE.
O
RJUST DRINK A CUP OF COFFEE.
O
NE CAN FIND OUT ABOUT DIFFERENT POTATO VARIETIES THAT WERE ALMOST FORGOTTENAND ARE NOW BEING REDISCOVERED, OR ABOUT OLD AND NEW COMPOSTING METHODS,
OR BEE KEEPING IN THE CITY, WHICH IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING A RENAISSANCE.
T
HEY WILL START THINKING ABOUT THEIR OWN DIET AND HOW THEIR FOOD ISPRODUCED.
A
T THE SAME TIME THEY ARE ACTIVELY TURNING PART OF THEIR CITY INTO A GARDEN, GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER, EXCHANGING IDEAS AND ABOVE ALLHAVING FUN TOGETHER.
P
RINCESSG
ARDENS IN THEK
REUZBERG DISTRICT OFB
ERLINW
E WANT TO SHOW THAT A CITY CAN ALSO LOOK DIFFERENT: GREEN, DIVERSE, URBAN, DESIGNED BY USAND WELL-PREPARED FOR THE CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE.
T
HERE’S NO DOGMA INVOLVED; IT’S ABOUTPEOPLE CREATING A PLACE WITH THEIR OWN
HANDS THAT BRINGS THEM TOGETHER AND
ENRICHES THEIR LIVES.
C
HANGE AGENTS:R
OBERT ANDM
ARCO, OPERATORS OF THE GARDENT
HESE PEOPLE ARE PIONEERS, LEADERS OF SOCIAL CHANGE.C
HANGE AGENTS ARE OF KEY IMPORTANCE IN THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND IDEAS.T
HEY ARE TREND SETTERS,AND THEY CREATE A WE-FEELING.
W
ISE LEGISLATION, TARGETED MARKET INCENTIVES, COMPANY INITIATIVES AND FAR-SIGHTED INVESTMENTS CANALL REINFORCE THE TREND.
P
AYING ATTENTION TO YOUR OWN DIET AND HOW FOOD IS PRODUCED CAN BECOMESTANDARD IN THIS WAY.
118
T
HERE ARE TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT IN THE CURRENT DEBATE: ONE FOCUSES ON RESOURCE EFFICIENCY AND IMAGINES THAT, ON THIS BASIS, NONE OF THE HABITS OF MODERN LIFE NEED TOCHANGE.
I
TS ADVOCATES THINK IT’S ENOUGH TO SWITCH TO AN ELECTRICSUV
.T
HE OTHER SCHOOL OF THOUGHT IS MORE DEMANDING.I
T SAYS A CERTAIN TYPE OF ABUNDANCE SHOULD BE CRITICALLYQUESTIONED.
A
ND THAT THE HABITS OF MODERN LIFE, ESPECIALLY MASS CONSUMPTION, SHOULD CHANGE WITH AVIEW TO FUTURE GENERATIONS.
PATISSERIE
S
UCH SELF-IMPOSED RESTRICTIONS TO AVOID DANGEROUS CLIMATE CHANGE AND OTHER FORMS OF DAMAGE TO THEE
ARTH SYSTEM ARE NOT A REVOLUTION IN TERMS OF THEHISTORY OF IDEAS.
M
MM,DELICIOUS!
N
O,I
’M NOT GOING IN.O
F COURSE PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF TAMING THEIR SPONTANEOUS, IMMEDIATE DESIRESOF THE FIRST ORDER (I.E. SHORT-TERM PREFERENCES) AND REPLACING THEM WITH
DESIRES OF THE SECOND ORDER (WISHES RELATING TO WISHES) – AND MAKING
COMPROMISES IN THE PROCESS.
W
HEN WE THINK ABOUT THE WAY WE ACT TODAY, WE SHOULD THINK IN THE FUTURE PERFECT TENSE:WHAT WILL
I
HAVE HAD TO HAVE DONE IN 2014 TO BE SURE THAT, IN 2050,I
EXPERIENCE A SITUATION WHICHI
WELCOME AND WHICH ALSO OFFERS A GOOD LIFE TO MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, OR TO THOSE OFOTHER PEOPLE?
L
OOKS INTERESTING.W
ONDER IF THERE’S ANYLIFE DOWN THERE?
SECRETARIAT
W
HERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL THIS TIME?W
E’VE ALL BEEN WAITING FORYOU!
Y
OU MEAN YOU WILL HAVE BEEN WAITING!W
E HAVE TO THINK IN THE FUTURE PERFECTTENSE!
H
E’S RIGHT: THE READERS WILL ALREADY HAVE READOUR BOOK BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVE AT THE PAGE WHERE
WE WANTED TO CEREMONIOUSLY PRESENT IT OVER
THEM.
N
OT IF LOTS OF PEOPLE WILL HAVE TAKEN NOTE OF WHAT WEHAVE TO SAY!
YOU MEAN WHAT WE WILL HAVE HAD TO SAY ...
T
OO LATE, THEN!122