What is slowing environmental change at home?

Welcome to New Caledonian Woodland’s blog. We decided that in line with our aim to encourage positive environmental change, we would like the blog to be the forum for a series of short essays about all aspects of the environment. We will aim to publish a new essay every fortnight throughout the year and for these to be challenging and thought provoking. We are not aiming to write feel-good pieces about the Scottish countryside, but rather opinion pieces about broader environmental issues such as climate change and the role that each of us has to play in dealing with these issues. The blog is not interactive, but we would welcome your feedback via our contact form.

What is slowing environmental change at home?

“What people (must) do is to change their behaviour and their attitudes. If we do care about our grandchildren then we have to do something, and we have to demand that our governments do something.”
Sir David Attenborough

Moving in the wrong direction?
There have been consistent attempts to reduce rates of energy consumption in UK homes for many decades, primarily through improved standards of thermal insulation and heating efficiency. Despite this, domestic energy consumption in 2001 had increased by 32 per cent since 1970 and by 19 per cent since 1990 (statistics from Energy Statistics in the UK – Department for Trade and Industry [1]). Factors which relate to this include a 10% increase since 1990 in the number of households, a population increase of 4% and an increase in disposable income of 30%[1].

Warmer instead of greener?
There has been a growth of energy use from space heating of around 24% between 1970 and 2000[1], in spite of significant improvements in efficiency of heating systems and in thermal insulation.

This suggests that efficiency measures in this area are not simply contributing to reduced energy consumption but also to warmer homes. This is backed up by the research which shows that in 1970 5.6 million homes were centrally heated but by 2000, 21.7 million were - nearly 90 per cent of all households in Great Britain [1]. In the same time, average internal temperatures increased from 13°C in 1970 to 18°C in 2000[1]. In contrast, energy from cooking has fallen by 16% as technology has moved on and lifestyles have changed.

Lights, camera action!
An increase in the energy used for lighting and appliances of 157% between 1970 and 2000[1].

Most of the change above relates to increased rates of appliance ownership, such as with fridge-freezers, where ownership rates have risen from 0% to about 63% of households between 1970 and 2000[1]. Rates of energy consumption for lighting have risen by 63% in the same period [1].

Lights, camera……not enough action?
Approximately 3% of UK households bought 1 low energy light bulb in 1999[1].

Sales of low-energy light bulbs have rise from zero at introduction in the 1980’s to a market worth £4 million by 1999[1]. This is encouraging, but when it is considered that this value would buy approximately 800,000 light bulbs in 1999 and that there are almost 25 million homes in the UK, it suggests that approximately 3% of UK households bought 1 low energy light bulb in 1999[1]. Even when it is taken into account that low-energy light bulbs last for multiple years, this is poor when compared with the statistic of 84% of UK households owning a VCR in 2000 as compared with less than 1% in 1970[1].

The role of cultural values in environmental change
The statistics above lead us to consider the role of society in slowing the change among individuals towards more environmentally responsible behaviour.

An obscure event in that took place in New York in 1964 has been an influence within the field of Interpersonal Psychology since that time. While it is perhaps an unlikely reference, it has some relevant here. In 1964, Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death during the night in an assault which took over 30 minutes. The attack took place outside her apartment block and was witnessed by 38 neighbouring residents from their apartment windows. Despite the presence of 38 witnesses, it took over 30 minutes before anyone rang the police or took any action (6). During this period, these witnesses saw Kitty Genovese repeatedly stabbed and repeatedly call for help. Psychological analysis of this event has suggested the significant factor was that the layout of the apartment block meant the witnesses could all see each other from their own apartment windows. What they saw was other witnesses doing nothing - they took their social cues from the behaviour of others and so did nothing also. This is a striking and extreme example, but one which has been replicated since in psychological studies.

Within UK society currently, it is culturally acceptable to fly frequently, both on internal flights and on short and long haul flights. While travelling domestically by train is also acceptable, travelling to European destinations by rail are often viewed as idiosyncratic rather than environmentally friendly, despite the evidence that the environmental impact is significantly lower by rail. Similarly, it is culturally acceptable to replace a functioning TV with a new one that is larger and that uses more electricity. However, it is unusual for functioning standard light bulbs to be replaced with low energy alternatives, even though these alternatives can be bought cheaply and will save the consumer money over many years in reduced energy bills.

Inadequate environmental change relates to the Kitty Genovese case because for the last decade UK citizens have increasingly been exposed to government campaigns and media reports saying that it is important that lifestyle changes are made to reduce our impact on the environment. However, in the cold light of day, when UK citizens see a significant percentage of other citizens not following the advice which they are told is of critical importance, social behaviour tends to lead them to rationalise this conflict (or cognitive dissonance) by telling themselves that the environmentally friendly advice is not that important after all.

An opportunity?
Few of us currently do enough when it comes to being environmentally responsible. Global issues such as climate change haven’t yet touched us, our family or our loved ones, sharply enough for these issues to be placed at the top of our priority list. It is easy to look the other way when we see that most other people are doing so also. Is it possible however that the social dynamic outlined above that is allowing us to look the other way presently, will be the dynamic that makes us all realise that we need to act?

Note – Statistics used in this essay were the most up to date available at the time of writing. New Caledonian Woodlands recognises that important improvements have been made since these stats were gathered, but has used them to illustrate the psychological and cultural mechanisms that may be in operation.

Bibliography

1/ Energy Statistics in the UK – Department for Trade and Industry - July 2002 (consumption tables were updated in July 2007) - http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file11250.pdf
2/ The Future of Air Transport – Department for Trade and Industry – December 2003 - http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/strategy/whitepapers/air/thefutureofairtransportwhite5694
3/ Light bulbs – not such a bright idea – Matt Prescott - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4667354.stm
4/ Ban the bulb - http://www.banthebulb.org/
5/ Energy Saving Trust - http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/
6/ Psychology (Gleitman, H et al) 1990.

Posted: 11 Nov 2008