6 Habits of Green Conscious People

If you're interested about the environment and want to start doing something, this Hub makes it easier for you to go green. We have compiled a list of 6 habits that we find common in friends who are green conscious and environmentally aware. Learn the 6 habits now, and take action to improve and protect the environment.

The 6 habits include:

1) Respect all life and renew your bond with nature and its biodiversity (Self)

2) Improve your environmental awareness and knowledge (Self)

3) Practise the 3 "Rs" - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (Self)

4) Spread the environmental message and influence others (Family/Friends/School/Work/Group)

5) Support local environmental initiatives and groups (Community/Local Environment)

6) Use your rights as citizens and consumers (Community/Local Environment)

The habits begin with first developing your "Self" by respecting and renewing your relationship with nature and its biodiversity, improving on your understanding of environmental issues and knowledge, and taking personal actions to reduce wastage and overconsumption.

Next, move on to influence your "Family/ Friends/ School/ Work/ Group" by spreading the environmental message to others such as family members, friends and colleagues, and convincing organisations that you belong to, such as schools, companies, religious or social groups, to be environmentally friendly.

Finally, go one step further to shape your "Community/Local Environment" through supporting environmental initiatives by the government and environmental groups, volunteering or participating in activities organised by the groups, and exercising your rights as citizens and consumers to influence the status quo on the environment.

"The first aim of education should not be to prepare young people for careers, but to enable them to develop a respect for life." - Norman Cousin

We believe that all life are interdependent and have a right to live on this planet. Humans have evolved to a stage where we are doing harm to nature and its biodiversity. We need to improve and protect the environment so that we can live in co-existence with nature, preserving the earth as home for future generations of humans and other living beings. The first habit is to develop a respect for life and renew our bond with nature and its biodiversity. Nature has much to teach us on how to live and be better neighbours with the rest of life on Earth.

In recent times, we seem to have developed a human-centric view that humans are at the center of the world and where nature and other organisms revolve around us. There is an increasingly loss of respect for life, nature and its biodiversity. Their only value seems to serve as food and resources for us to exploit and enjoy. On top of that, there is also a trend towards individualism. We care more about ourselves and to a certain extent, our immediate family and friends. Our personal gains tend to outweigh the overall public interest. The Tragedy of the Commons as pointed out by Garrett Hardin in his famous paper, becomes inevitable if humans choose to ignore overall interests and focus on individual benefits. According to him: "Each man is locked into a system that compels him to increase his herd without limit - in a world that is limited. Ruin is the destination toward which all men rush, each pursuing his own best interest in a society that believes in the freedom of the commons."

As we regard ourselves as separate or superior to nature and other organisms on this planet, it inevitably causes us to lose our bond to the rest of life on this planet. We fail to remember that we are only one species out of the millions that share this planet. Are we so unique and superior? Even if we are, that does not give us the right to disregard the rest of the biodiversity that lives together with us on this planet. Humans are actually dependent on biodiversity - from microorganisms in our body that helps us to digest food to trees that take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. We have to see nature and its biodiversity as coexisting with us and not below us.

The urbanisation of society has also resulted in the increase in distance (physical and mental) between humans and nature. What surround us are buildings, manmade structures or artificially created green spaces. The only animals we see frequently are domesticated pets and birds. The appreciation of nature comes only as an afterthought when it is time to relieve stress or go for a holiday.

Why do you want to improve or protect the environment? You must first identify your own reasons to be concerned about the environment, be it personal, good or selfish. Without an answer, you will not be committed to take action. There are several reasons why people want to protect the environment. Some do it for the sake of preserving the Earth as home for their children and future generations. Some do it to improve their current environmental conditions. Others do it because they respect nature and its biodiversity, which they consider as sacred and that humans have no right to destroy them.

Regardless of the answer you give, it should include a respect for life. Everyone should develop a respect for nature, plants, trees, animals and all the biodiversity found on Earth. Developing respect means recognising and remembering that all living things have a right to live on this planet and a purpose in life. We should treat all living things as part of us and do no harm to them. This is described aptly in The Earth Charter, "Recognize that all beings are interdependent and every form of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings." Without this respect and love for the environment, there will be no desire or wish to improve and protect it. Therefore, it is important that you first develop a respect for life on this Earth.

Humans have a bond with nature as described by the renowned biologist, Edward O. Wilson's concept of biophilia. This phenomenon of biophilia is "defined as the innate tendency to focus upon life and lifelike forms, and in some instances to affiliate with them emotionally." Humans seem to enjoy natural landscapes, animals and other living beings around us. We feel at ease with nature, and travel to explore the natural habitats and its occupants. One possible reason given to explain biophilia is that our ancestors came from the savannah and spent their lives with nature. So we seem to retain their instincts and prefer the natural world.

If biophilia is part of human nature, we should not lose that special bond. It is time for us to renew that bond with nature and its biodiversity. As Janine M. Benyus, author of Biomimicry reflects, "It is time for us as a culture to walk in the forest again. Once we see nature as a mentor, our relationship with the living world changes." A good way to renew that bond is to start appreciating nature and the life around you. Explore the nature areas near you or join guided walks that are conducted by volunteer groups.

"Man can hardly even recognise the devils of his own creation." - Albert Schweitzer

If you want to do something for the environment, it would be good to first improve your environmental awareness and knowledge. That would include reading up on local and global environmental issues. What are the current environmental trends and problems? What needs to be done? What issues are you interested in and believe you can do something? Ideally, a holistic view on the environment should be adopted so that the connection and interdependence of various environmental issues and problems can be understood.

In the pursuit of environmental awareness and knowledge, we should not be misled or blinded by false environmental claims or "the sky is falling" scenarios. By learning about environmental issues from reliable sources and from those supported with data or references, we could then judge for ourselves on the validity of the environmental problems and the possible solutions. It is too easy to exaggerate facts and mislead the public, especially when it involves technical or scientific issues. As Jack M. Hollander in The Real Environmental Crisis said, "performing the role of environmental watchdog does not confer license to exaggerate, mislead, or strike fear in the hearts of a largely supportive public earnestly looking for information and guidance" . Or as Bjørn Lomborg puts it in The Skeptical Environmentalist, "if we are to make the best decisions for our future, we should base our prioritisations not on fear but on facts."

To increase your environmental knowledge, you could start by looking at the relationship between ecosystems and human systems through the discipline of environmental science. One recommended textbook on environmental science is Living in the Environment by G. Tyler Miller, Jr. In his book, there are also concept maps that give a good summary on the connections between ecosystems and humans.

In our opinion, the impact of humans on ecosystems can be summarised in three environmental themes. The impacts are not exhaustive and include the following:

1) Resources: Wastage and over-consumption of resources such as energy, water, food and other materials

2) Biodiversity: Destruction of biodiversity and habitats, and over-exploitation of wildlife

3) Quality: Pollution of air, water and land; and global environmental problems such as ozone depletion and climate change.

Several channels are available where you can learn more about environmental issues: books; newspapers; magazines; reports; websites; seminars; schools; government sources; and non-governmental organisations. The Internet is a good source to understand what is happening on the environment as it provides the latest news. We recommend the following websites and books:

"To live more simply, that others may simply live." - Jonathon Porritt

In modern society, overconsumption and wastage of resources seem to be a norm. We buy more than what is necessary, use and waste more water and electricity than needed, and throw away more waste. We tend to change our material belongings constantly to suit the current fashion and trend, leaving behind a trail of "old-fashioned" waste. These "old" waste are thrown away although some could still be in good condition. Packaging waste are also becoming common as excessive packaging are used for products. In Paper or Plastic, Daniel Imhoff identifies consumerism and citizen apathy as one reason for increasing packaging waste. He says, "Accelerating high-speed lifestyles that value convenience, inexpensiveness, eating outside the home, and high levels of consumption undercut other important concerns, such as nutrition, environmental protection, and genuine sustainability".

It is time to ask ourselves whether we should practise "sufficiency" in consumption. As Paul Ekins explained, "In a society devoted to ever-greater consumption, it is hard not to identify sufficiency with notions of sacrifice, of 'doing without' or 'giving things up'. Such identifications are, however, misplaced. Certainly, sufficiency implies relatively modest consumption and simplicity in personal lifestyle. But these are not motivated by abstract aestheticism or self-denial, but arise from a perception that sufficiency in consumption permits a greater emphasis to be placed on other aspects of human experience, which are actually more personally rewarding and fulfilling than consumption." We have to recognise that there are other things to pursue in life besides buying, consuming and discarding; things that are more important like relationships, health and happiness.

It takes individual responsibility to tackle the problem of overconsumption and wastage. You can start by practising the 3 "Rs" in your daily life - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle (in order of sequence). The sequence is important, as source reduction is usually the best way to minimise wastage while recycling still has some impact on the environment and should be done last.

Reduce by not creating the wastage or minimising the waste in the beginning. Always remember the idea of sufficiency and ask yourself whether you need the item in the first place. Good practices could include printing on paper only when necessary, using non-disposable or durable products, and switching to electronic bill statements instead of receiving printed copies. In addition, we can reduce wastage of oil resources by driving less, switching to public transport or using more environmentally friendly cars. Ensuring that there are no leaking water pipes, using water-reducing nozzles, switching to energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances, and switching off lights when not in use can also reduce wastage of water and energy.

Reuse by using the waste several times or for another purpose. When the waste is already generated, try to find some ways to use it instead of throwing it away. This could include buying reusable materials, using used plastic and glass bottles as containers for storage, donating unwanted items and clothing to charity, using both sides of the paper or converting used containers into art ornaments.

Recycle by sending the waste to be processed as a resource. This could include depositing waste such as used paper, cans and bottles into recycling bins or selling them to used item traders so that the waste can be sent for recycling.

Always remember to reduce or eliminate wastage in the beginning, and then reuse whatever waste that has been generated, and lastly recycle the waste that cannot be reused anymore. It would be good to keep in mind what Randy Hayes said, "Remember, waste is a construct that humanity invented at a time when industry lacked a deep understanding of ecological processes. There is no waste in nature."

More tips on the 3 "Rs" can be found at the following websites and books:

"Indifference is the essence of inhumanity." - George Bernard Shaw

Besides caring about the environment and taking personal action, you can go a step further by spreading the environmental or green message and educating family members, friends, classmates or colleagues. Share your environmental knowledge with them and remind them to reduce wastage and overconsumption. Furthermore, you can influence the organisation that you belong to, whether it is a school, a company or a social group, to be more environmentally friendly.

Humans are social animals and we tend to do things together. Groups and organisations such as schools, companies and religious groups are formed with the ability to achieve more than what individuals can do. However, the increase in size inevitably leads to greater environmental impact. For example, with globalisation, companies grew bigger with more employees and capitalisation, and have a wider reach and influence on the world's population. Their impact on the environment also becomes larger. More resources like water, energy and minerals are used to produce goods and services; more waste and by-products are generated; and more land are needed to set up production plants. Therefore, it is important that organisations start to be more environmentally friendly.

Most of us have either attended schools or are still students. Besides spreading the green message among classmates, you can also influence your school to adopt more environmental friendly practices. For example, you could suggest to your school administration on the setting up of environmental clubs or on the implementation of recycling programmes.

In particular, tertiary schools like universities should aim to be more environmentally friendly. Universities are remembered for producing graduates and academics like architects, engineers, scientists, lawyers, businessmen and teachers. They hold key positions in society and their actions or behaviour influence more than others. Their decisions could affect the environment directly or indirectly, positive or negative, big or small. The university itself is a large institution with a big ecological footprint. Imagine its water and energy usage, the waste it generates, and the number of vehicles travelling through the campus. The influence and impact of a university, its occupants and graduates on the environment are tremendous and far-reaching.

Our idea of an environmentally friendly university or green university is one with a strong green culture where management, staff, undergraduates, postgraduates and alumni are environmentally aware and do their best to reduce their impact on the environment, whether it is on campus or in their daily lives. After graduating, the alumni would still keep the environment in mind when making decisions at work and ensure that any projects would have no or minimal impact on the environment. University students should aim to influence their university to be green, through initiating projects and activities.

It is often difficult to change the mindsets and habits of people, and get them to embrace the green message. In the book, The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell, he explores how a message can be spread and then tipped so that everyone is aware of it. There are some lessons that could be learned from his book - The Law of the Few, The Stickiness Factor, and The Power of Context . Let us use his ideas to see how we could spread the environmental or green message in a university.

The Law of the Few says that a selected group of people are essential to spread a message. Students could be recruited to spread the environmental message but not just any student. We want students who know lots of people such as those involved in student groups or staying in hostels (Connectors); students who have good knowledge of environmental issues such as those in the environmental engineering, environmental management and geography courses (Mavens); and students who can promote and persuade others to adopt the message such as those in the marketing and law courses (Salesmen). These selected groups of students would be in-charge of spreading the message to their fellow students. With the support of the university management and staff, the students would organise innovative activities to spread the message.

The Stickiness Factor says that the content of a message should be personal and practical so that it can be remembered. The environmental message should have clear, relevant and practical advices on what the students can do. For example, using both sides of the paper, recycling used paper and drink cans, switching off lights when leaving tutorial and lecture rooms, etc. State the benefits of a green university in terms of how the students can reduce impacts on the environment and cut costs, and the possible reduction in school fees, increased subsidies or more student welfare resulting from the cost reduction. It should be made clear to the students what they can do, how they can do it, and what benefits they can gain from their actions.

The Power of Context says that a message may be tipped by small changes in context. Awareness on environmental issues and efforts to spread the environmental message can be incorporated into the context of the university education, which helps student understand that the environment is not something abstract and may be relevant to their daily lives or what they do in their future work. To increase environmental awareness, there could be compulsory courses on environmental awareness for first-year students, increased talks and seminars on the environment, and competitions for students to give suggestions on reducing wastage.

Furthermore, students could be involved in spreading the green message through projects and case studies during their coursework. For example, Business Administration students could be involved in projects to market the green message. Engineering students could be involved in projects to explore new environmental technology or improve the efficiency of existing equipment on campus. Science students could be involved in monitoring the ecology on campus and conducting surveys on environmental awareness. Arts and Social Sciences students could be involved in studies on the behaviour and psychology of green students, and how to increase participation.

Those who are working can similarly influence their companies to adopt more environmental friendly practices. A company can first do an environmental audit and find out which areas need to be improved. Sometimes, it is only a matter of changing habits or pointing out that certain practices are undesirable. In addition, companies could implement the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System or practise corporate social responsibility. Nowadays, more companies are aware of their responsibility, and are producing social and environmental reports for their stakeholders or getting ISO 14001 certification.

More importantly, companies need to move upstream in their environmental efforts by adopting a cradle-to-cradle thinking for reducing waste: "To eliminate the concept of waste means to design things - products, packaging and systems - from the very beginning in the understanding that waste does not exist." Companies should be reminded and convinced that designing with the environment in mind would be better than "end of pipe" solutions in reducing their environmental impacts.

For an introduction on environmental friendly practices, you can refer to the following websites:

"I can hardly imagine living without hope. As for the future of the world, there is a colorful spectrum of possibilities, from the worst to the best. What will happen, I do not know. Hope forces me to believe that those better alternatives will prevail, and above all it forces me to do something to make them happen." - Václav Havel

John F. Kennedy once said, "ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country" . Instead of relying or expecting the government to take care of our environment, it is time for us to do our own part and take responsibility. One way is to participate and support government initiatives and programmes for the environment.

In addition, you could initiate projects to improve the environment and get funding from the government agencies or from competitions that encourage people to initiate environmental projects and research. Another way is to support the local environmental causes, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and environmental groups. Join the various activities organised by the NGOs and groups or volunteer your time with them.

Besides relying on the government to protect the environment, NGOs and environmental groups also play a major role. They can also make good decisions and solve problems; sometimes a bottom-up approach is better than one that is top-down. James Surowiecki in The Wisdom of Crowds wrote, "under the right circumstances, groups are remarkably intelligent ..." and "if you set a crowd of self-interested, independent people to work in a decentralised way on the same problem, instead of trying to direct their efforts from the top down, their collective solution is likely to be better than any other solution you could come up with".

"The Government simply cannot make up their minds ... So they go on in strange paradox, decided only to be undecided, resolved to be irresolute, adamant for drift, solid for fluidity, all-powerful to be impotent ... The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period of consequences." - Winston Churchill

As citizens, we have the rights to participate in the formulation of government policies regarding the environment. This could be through government dialogues or feedback channels, and also through the media. There are opportunities for people to voice out their concerns about the environment through several channels and we should make use of them constructively.

In this digital age, feedback and comments can be directed to the relevant parties easily through email. The email addresses of government agencies and relevant officials can be easily obtained online. The websites of government agencies also provide sufficient information for the public to go through and have channels for them to give their views. Online discussion forums and blogs also provide alternative channels for voicing opinions.

As consumers, we have the rights to choose and buy what we need and want. However, with increasing choices than before, we developed bigger appetites as consumers, consuming more than what is needed and generating more waste than necessary. This is made worse by the endless bombardment of advertising all around us. More often than not, we end up buying things whose advertising has made an impact on us, regardless of whether the product is better than the others. With the amount of advertising around us, it becomes harder to keep our consumption within limits. Sometimes, consumers also feel more stressful in the process of choosing among the multitude of brands.

As more companies compete to promote their brands, they use all forms of media, materials, brochures, roadshows and excessive packaging. These unnecessary advertising and wasteful packaging are used to attract consumers to buy and use more. As Daniel Imhoff quotes in his book, Paper or Plastic: "Waste could result from a competitive "arms race" in which one company adopts larger, more elaborate packaging solely to compete with another company's larger, more elaborate packaging, in the struggle to win the attention of consumers. Producers could misinterpret consumer acceptance of increasing levels of packaging as evidence of a desire for even more" . For example, one product could have several brands and each brand develops its own packaging and advertising material to highlight its brand. These advertising materials or packaging often end up as waste. If the advertising campaigns are successful, more consumers buy and result in more waste generated - the waste cycle continues.

Do we have the power to choose what we want? Can we influence companies to reduce their excessive packaging and promotional materials? Nowadays, companies have become increasingly aware of their corporate responsibility to the community and the environment. Consumers can make use of this increasing awareness to feedback or remind companies to be more environmentally friendly and minimise waste. For instance, Thomas Friedman commented in The Lexus and the Olive Tree that: "Thanks to the Internet, environmentalists in one country are quickly relaying how a multinational behaves in their country to environmentalists in other countries. Therefore, more and more multinationals are realizing that to preserve their global reputation and global brands in the face of Internet activism, they need to be more environmentally responsible" .

However, some skeptics might be doubtful of a company's self-proclaim corporate responsibility because a company's responsibility is to seek maximum profits for its shareholders. In his book, The Corporation, Joel Bakan described a company or corporation: "As a psychopathic creature, the corporation can neither recognise nor act upon moral reasons to refrain from harming others. Nothing in its legal makeup limits what it can do to others in pursuit of its selfish ends, and it is compelled to cause harm when the benefits of doing so outweigh the costs. Only pragmatic concern for its own interests and the laws of the land constrain the corporation's predatory instincts, and often that is not enough to stop it from destroying lives, damaging communities, and endangering the planet as a whole."

Therefore as consumers, we have to keep the "creature" in check and constantly ensure that the company recognises its responsibility to the environment. If the company continues to neglect the environment, we can always boycott the company and its products. After all, the customer is king.