Re: How to link carism and environmentalism
Geoff Beacon <[email protected]> Wed, 17 Oct 2012 20:08:12 +0100
| Newsgroups | gmane.politics.activism.carfree-network |
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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --_----------=_135050089282501 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Gabrielle, That's interesting. We also need some economic analysis to identify the benefits and possibilities for car free living. I've tried it here: [1]http://www.brusselsblog.co.uk/a-parable-of-four-villages/ I'm not sure how well it worked but I think it's in the right direction. and Robert You may find some amusement in this:[2] http://www.beacon-dodsworth.co.uk/blog/general-news/a-holiday-pastime-t he-hypocrisy-index/ Geoff ----- Original message ----- From: Gabrielle Hermann <[3]gabbyherm-/[email protected]> To: [4][email protected] Cc: [5]carfree_network-/[email protected] Subject: Re: [carfree_network] How to link carism and environmentalism Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:55:48 -0400 Oh man, I feel for you! I'm an American/German living in Germany for precisely that reason. I just wrote a scientific article on car-free households (hopefully to be published early next year, if accepted). One of the great paradoxes is that being an environmentalist is in some cases negatively associated with being car-free. There are a bunch of psychologists in Germany trying to figure out this irony. One of the theoretical constructs that has been used to explain this is called the Theory of Planned Behavior. For instance, the likelihood that an individual will develop an intention to travel by bicycle increases if that person holds a positive attitude towards bicycles and believes that bicycling conditions are safe and cycling is a fast and efficient transport-mode (not to mention a belief in the ability to ride a bicycle). Once the intention to bicycle is sufficiently high, actual bicycling behavior will result. The PhD by Steve Melia (found online) explains this theory pretty well. Here are some conclusions I reached in my article, which was a literature review of German- and Anglophone research on car-free households: - majority of people are car-free to save money. - After becoming car-free, environmental awareness about negative environmental affects can increase because they no longer have to fight the cognitive dissonance caused by their car driving habits. They're free-er to face it once their car is gone. - To convince people to give up their car, better to focus on health and economic benefits. Young environmentalists might be more attracted to the bicycle because it offers flexibility, speed, and keeps them in shape. I realized in Canada that teh cold makes this more difficult. - New technologies (car sharing, smart phones) can make car-free living more attractive and cool. Hope this helps! And good luck :) Gabrielle On Oct 12, 2012, at 3:41 PM, Robert Dierker wrote: Hello. I volunteer for several environmental groups in Vancouver Canada. One thing they seem to have in common is a belief that the use of cars is a necessary evil within their organizations. I can send many examples, if requested, but I'm sure you've all seen it. Canada and the US are stuck in a well orchestrated car culture - no doubt about it - and the natural resources of Canada are now hijacked by foreign corporate giants. Their government lobby efforts and PR machines are in full force here. My great concern, now, is that our new batch of young environmentalists can't leave their cars behind. This is not particularly new, but seems to be more pronounced than it used to be. Our environmental movements can't move forward with this kind of base line. I have no particular influence within Vancouver's environmental movement, however I want to affect this one component of change: I want these groups to weigh the value of each member's opinion and motivation with respect to their personal activities with cars. Before I go I would like to remind any reader that Canada gets REALLY cold. These groups have to define models that will work in an individualistic, affluent society at -25c. How do I do this? Please help. Robert. 604-440-0860 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "World Carfree Network" group. To post to this group, send email to [6]carfree_network-/[email protected] Replies are sent to the author of the message. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [7]carfree_network-unsubscribe-/[email protected] For more options, visit this group at [8]http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=en?hl=en -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "World Carfree Network" group. To post to this group, send email to carfree_network-/[email protected] Replies are sent to the author of the message. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to carfree_network-unsubscribe-/[email protected] For more options, visit this group at [9]http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=en?hl=en References 1. http://www.brusselsblog.co.uk/a-parable-of-four-villages/ 2. http://www.beacon-dodsworth.co.uk/blog/general-news/a-holiday-pastime-the-hypocrisy-index/ 3. mailto:gabbyherm-/[email protected] 4. mailto:[email protected] 5. mailto:carfree_network-/[email protected] 6. mailto:carfree_network-/[email protected] 7. mailto:carfree_network-unsubscribe-/[email protected] 8. http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=en?hl=en 9. http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=en?hl=en -- Geoff Beacon [email protected] -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "World Carfree Network" group. To post to this group, send email to carfree_network-/[email protected] Replies are sent to the author of the message. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to carfree_network-unsubscribe-/[email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=en?hl=en --_----------=_135050089282501 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 <!--/*SC*/DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "htt= p://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"/*EC*/--> <html><head><title></title><style type=3D"text/css"><!-- body{padding:1ex;m= argin:0;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:small}a[href]{color:-moz-hyperlink= text!important;text-decoration:-moz-anchor-decoration}blockquote{margin:0;b= order-left:2px solid #144fae;padding-left:1em}blockquote blockquote{border-= color:#006312}blockquote blockquote blockquote{border-color:#540000} --></s= tyle></head><body><div style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: medium;" dir= =3D"ltr"><div class=3D"defangedMessage"> <div id=3D"me43258"> <div> Gabrielle,</div> <div> </div> <div> That's interesting.</div> <div> </div> <div> We also need some economic analysis to identify the benefits and possibi= lities for car free living.</div> <div> I've tried it here: <a href=3D"http://www.brusselsblog.co.uk/a-parab= le-of-four-villages/">http://www.brusselsblog.co.uk/a-parable-of-four-villa= ges/</a></div> <div> I'm not sure how well it worked but I think it's in the right di= rection.</div> <div> </div> <div> and Robert</div> <div> </div> <div> You may find some amusement in this:<a href=3D"http://www.beacon-dodswor= th.co.uk/blog/general-news/a-holiday-pastime-the-hypocrisy-index/"> http://= www.beacon-dodsworth.co.uk/blog/general-news/a-holiday-pastime-the-hypocris= y-index/</a></div> <div> </div> <div> Geoff</div> <div> </div> <div> ----- Original message -----</div> <div> From: Gabrielle Hermann <<a href=3D"mailto:gabbyherm-/[email protected]">gabby= herm-/[email protected]</a>></div> <div> To: <a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></di= v> <div> Cc: <a href=3D"mailto:carfree_network-/[email protected]">carfree_network@= googlegroups.com</a></div> <div> Subject: Re: [carfree_network] How to link carism and environmentalism</= div> <div> Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2012 10:55:48 -0400</div> <div> </div> <div dir=3D"ltr" style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space= ; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> Oh man, I feel for you! I'm an American/German living in Germany for= precisely that reason. I just wrote a scientific article on car-free house= holds (hopefully to be published early next year, if accepted). One of the = great paradoxes is that being an environmentalist is in some cases negative= ly associated with being car-free. There are a bunch of psychologists in Ge= rmany trying to figure out this irony. One of the theoretical constructs th= at has been used to explain this is called the Theory of Planned Behavior.&= nbsp; <span style=3D"line-height: 150%; "><span style=3D"">For instance, th= e likelihood that an individual will develop an intention to travel by bicy= cle increases if that person holds a positive attitude towards bicycles <u>= and</u> believes that bicycling conditions are safe and cycling is a fast a= nd efficient transport-mode (not to mention a belief in the ability to ride= a bicycle). Once the intention to bicycle is sufficiently high, actual bic= ycling behavior will result.</span></span> The PhD by Steve Melia (fou= nd online) explains this theory pretty well. <div> </div> <div> Here are some conclusions I reached in my article, which was a literatu= re review of German- and Anglophone research on car-free households: <div> </div> <div> - majority of people are car-free to save money. </div> <div> - After becoming car-free, environmental awareness about negative envi= ronmental affects can increase because they no longer have to fight the cog= nitive dissonance caused by their car driving habits. They're free-er t= o face it once their car is gone. </div> <div> - To convince people to give up their car, better to focus on health a= nd economic benefits. Young environmentalists might be more attracted to th= e bicycle because it offers flexibility, speed, and keeps them in shape. I = realized in Canada that teh cold makes this more difficult. </div> <div> - New technologies (car sharing, smart phones) can make car-free livin= g more attractive and cool. </div> <div> </div> <div> Hope this helps! And good luck :) </div> <div> </div> <div> Gabrielle</div> <div> <div> <br /> <div> <div> On Oct 12, 2012, at 3:41 PM, Robert Dierker wrote:</div> <br class=3D"me43258Apple-interchange-newline" /> <blockquote type=3D"cite"> <span style=3D"font-size: large; ">Hello.<br /> <br /> I volunteer for several environmental groups<span styl= e=3D"font-size: large; "> in Vancouver Canada. On<span style=3D"font-= size: large; ">e thing they seem to have in common is a belief that the use= of cars is a necessary evil within their organizations.<span style=3D"font= -size: large; "> <span style=3D"font-size: large; ">I can send many e= xamples, if requested, but I'm sure you've all seen it.</span></spa= n> <br /> <br /> <span style=3D"font-size: large; "> </span>Canada and t= he US are stuck in a well <span style=3D"font-size: large; ">orchestrated</= span> car culture - no doubt about it<span style=3D"font-size: large; "> - = and the natural resources of Canada <span style=3D"font-size: large; ">are<= /span> no<span style=3D"font-size: large; ">w hijacked by foreign corporate= giants. The<span style=3D"font-size: large; ">ir government lobby ef= forts and PR machines are in full force here.</span><br /> <br /> M</span>y great concern, now, is that <span style=3D"f= ont-size: large; ">our new batch of young environmentalists can't leave= their car<span style=3D"font-size: large; ">s behind. This is not pa= rticularly new, but <span style=3D"font-size: large; ">seems to be</span> m= ore pronounced<span style=3D"font-size: large; "> than it used to be.</span= > Our <span style=3D"font-size: large; ">environmental</span> movemen= ts can't move forward with this kind of base line.<br /> <br /> <span style=3D"font-size: large; "> I have no particula= r influence within Vancouver's environmental movement<span style=3D"fon= t-size: large; ">, however I want to <span style=3D"font-size: large; ">aff= ect this one component of change: I want these groups to <span style=3D"fon= t-size: large; ">weigh</span> the value of <span style=3D"font-size: large;= ">each</span> member's opinion </span></span></span>and motivation wit= h respect to their personal activities with cars.<br /> <br /> <span style=3D"font-size: large; "> Before I go I would= like to remind any reader that Canada gets REALLY cold. These groups= have to define models that will work in an individualistic, affluent socie= ty at -25c.</span><br /> <br /> <span style=3D"font-size: large; "> <span style=3D"font= -size: large; ">How do I do this? Please help.<br /> <br /> <span style=3D"font-size: large; ">Robert.<br /> <span style=3D"font-size: large; ">604-440-0860</span></span></span= ></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /> <div> </div> --<br /> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google<= br /> Groups "World Carfree Network" group.<br /> To post to this group, send email to <a href=3D"mailto:carfree_netw= ork-/[email protected]">carfree_network-/[email protected]</a><br /> Replies are sent to the author of the message.<br /> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to<br /> <a href=3D"mailto:carfree_network-unsubscribe-/[email protected]">car= free_network-unsubscribe-/[email protected]</a><br /> For more options, visit this group at<br /> <a href=3D"http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=3Den?h= l=3Den">http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=3Den?hl=3Den</a><= /blockquote> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p> --<br /> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google<br /> Groups "World Carfree Network" group.<br /> To post to this group, send email to carfree_network-/[email protected]<br= /> Replies are sent to the author of the message.<br /> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to<br /> carfree_network-unsubscribe-/[email protected]<br /> For more options, visit this group at<br /> <a href=3D"http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=3Den?hl=3De= n">http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=3Den?hl=3Den</a></div> </div> </div> <div> </div> </div><div>-- </div> <div> Geoff Beacon</div> <div> <a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></di= v> </body></html> <p></p> -- <br /> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google<br /> Groups "World Carfree Network" group.<br /> To post to this group, send email to carfree_network-/[email protected]<br /> Replies are sent to the author of the message.<br /> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to<br /> carfree_network-unsubscribe-/[email protected]<br /> For more options, visit this group at<br /> <a href=3D"http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=3Den?hl=3Den">= http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=3Den?hl=3Den</a> --_----------=_135050089282501--