Re: How to link carism and environmentalism
Robert Dierker <[email protected]> Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:40:35 -0800 (PST)
| Newsgroups | gmane.politics.activism.carfree-network |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <[email protected]> |
------=_Part_842_27120704.1357951235767 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi Gabrielle. Could you please get me some info on the German Psychologists and their findings? Thanks, Bob. On Wednesday, October 17, 2012 8:00:02 AM UTC-7, Gabrielle Hermann wrote: > > 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 carfree...-/[email protected]<javascript:> > Replies are sent to the author of the message. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > carfree_netwo...-/[email protected] <javascript:> > For more options, visit this group at > 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 http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=en?hl=en ------=_Part_842_27120704.1357951235767 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <br>Hi Gabrielle.<br><br> Could you please get me some info on = the German Psychologists and their findings?<br><br>Thanks,<br>Bob.<br><br>= <br><br>On Wednesday, October 17, 2012 8:00:02 AM UTC-7, Gabrielle Hermann = wrote:<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin: 0;margin-left: 0.8= ex;border-left: 1px #ccc solid;padding-left: 1ex;"><div style=3D"word-wrap:= break-word">Oh man, I feel for you! I'm an American/German living in German= y 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 neg= atively associated with being car-free. There are a bunch of psychologists = in Germany trying to figure out this irony. One of the theoretical construc= ts that has been used to explain this is called the Theory of Planned Behav= ior. <span style=3D"line-height:150%"><font face=3D"'Arial Narrow'">For instance= , the likelihood that an individual will develop an intention to travel by bicycl= e increases if that person holds a positive attitude towards bicycles <u>and<= /u> believes that bicycling conditions are safe and cycling is a fast and effic= ient 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 wi= ll result.</font></span> The PhD by Steve Melia (found online) explains t= his theory pretty well. <div><br></div><div>Here are some conclusions = I reached in my article, which was a literature review of German- and Anglo= phone research on car-free households: <div><br></div><div>- majority = of people are car-free to save money. </div><div>- After becoming car-= free, environmental awareness about negative environmental affects can incr= ease because they no longer have to fight the cognitive dissonance caused b= y their car driving habits. They're free-er to face it once their car is go= ne. </div><div>- To convince people to give up their car, better to fo= cus on health and economic benefits. Young environmentalists might be more = attracted to the bicycle because it offers flexibility, speed, and keeps th= em in shape. I realized in Canada that teh cold makes this more difficult.&= nbsp;</div><div>- New technologies (car sharing, smart phones) can make car= -free living more attractive and cool. </div><div><br></div><div>Hope = this helps! And good luck :) </div><div><br></div><div>Gabrielle</div>= <div><div><br><div><div>On Oct 12, 2012, at 3:41 PM, Robert Dierker wrote:<= /div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><font size=3D"4">Hello.<br><br> &nb= sp; I volunteer for several environmental groups<font size=3D"4"> in Vancou= ver Canada. On<font size=3D"4">e thing they seem to have in common is= a belief that the use of cars is a necessary evil within their organizatio= ns.<font size=3D"4"> <font size=3D"4">I can send many examples, if re= quested, but I'm sure you've all seen it.</font></font> <br><br><font= size=3D"4"> </font>Canada and the US are stuck in a well <font= size=3D"4">orchestrated</font> car culture - no doubt about it<font size= =3D"4"> - and the natural resources of Canada <font size=3D"4">are</font> n= o<font size=3D"4">w hijacked by foreign corporate giants. The<font si= ze=3D"4">ir government lobby efforts and PR machines are in full force here= .<br><br></font> M</font>y great concern, now, is that <font si= ze=3D"4">our new batch of young environmentalists can't leave their car<fon= t size=3D"4">s behind. This is not particularly new, but <font size= =3D"4">seems to be</font> more pronounced<font size=3D"4"> than it used to = be.</font> Our <font size=3D"4">environmental</font> movements can't = move forward with this kind of base line.<br><br><font size=3D"4"> &nb= sp; I have no particular influence within Vancouver's environmental movemen= t<font size=3D"4">, however I want to <font size=3D"4">affect this one comp= onent of change: I want these groups to <font size=3D"4">weigh</font> the v= alue of <font size=3D"4">each</font> member's opinion </font></font></font>= and motivation with respect to their personal activities with cars.<br><br>= <font size=3D"4"> Before I go I would like to remind any reader= that Canada gets REALLY cold. These groups have to define models tha= t will work in an individualistic, affluent society at -25c.</font><br><br>= <font size=3D"4"> <font size=3D"4">How do I do this? Plea= se help.<br><br><font size=3D"4">Robert.<br><font size=3D"4">604-440-0860</= font><br></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font><di= v><br></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"javascript:" target=3D"_bla= nk" gdf-obfuscated-mailto=3D"dKkdytMU7kAJ">carfree...@googlegroups.<wbr>com= </a><br> Replies are sent to the author of the message.<br> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to<br> <a href=3D"javascript:" target=3D"_blank" gdf-obfuscated-mailto=3D"dKkdytMU= 7kAJ">carfree_netwo...@<wbr>googlegroups.com</a><br> For more options, visit this group at<br> <a href=3D"http://groups.google.com/group/carfree_network?hl=3Den?hl=3Den" = target=3D"_blank">http://groups.google.com/<wbr>group/carfree_network?hl=3D= en?<wbr>hl=3Den</a></blockquote></div><br></div></div></div></div></blockqu= ote> <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> ------=_Part_842_27120704.1357951235767--