Multi-generational Sustainability Perspectives and Practices - Research Paper Example

? Multi-generational Sustainability Perspectives and Practices The way individuals treat and handle their surroundings isdetermined by how they view it. Therefore, environmental perspectives refer to the way in which a person views the environment and the process of assessing and storing information obtained about the environment. The way people perceive the environment determines their decisions towards the environment and this worries many human geographers and environmentalists. This paper seeks to assess how the elderly population and the young generation perceive the environment, their roles in the use of natural resources, their consumption practices, recreation, travel, and food sources and storage. In addition, this study aims at identifying the similarities and differences between the environmental perspectives between the two generations. The respondents were asked to rate the environment in their local community, their nation, and the world. Data was obtained through interviewing grandparents, parents, and fellow students. The data obtained was qualitatively analyzed to determine the similarities and differences in environmental perspectives between the two generations. The results, except for few surprises, were what one would expect. Most of the respondents believed that their local environments were to some extend satisfactory, while the global environment was in immense trouble. In addition, the respondents differed and concurred on some perspectives towards the environment Discussion People hold different perspectives about the environment. The way people perceive the environment determines the way they use natural resources, their consumption practices, recreation, travel, and food sources and storage. People’s perspectives on the environment have been divided into four classes: imperialism, utilitarianism, stewardship and romanticism. These groups of perspectives account for majority of the opinions and perspectives that most individuals hold about the environment. The opinion of stewardship holds that people have a certain responsibility and privilege in relation to their surroundings, as stewards of the environment. This is similar to what nearly all the grandparents and parents hold towards the environment. Most of the elderly noted that they believe that it is their duty, as human beings, to take care of the environment, and to treat anything that is on it with respect. One thing that came out of the interview with the elderly is that, the environment consists of both the living and non living things. The elderly consider the environment as sacred and that it is biblical to take care of it. They consider it a religious duty of every individual to take care of the environment. These respondents viewed the environment as uncontrollable, unpredictable and powerful, and the only thing they can do is to be fatalistic, and accept the good and the bad that comes from it. This view implies that people can only be submissive in the face of environment. This submissive nature of the environment dates back to history, according to Nash (1967), and is based on the inability of the people to control nature and on the association of the environment with the supernatural. Just like stewardship, imperialism is connected to the biblical perspective of the environment. Some of the fellow students believe that the environment was created and given over to mankind to explore and rule over it. Among the youth and the parent respondents, they feel that there is no sacred bond that exists between God and the environment. They believe that by ruling over the environment and controlling it would earn them respect from God. This gives the reason for the extreme actions against the environment while trying to control and rule over it. This can be attributed to the rapid increase in environmental degradation among the youths. Ancient imperialists practiced and offered sacrifices to God. One of the ancient imperialists suggested that conquering nature is the highest aspiration an individual can have. This perspective developed the contemporary view of the environment based on the assumption that the objective of science is to have power over the environment. For this reason, the youth believe that they should conquer the world and explore, while exploiting the available resources. From this point of view, the youth exploit the available resources, on the pretext that they are controlling and ruling over the environment. According to Nash (2007), people may hold the perspective that they are distinct from the environment and that they are higher ranking to it, hold a right and obligation to control, subjugate and align the environment in conformity to their desires. This has been replicated in food production, use of natural resources, land use, and the utilization of the natural resources. In the area of natural resources, many people who believe in this perspective are involved in mining and believe that they have the obligation to draw from the earth’s surface that which is beneficial to people and in some instances carrying out strip and extensive mining in excavation in search of valuable minerals. The youth and parent respondents who hold this perspective believe in mansions and want to make huge houses. This implies that land will be cleared for construction of a large house, resulting to degradation. Clearly, such activities reflect our stand point that nature exists to serve people and that almost any form of progress that makes life easier or more pleasant is acceptable. This view originated from the Judeo-Christian heritage of Western Society and the scientific and industrial revolution (Nash, 1967). The data obtained from the parent respondents reveals that they hold a romanticism perspective towards the environment. This perspective can be dated back to the 18th century where poets, writers and artists clustered together to detest the imperialism perspective about the environment. The romanticists believed that the imperialists were only degrading the environment and made it ugly. Just like the romanticists, the parents seemed to hold a similar stand point. The parents value the environment and consider it as of great value to mankind. Rather than observing the environment as degraded and dangerous, parents consider the environment as beautiful and are excited about its exquisiteness. In utilitarianism, the most significant aspects in life are contentment and happiness and nothing matters if it does not appreciate these feelings. Individuals should be valued above everything else since they can, above everything else, experience such emotions. On the other hand, animals are deemed to be conscious of pain and pleasure, which means that they have some value. Plants are considered as insignificant since they are lifeless and cannot enjoy such feelings, but valuable to human beings. In this regard, the environment and trees are essential and significant to a utilitarian. Everyone interviewed can be considered a utilitarian. Everyone expressed their dependence on the environment for the provision of food chain and the shaping of different reliefs enjoyed by everyone. The environment seems to play an imperative role in people’s life and it is for this reason that everyone, even those seeking pleasure, agree that it is frequently essential to compromise short term gratifications for the good of everyone in the long term. Everyone expressed their sense to sacrifice their pleasures in order to maintain environmental sustainability. In reference to Nash (1967), this perspective shows that the people are different from animals and plants and they were placed on earth to regulate and bring order to the earth. From this perspective, the elderly respondents believe that reducing consumption of manufactured items can reduce the adverse effects that the industries have on the environment. The elderly have shown their interests in making a garden where they can plant vegetables and reduce on the consumption of manufactured products. On the contrary, the young respondents did not show much concern in making a garden but still portrayed continued consumption of canned foods. In addition, the elderly seem to reduce their travels and eating-out in order to reduce their impacts on the environment. The youthful respondents believe that vehicles do not pose a great threat to the environment and that they would not reduce their travels and eat-outs. On the other hand, the elderly believe that people should take care of the environment through conserving energy. This is contrary to the imperialism perspective where the environment should be utilized for the good of the people. The elderly respondents revealed that they constantly use energy saver bulbs in their houses and other premises in order to save on the energy and the environment. In addition, they have reduced the number of home appliances such as televisions, computers, laptops and iPads, and washing machines. They noted that they had reduced the television watching hours. However, the youthful respondents seemed to favor energy saving but they had not reduced the utilization of home electronics and appliances. In accordance to this perspective, the elderly believe that an individual should construct a satisfactory house that will save on the environment and space. Another similarity that was observed among all the respondents was that they all believed that the individual actions frequently have little effect on the environment, but the cumulative effect of many actions can be substantial. The respondents responded that everyone plays a role in environmental degradation, and it is these individual activities that constitute the degradation. The elderly respondents seemed to carry out mitigation activities that would reduce the cases of environmental dilapidation and sustain the environment. Such activities include use of less gas emitting vehicles, planting trees in bare lands, and reducing on the consumption of meat and increasing the consumption of vegetables. From the results, all the respondents believe that they can reduce environmental degradation through their consumptions. References Nash, R. (1967). In Wilderness and the American Mind (pp. 13-17). Read More