Do you live up to your good intentions? We may think we lead an environmentally friendly lifestyle, but how much do we succeed? First, give yourself a ‘value’ score from 1 to 5 based on which of the following statements describes your environmentally friendly habits: 1) I don’t really do anything environmentally friendly; 2) I do one or two things; 3) I do quite a few things; 4) Most things I do; or 5) Everything I do.
Now, on a scale of 1 (never) to 5 (always), how often do you do each of the following: a) switch off lights; b) put on a jumper rather than turning up the heating; c) avoid buying something due to packaging; d) take your own shopping bag; e) use public transport; f) walk; g) buy recycled toilet paper; h) avoid taking flights; i) avoid leaving your TV on standby; and j) turn the tap off when brushing your teeth. Take the average (add up and divide by 10) to calculate your “action” score.
Finally, subtract your ‘value’ score from your ‘action’ score. The bigger the gap, the greater your failure to live up to your green values. Only if this number is zero or minus do you live up to your intentions. The majority do not. When these questions were put to 100,000 respondents (in the UK Household Longitudinal Study), it turned out that although most of us do easy things (like turning off taps and TVs), few of us make real sacrifices. People with higher “value” scores were more satisfied with their lives, but this is probably more to do with self-image than behaviour.
A fully referenced version of this article is available at benambridge.com. Order Are You Smarter Than a Chimpanzee? by Ben Ambridge (Profile Books, £12.99) for £11.04 at bookshop.theguardian.com
