Sustainability Across Cultures

How do we develop solutions that enable sustainable behaviors and practices when perceptions of the environment are as diverse as the cultures that hold them? We might begin by looking for common themes across cultures that have both deep resonance and the potential to be leveraged as triggers for behavioral change. Consider:

The western world’s understanding of environmentalism is tied closely to the science of ecology and it's development, as well as the biocentric activism of the counter-culture movement. In this version of environmentalism, saving endangered species and preserving the integrity of their ecosystems were the original rallying cries. Running parallel to these actions were a range of liberationist movements and the growth of interest in ‘natural’ foods and 'Eastern' spiritualities.

In the two countries that now host the world’s most rapidly expanding economies (India and China), what we might identify as environmental sentiments are linked closely to a history of spirituality that prioritizes the protection or purification of the body. A common theme found in these cultures is the growing awareness of—and dissatisfaction with—pollutants, paired with a distinct lack of trust in their own governments’ ability to regulate industry and protect the environment.

In Brazil (as well as many other Latin American countries), environmentalism is often tied to social justice movements and efforts to eradicate rural poverty and hunger. This is because perceptions of the environment there have been influenced heavily by U.S. and European NGO campaigns launched in the mid 20th century. The Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, and other NGO’s forged a “Green Revolution” to eradicate hunger in South America and India which manifested most commonly in efforts to maximize crop yields via extensive use of pesticides and herbicides. The success of these hunger eradication campaigns were also repsonsible for creating new cultural notions of the earth as a pliable provider that can be easily and quickly manipulated to provide for human needs. The campaigns also linked the "Green Revolution" to civil obligations and responsible national citizenship.

This is cursory review, of course. However, I believe a more in-depth consideration is likely to reveal that the most common cross-cultural associations with environmentalism would include concern about personal health and the well-being of future generations (particularly one's own children). Overall, I see the most promise for global sustainable design that hones in on—and leverages culturally-situated understandings of—embodiment, protection, and a locally-rooted sense of ethics.