Conservation Psychology (part 1)
„Humanity faces environmental challenges on every level from local to global. Human population growth and human activities are negatively affecting the ecological process that support life as we all know it, and the effect of these changes on human well-being will be profound. Recent quantitative assessments of the human impact on nature give a sobering picture; the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment found that about 60% of the earth’s ecosystem services are being used unsustainably. Using ecological footprint methodology, the Global Footprint Network has calculated that humanity’s load on the biosphere is about 150% of earth’s capacity, up from 70% in 1961. These trends result from individual behavior patterns as well as from the societal infrastructure constituted by our institutions, governance systems, and ways of interacting. At staked are two inextricably linked sets of values: concern for the present and the future quality of human lives and care about the vitality of the biosphere and its other inhabitants.“ (Conservation Psychology: Understanding and promoting human care for nature, second edition, Susan Clayton and Gene Myers, 2015, p.1)
“Conservation Psychology is defined as the use of psychological techniques and research to understand and promote a healthy relationship between humans and the natural environment.“ (Indirect quote, Conservation Psychology: Understanding and promoting human care for nature, second edition, Susan Clayton and Gene Myers, 2015, p.2)
„Conservation Psychology seeks to direct rigorous research toward the goal of sustainability and the rely on the results of that research to make recommendations about specific techniques.“ (Conservation Psychology: Understanding and promoting human care for nature, second edition, Susan Clayton and Gene Myers, 2015, p.2)
