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adoption of more non-materialistic, egalitarian
and biocentric values among the population, as it
is only a shift in these forms of value that is likely
to bring a long-term transformation in the ways
in which people treat the environment (see also
Jackson, 2009).
Ultimately, it appears that environmental policy is
now based upon a more complex understanding
of the nature of human behaviour that recognizes
that behaviour is driven by a mixture of biological,
psychological and social forces. Ultimately, this
chapter casts doubt on the long-term success of
policies that target the more-than-rational drivers
of human action. As many in the environmental
movement have recognized for some time, it
appears that only a significant reorientation of the
types of human values that have emerged during
the Anthropocene (which prioritize economic
growth, the accumulation of possessions and
associated forms of social status) is likely to cause
a slowing down of the Great Acceleration that we
are still a part of.
8.6 CONCLUSIONS
In this chapter we have considered the patterns of
behaviour that characterize human-environment
relations in the Anthropocene. Drawing on Steffen
et al's (2007) notions of the Great Acceleration, this
chapter began by describing the ways in which
human socio-economic development over the
last 200 years has placed escalating demands on
the biosphere and given rise to the very notion of
the Anthropocene. This chapter explored various
theories that have been developed to explain how
and why human behaviour has developed in
ways that are increasingly unsustainable. These
ideas include biological theories of human evolu-
tion; accounts of the impact of modern religion
on human understandings of their relation to the
environment; and the ideologies of nature that
have emerged in the wake of the rise of modern
capitalism.
The final two sections of this chapter explored
the types of policies that have been emerging
over the last 40 years, which have sought to redirect
the environmental conduct of humans. In these
sections we explored a significant policy shift that
has seen environmental policies move from a
narrow focus on the rational prompts that exist
to human action (whether the provision of
information or economic incentives) to a concern
with the more-than-rational drivers of human
conducts (including fear, joy, social pressures).
KEY READINGS
Steffen, W., Crutzen, P.J. and McNeill, J.R. (2007)
'Are humans now overwhelming the great
forces of nature?', Ambio 36(8): 614-621. This
short article provides a useful introduction to the
idea of the Great Acceleration and its socio-
ecological implications.
Thaler, R. and Sunstein, R. (2008) Nudge: Improv-
ing Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happi-
ness, Yale University Press, London. This
accessible book explains the key ideas that
have informed the emergence of new forms
of behaviour changing policy discussed in this
chapter. It also explores in detail how these poli-
cies have been adopted within the environment
sector.
Whitehead, M., Jones, R. and Pykett, J. (2011)
'Governing irrationality, or a more-than-rational
government: Reflections on the re-scientization
of decision-making in British public policy',
Environment and Planning A 43(12): 2819-2837.
This paper provides a critique of the ethics
and efficacy of contemporary environmental
behaviour change policies.
