Whilst some motivations
to behave in a more environmentally friendly way were more
rational (such as an understanding of the impact some behaviours may have), others
were more emotionally founded (such as a sense of altruism or peer pressure).
While some motivators
were also consciously linked to the environment (such as fear of
the consequences of damage), others were not and triggered environmentally friendly
behaviour only by default (such as personal health benefits).
Table 1 below summarises
the various motivations and how they split in terms of these
categorisations. The table demonstrates both the potential emotional value of ‘being
green’ as well as the fact that at a rational level, much behaviour is not driven by
consideration of climate change per se. These issues are explored in detail throughout
this section.
Table 1: Overview of
Motivations
