ILLUSTRATION: BRYANT FUKUTOMI / BFUKUTOMI@STARBULLETIN.COM

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Earth Day
every day

Taking small steps to help
the environment brings
long-term success

It's a world of overflowing landfills, gas-guzzling SUVs, and polluted lakes and streams. The problems, and the impact humans have left on the environment, can be overwhelming to the Earth-conscious among us.

As Earth Day is celebrated today for the 35th year by more than a half-billion people worldwide, Neil Gowensmith wants to let you know every little effort has significance.

Time to celebrate "Minding Nature Through Ecopsychology" talk by Neil Gowensmith is part of the Shunzo Sakamaki Extraordinary Lecture Series: Place: Krauss Hall Yukiyoshi Room, University of Hawaii at Manoa When: 7 to 8:30 p.m. May 18 Admission: Free Call: 956-8244 On video Julianna FreeHand and Darrow Hand film on global warming and petroleum dependency: Where: Louis Pohl Gallery, 1111 Nuuanu Ave. When: 7 p.m. April 28 Admission: Free

In fact, the forensic psychologist says trying to do too much at once can lead to pitching good intentions out of frustration. Goodbye recycling, hello ecology burnout.

"Over time, people come to feel guilty about what to do because all you hear about are the failures," said Gowensmith, who has a Ph.D. in counseling psychology. "Guilt and shame only work in the short term. But for long-term success, motivation coupled with success can make the difference. Psychology is about the long term."

Positive reinforcement helps. He suggests that taking small steps to improve one's community environment will more likely lead to a permanent change.

The psychology of making subtle, permanent changes is also the basis for ecopsychology. Gowensmith, who grew up in environmentally progressive Austin, Texas, often speaks on the subject, which examines humans' relationship to the environment.

In ecopsychology, humans are viewed as a part of nature, rather than separate from the environment. It is about confronting the concept of individualism, Gowensmith said.

"There aren't too many plants or animals that destroy their own environment," he said. "As a modern society, we are cut off from nature."

Although we might not fully feel the effects of water and air pollution in Hawaii, thanks partly to conservation efforts in place, marine sources are limited. Protecting coral reefs and fished-out areas are a chief concern. In short, perhaps it's time to go back to a traditionally sustainable way of life, said Gowensmith.

In spite of man's negative impact on the environment, there are success stories. Locally, there are environmentally friendly companies such as the Sustainability Café, a restaurant at the University of Hawaii at Manoa that uses locally grown organic foods; and the Aloha Aina restaurant in Waimanalo, an organically minded burger joint that contracts youths to grow and harvest organic food from a local farm. Instead of Whoppers, the stuffings of taro burgers are supplied by workers in the Mala Aia Opio program, creating a cycle of environmental replenishment, skills and financial rewards for members of the nonprofit organization.

"I am not a tree worshipper or tree hugger," Gowensmith said. "But it's almost like there has to be a more intentional lifestyle. (However) every day cannot be a peak; it's the routine of living. But you try to make the best change."

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COURTESY N. GOWENSMITH Forensic psychologist Neil Gowensmith says subtle, permanent change is the basis for ecopsychology in which humans are viewed as part of rather than separate from the environment.

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Ultimately, a step to clean up the environment or to preserve resources will have an emotional payoff, he said. Just like eating ice cream or eating popcorn feels good, recycling can make a person feel good, he said. So can volunteering, limiting one's driving time, opening windows and shutting off air conditioners. Gowensmith suggests that shopping at farmers markets, held weekly islandwide; buying organic food or recycled household goods; or gardening at home or in a community garden are small changes with visible results.

"If you feel empowered, you act," he said. "It's the power of one."

It may be what humans beings arguably do best -- science and technology -- that often leads to problems. Behold the hybrid car. While in awe of its mechanics, Gowensmith wonders if it's a good idea taken too far.

"We're coming up with technology to fix problems instead of making lifestyle changes, like using less gas and driving less or taking public transportation or carpooling with friends. People destroy and then lament."

He suggested using biodiesel fuel, which is about the same price as regular gasoline with far fewer emissions, meaning less air pollution.

As Americans, it might be our keeping-up-with-the-Joneses attitude that has gotten us into trouble in the first place, he said, as well as our need to see ourselves as individuals with choices, a staple of our culture. Marketing, whether it be for cars, water bottles, fast-food companies and whatever else, often rejoices in consumers having it their way. Having a choice appeals to our sense of individuality even as we reach for the exact same products, often pitched with an environmental or health-conscious image that has no basis.

"We are a consumer culture," Gowensmith said. "We think that by buying more, we'll be happy. ... But it's a cycle we can never really win. As an individualistic society, we are more concerned with us and our family instead of our connection to the community."

It may be time to realize, he said, that "we're are on a small island, and what we do affects our neighbors.

"Get to know your place and your neighbors. As you get to know the people around you, you get the sense of a place," he said. "You act locally on what's near and dear. Many of us know about the environment. But a lot of us don't know what to do or think we can't make a difference.

"As far as ecopsych goes, it tries to be inclusive rather than divisive. If science and technology can be brought to the table, it is welcomed. If change in lifestyle can be brought, it too is welcomed. Whatever you can bring, bring it. It all adds up to make a difference. It doesn't work to tell people they are doing it the WRONG way."

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