Are we psychologically unfit to live sustainably?

This event is now online only.

A transition to more sustainable societies requires substantial shifts in how people live. But are people ready for these shifts, or are these shifts incompatible with human nature?

Dr Paul Bain will explore these questions from a psychological perspective, exploring what is known (or assumed to be known) about our conceptions of the “good life”, our unlimited wants, our beliefs about change, and our conceptions of sustainability itself.

Along the way he will question some widely (and strongly) held beliefs about human nature. Drawing on evidence and some speculation, he aims to convey a hopeful sense that many (but not all) of us seem psychologically equipped to live more sustainability, and to identify some of the psychological challenges such a transition will face.

Dr Paul Bain, University of Bath