The Nature Pyramid, Empathy and Changing Behavior (Part 1)

Note: This is the first part in a series of short articles that explore the importance of nature exposure, empathy and awareness in motivating pro-environmental behavior.

Introduction
So here is the deal... climate change, and the irrecoverable damage we are incurring on the planet represent an immediate threat to our survival. Industrial expansion, mass consumption and the fetish for growth are accelerating species extinction, pollution and resource scarcity (See Report). The severity and scale of the problems we face requires a radical transformation of the ways we relate to the natural world, our landscapes and the living things that make up our environment.

In an effort to make this shift, Aldo Leopold talked about a new "land ethic" that challenges us to expand our sense of community beyond our ourselves to include other living things, and landscapes. Kathleen Dean Moore calls on people to practice "reverence," and to consider this reverence as part of a practice in seeking justice for those who have no say in the way things are progressing.

Overall, this ethic challenges us to see ourselves as existing within, rather than separate from nature; it challenges us to sense our place intimately, and to cultivate empathetic relations beyond our own species. It challenges us to act individually, and to work collectively to change the trajectory of unsustainable forms of living.


The Importance of Nature Experience
This transformation may be a difficult task as we are increasingly removed from the land, and what we might call nature. The average American spends nearly 90% of their time indoors insulated from the world "out there." In essence our daily lives have been cut-off from broader forms of nature.
At same time, our exposure to nature may be a critical dimension to living a healthy life, as well as to developing the ethical sensibilities that motivate a transformation of personal and collective behavior towards the environment.

The Nature Pyramid initially presented by Tanya Denckla Cobb, and expanded upon Tim Beatley provides a conceptual model for thinking about the quality and quantity of nature interactions, and the impacts on human well-being. Similar to the Food Pyramid, the Nature Pyramid is used to look at the connections between 'nature consumption' and the relationship with mental and physical health. As Beatley explains, the assumptions inherent within the model follow directly from E.O. Wilson's biophilia hypothesis. Biophilia suggests that at some fundamental level we are hard-wired to seek out connections and express an affinity towards other living things.

Empathy, curiosity, and wonder all seem to be a part of this biophilic experience, and when we satisfy this aspect of our own evolutionary biology, we are renewed as individuals, and as a community. The absence of these experiences can undermine our development as full, emotional and physically healthy individuals. However, it may also undermine our capacities for feeling empathy for other species and the larger natural world that sustains our lives. This is important in that our nature experience may not be simply about the benefits we receive as individuals, but in developing a sense of connection to motivate new behaviors. Further, the ability to bridge self-interest and desire for altruism may increase the likelihood of behavior changes.

The importance of empathy

Indeed, empathy seems to be foundational to our most basic conceptualizations of justice and equity. Empathy is the ability to share another person's feelings. It is in our capacity to extend our sense of self -  those feelings of hurt, desire, love, hunger, fear, etc. towards others that provide the basis for caring beyond our own self-interest. Jeremy Rifkin's recent piece on empathy explores the evolutionary development of empathy in terms of our human species. He suggests that  the cultivation of empathy at larger scales to include the planet is part of the key to solving some our current environmental problems.

Check out this great video for his take on the importance of empathy and its development over the course of human evolution.

However, Rifkin notes that this evolutionary development is not a given, meaning we are not destined to reach some global form of empathic concern for the planet. Rather, this has to be cultivated in direct contrast to the hyper-individualism that dominates much of our popular socio-economic landscape (at least in North America). 

But how do we do this? Certainly ecological education at all stages of human development will play an important role. However, developing a sense of deep concern for nature requires more than just an intellectual understanding of ecological processes. Knowledge must accompany experience that feed into one another on a reoccurring basis to, both solidify and expand an intelligent, and mature emotional response to our natural surroundings. These experiences are what the nature pyramid emphasize. The multitude and variety of nature experiences, whether in a formal learning, or leisure context can be vital to developing the foundations for a new way of relating to our environment. This assumes a positive feedback loop where nature exposure can increase empathy for the natural community. This may influence pro-environmental behavior as an expression of this affinity for the natural world. Yet, to maintain this, continued contact and interaction is required. 

Ultimately, I believe that by using the nature pyramid, we can begin to consider the role of nature experience in cultivating empathy for our natural surroundings. This is an important an under realized area of research for understanding the pathways towards a sustainable society.  In the coming segments I will explore the nature pyramid in more depth as well as begin to think more deeply about specific research questions that might be significant to improving our understanding of the ways reverence and a 'land ethic' can be cultivated.