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https://theconversation.com/nation-building-or-nature-destroying-why-its-time-nz-faced-up-to-the-environmental-damage-of-its-colonial-past-185693>
"The ways in which New Zealand remembers European colonisation have changed
markedly in recent years. Critics have been chipping away at the public image
of Captain James Cook, the New Zealand Wars have been included in the new
compulsory history curriculum, and streets honouring colonial figures have been
renamed.
However, while New Zealand is slowly recognising the historical injustices
suffered by Māori, the same reappraisal hasn’t extended to the natural
environment. The dramatic transformation of “wild untamed nature” into
“productive land” by European settlers in the 1800s continues to be widely
celebrated as a testament to Kiwi ingenuity and hard work.
My soon-to-be published research, based on a survey of 1,100 people, suggests
this narrative could be partly responsible for New Zealanders’ apparent
complacency on climate change compared to other countries.
Essentially, it appears those who
refuse the “taming of nature” narrative –
and instead recognise the 19th century as a period of environmental destruction
– are more likely to have what psychologists call an “environmental
self-identity”.
The findings further suggest that changing individual behaviour as a strategy
to tackle environmental threats (as recommended in the Climate Commission’s
2021 report) might mean addressing how we communicate the history of
environmental change in schools, museums and at public heritage sites.
In particular, this might mean framing what happened in the 1800s as more about
loss than achievement."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
