Addressing Consumerism and the Planetary Health Crisis: Behavioral Economics Approach in Public Policy

A pervasive sense of dissatisfaction is driving an unstoppable longing for materialistic things, resulting in anthropogenic disruptions of the earth’s natural systems. Behavioral economics integrates insights from psychological research into economic science. This policy brief explores how behaviora...

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Main Author: Atanu Sarkar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Energy Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2022.800588/full
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author Atanu Sarkar
author_facet Atanu Sarkar
author_sort Atanu Sarkar
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description A pervasive sense of dissatisfaction is driving an unstoppable longing for materialistic things, resulting in anthropogenic disruptions of the earth’s natural systems. Behavioral economics integrates insights from psychological research into economic science. This policy brief explores how behavioral economics can be a practical approach citizens can use to adopt pro-environmental behavior without significant economic interference. It is worth examining why some people maintain the status quo by not embracing green options despite knowing their positive environmental impacts and even after financial incentives are offered for such options. Human decision anomalies are often driven by simple intuition, with decisions made by mental shortcuts known as heuristics. Nudging people and setting up a choice architecture may be a better way to alter people’s behavior to adopt a pro-environment lifestyle.
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spelling doaj.art-f94bd20dd3a24e71b9653aba6d18b6122022-12-22T02:09:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Energy Research2296-598X2022-04-011010.3389/fenrg.2022.800588800588Addressing Consumerism and the Planetary Health Crisis: Behavioral Economics Approach in Public PolicyAtanu SarkarA pervasive sense of dissatisfaction is driving an unstoppable longing for materialistic things, resulting in anthropogenic disruptions of the earth’s natural systems. Behavioral economics integrates insights from psychological research into economic science. This policy brief explores how behavioral economics can be a practical approach citizens can use to adopt pro-environmental behavior without significant economic interference. It is worth examining why some people maintain the status quo by not embracing green options despite knowing their positive environmental impacts and even after financial incentives are offered for such options. Human decision anomalies are often driven by simple intuition, with decisions made by mental shortcuts known as heuristics. Nudging people and setting up a choice architecture may be a better way to alter people’s behavior to adopt a pro-environment lifestyle.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2022.800588/fullbehavioral economicsconsumerismplanetary healthpublic policyheuristicnudge
spellingShingle Atanu Sarkar
Addressing Consumerism and the Planetary Health Crisis: Behavioral Economics Approach in Public Policy
Frontiers in Energy Research
behavioral economics
consumerism
planetary health
public policy
heuristic
nudge
title Addressing Consumerism and the Planetary Health Crisis: Behavioral Economics Approach in Public Policy
title_full Addressing Consumerism and the Planetary Health Crisis: Behavioral Economics Approach in Public Policy
title_fullStr Addressing Consumerism and the Planetary Health Crisis: Behavioral Economics Approach in Public Policy
title_full_unstemmed Addressing Consumerism and the Planetary Health Crisis: Behavioral Economics Approach in Public Policy
title_short Addressing Consumerism and the Planetary Health Crisis: Behavioral Economics Approach in Public Policy
title_sort addressing consumerism and the planetary health crisis behavioral economics approach in public policy
topic behavioral economics
consumerism
planetary health
public policy
heuristic
nudge
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenrg.2022.800588/full
work_keys_str_mv AT atanusarkar addressingconsumerismandtheplanetaryhealthcrisisbehavioraleconomicsapproachinpublicpolicy