-Ivo Hummelink-
The 3A approach: From awareness to attitude to action!
During the lecture last week, we as ESD students introduced ourselves to fellow students by using an Ice-breaker exercise in which we had to find colleagues that fit the profiles that were listed on a questionnaire. Because there was not one particular profile that suited me best I chose to present myself as a ‘hands on sustainable engineer’ associating this profile with some sort of action-hero status, but not realizing that this choice dominated my thoughts during the whole day..
After the lecture was over I mused on this qualification some more. Did I really consider myself a ‘hands-on sustainable engineer’? As a matter of fact, what is a ‘hands on sustainable engineer’? And what does a hands on sustainable engineer do or leave?
I figured, it should be somebody who doesn’t only talks about making the world a better more sustainable place to life but also acts accordingly. It is a person which motto should be: actions are better then words. It is a person who has reached the last phase in the 3A-process of Awareness, Attitude and Action and in my opinion somebody who takes in account at every choice he has what the consequences are for his environment. I realised that more and more there was a mismatch with my own profile.
Later that day I gave this subject more thought while I drove home in my fossil fuel consuming car to my energy leaking C-label house. After having a meat containing dinner with my family (kale with sausage and meatballs) and taking a too long shower I went to bed. Lying in bed I came to the conclusion that I am still far away from the ultimate sustainable action hero status and that I’m actually stuck between the phases of awareness and attitude and realised there is a lot room for improvement in my lifestyle before I could call myself a ‘hands on sustainable engineer’.
Therefore, I think I’ll have to apologized to all fellow students to whom I presented myself as a ‘hands on sustainable engineer’… Sorry I’m not… yet. But I’ll promise you I’ll try the coming weeks to enhance my awareness and build up my attitude in order to finally act in a more sustainable way.