When it comes to efforts to conserve natural resources, we at APA are guided by the maxim "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Not only are we continually publishing important research detailing psychology's contributions to understanding climate change, and the behaviors that have caused it and can change it, but we are also applying these learnings to our daily work.
For instance, APA's 2015 Annual Convention in Toronto, Aug. 6–9, will be one of our "greenest" meetings to date. The Metro Toronto Convention Centre's South Building is cooled with water from Lake Ontario. It also has a green roof, including a park with benches. Unique to the Toronto Convention Centre is the option to purchase Bullfrog Power, a carbon-offset program that matches our electrical usage in the Convention Centre with 100 percent green electricity. We also selected hotels with environmentally friendly programs in place — the Fairmont Royal York even has an herb garden and beehives on its roof.
Other steps we have taken to reduce the environmental footprint of our annual convention include trimming the size and print run of our program book. These are now mailed in advance only on request; as an alternative, we offer a PDF copy and a mobile app of the program. We have also discontinued mailing paper schedule cards to program presenters; badges are not mailed in advance unless people request them; we will place recycling bins around the Convention Centre and headquarters hotels; and we urge exhibitors and speakers to minimize paper handouts.
Making our conventions greener is important, of course, but it is only one part of an overarching philosophy of applying psychological science to protecting the environment. In 2010, APA's Council of Representatives passed a resolution affirming psychologists' role in addressing global climate change. This resolution called on APA to support psychologists' involvement in "research, education and community interventions in improving public understanding of global climate change impacts and psychological contributions to mitigation and adaptation efforts that address both environmental and human, including psychological, impacts."
In the past year, APA's efforts to "walk the talk" on climate change included partnering with the organization ecoAmerica to publish the report "Beyond Storms & Droughts: The Psychological Impacts of Climate Change." Building on behavioral science research, the report offers recommendations on how to communicate effectively about climate change and how individuals and communities can strengthen their preparedness in order to mitigate some of the impacts of climate change. It also reviews the scientific evidence on the likely effects of climate change on mental health and human well-being.
Psychology: Science in Action, our public education campaign, also has a strong ecological bent. One of the key video profiles we developed last year was of Susan Clayton, PhD, a conservation psychologist who studies zoos to observe how people connect with animals and nature and how such connection can lead to behaviors that conserve our natural resources. (Dr. Clayton was also co-author of the ecoAmerica report.)
And because sustainability begins at home, we are continually implementing the latest green technology in our buildings — APA's headquarters at 750 First St., N.E., and our second property at 10 G St., N.E., are both LEED Gold Certified. We have retrofitted lighting in both buildings from incandescent to compact fluorescent or LED bulbs; we have modified the buildings' automated heating, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting systems to operate more efficiently; we have installed light sensors and water restrictive devices in all restrooms; and we've installed recycling centers where staff and tenants can deposit used cellphones, batteries, ink cartridges and mercury-containing lights. And those are only a few of the steps we have taken to operate our buildings more efficiently.
I am very proud of the work of our members, our staff and our entire discipline as we grapple with the challenge of climate change. The steps we have taken, and continue to take, support APA's mission to advance the application of psychological science to benefit society and improve people's lives.