Lifestyle

What incentives encourage more sustainable living

Published

4 weeks ago

March 26, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Lauren Click founded a nonprofit a few years ago offering free composting education to schools around the country. Today, 112 schools participate, yet she can’t get her boyfriend to properly separate his trash at home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Adults have more set behaviors than young kids. I try to model a behavior and hopefully he does it,” said Click, executive director of her Let’s Go Compost organization. “But it’s also like, I’m not his parent. I’m not going to berate him every day or ruin my relationship over this. I just fish a bunch of stuff out of the trash.”

Her efforts, which she calls 50-50 effective with her partner, point to an important question in the field of environmental psychology: What’s the best approach when looking to influence colleagues, friends and family to live more sustainably? What’s the worst?

Researchers say Click is on the right track. Modeling can work, though as with other approaches, it depends on who the sender is, how the message is framed and who it’s intended for.

Here’s a look at some of the issues and strategies involved in making people more aware of their role in climate change, which is caused by the burning of fuels like gasoline, coal and gas, and encouraging them to cut waste and protect the natural world.

Peer pressure is at play

Magnus Bergquist is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. His research focuses on how to persuade people to adopt more eco-friendly behavior. In a recent study reviewing studies in his area, Bergquist homed in on the influence of others.

“What we found was the most effective strategy for changing behavior is social norms, pointing to what other people are doing or people’s perception of other people’s approval or disapproval,” he said.

“But interestingly, when we ask people about the effectiveness of different interventions, people tend to say that social norms are among the least effective ones,” Bergquist added.

The bottom line: Humans are generally social animals, which isn’t a surprise. But most people underestimate how much they’re influenced by social norms, and campaigns are often based on strategies that are less effective, he said.

Financial incentives also work, to a degree

While Click is unlikely to pay off her boyfriend to do better, Bergquist said financial incentives or disincentives are the second most effective strategy (behind social norms) in getting people to take more sustainable steps in their lives.

That covers everything from bonus cash in a community or office to tax benefits, he said. But there’s a caveat.

When people change their behavior because of financial incentives or disincentives, “some studies show that it crowds out people’s moral compass,” he said. “They will do it for the money. They won’t do it for the sake of the question as such.”

Example: A popular way to promote pro-environmental behavior is holding a contest for something like conserving energy or riding your bike to work.

“Ride your bike and a get a prize,” Bergquist explained. “What we see over and over again is that’s effective in the short term. When the prize or the contest is removed, people tend to go back.”

Education is good, but not enough by itself

Norah Hippolyte is the business manager for St. Mary Magdalen Parish in socially progressive Berkeley, California. She supplies table goods for workers and a wide range of group gatherings, from funerals and community dinners to functions for the parish’s school.

For several years, she’s been trying to wean everyone onto compostable plates, cups, bowls and utensils.

“So I buy the stuff. I make sure people are aware I’ve got it in the closet, that that’s where I keep everything. I say, use this stuff. Make sure you let me know when people start to run low,” she said. “But people choose not to use what’s there. They’re using their own things, and it’s all regular plastic.”

She tries to get them to rinse and recycle, or clean what’s cleanable so it can be used again.

“When I started working in Berkeley, I figured everybody had this whole recycle thing down. Nooooo,” Hippolyte said. “Not only did I have to learn, I have to now try and teach people, OK, this bin is for this, this and this. That bin is for this. Sorting is the biggest issue.”

Hippolyte’s experience doesn’t surprise Bergquist. “I always want to mention education — trying to inform people or educate people about issues — because that tends to be ineffective alone,” he said.

Bergquist says those who have been talking themselves to death or shoveling facts into the faces of reluctant folks should add some other motivation.

For example, when Sarah Davies was trying to convince her 16-year-old son to give up single-use plastics, she switched strategies.

“He truly believed he can use plastic as much as he likes and then put it into the recycling bin,” said Davies, who heads up communications for Earthday.org, organizers of the April 22 Earth Day. “What finally made the difference was me explaining that when he’s drinking from a single-use plastic bottle, be it water or soda, he’s also drinking potentially 240,000 nano particles of plastics. That shocked him.”

Bergquist noted that a couple of experiments have indicated that people pay more attention to negative information than positive information.

“So instead of saying many people are pro-environmental, you can say people are avoiding environmentally harmful products,” he said. “It’s the avoidance.”

It’s a small but potentially valuable tweak, Bergquist said. Take straws.

“Instead of saying people are using paper straws, you might say most people are avoiding plastic straws. You don’t have to explain. People will find an explanation,” he said.

Other expert tips for persuasion include picking your battles; starting small, focusing on one habit; appealing to the person’s interest in other benefits, like saving money or being more efficient; keeping it easy; and not forcing the issue.

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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What to Stream: ‘Andor,’ ‘Babygirl’ and new Wu Tang Clan music

Published

6 hours ago

April 21, 2025

dailyofworld

NEW YORK (AP) — The second season of the Star Wars series “Andor” and the streaming release of the Wu Tang Clan’s latest album are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

Also among the streaming offerings worth your time, as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Willie Nelson releases his 77th solo studio album, “Oh What A Beautiful World,” and the arrival of Nicole Kidman’s “Babygirl” on Max.

New movies to stream from April 21-27

– Halina Reijn’s “Babygirl” (streaming April 25 on Max) stars Nicole Kidman as a CEO who has an affair with a much younger male intern ( Harris Dickinson ). The A24 film, which earned Kidman a Golden Globe nomination, resurrects the steamy, campy atmosphere of erotic thrillers like “Basic Instinct” and “9 ½ Weeks” but tells it from a more female perspective. In my review, I wrote that the “ever-shifting gender and power dynamics make ‘Babygirl’ seldom predictable — even if the film is never quite as daring as it seems to thinks it is.”

– Gareth Evans, the Welsh filmmaker of “The Raid” franchise, returns with more brutal, choreographed mayhem in “Havoc” (Netflix, April 25), an action thriller starring Tom Hardy as a detective battling a criminal underworld. Jessie Mei Li, Timothy Olyphant, Forest Whitaker and Luis Guzmán co-star.

New music to stream from April 21-27

— Wu-Tang Clan is forever, but their touring days are numbered. In June, the legendary hip-hop group will embark on a final tour titled the “Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber.” Whether you’re planning on attending or not, there is no bad time to throw on one of their records. On Friday, April 25, Wu-Tang’s joint album with Mathematics, “Black Samson, The Bastard Swordsman,” released earlier this month as a Record Store Day exclusive, will hit streaming platforms. Why not start there?

— Calling Willie Nelson prolific is about as revelatory as saying the sky is blue; it is self-evident. On Friday, he’ll release his 77th solo studio album, “Oh What A Beautiful World,” celebrating the work of songwriter Rodney Crowell. Nelson embodies many Crowell classics – like 1976’s “Banks Of The Old Bandera,” recorded by Jerry Jeff Walker and 1981’s “Shame On The Moon” for Bob Seger. Crowell and Nelson join forces on the song’s title cut. The album also arrives just five months after his 76th solo studio album, “Last Leaf on the Tree,” his first produced entirely by his son Micah. “He’s a real artist,” Nelson described his son to The Associated Press at the time. “He picked all the songs.”

— Twangy punk band Rodeo Boys are experts in sugary, spirited hooks – from 2019’s debut “Cherry” to their 2023 Don Giovanni Records debut “Home Movies.” But the Lansing, Michigan, group’s 2025 album “Junior,” out Friday, that takes them to great new heights — a collection of sardonic, queer Americana, melodic songs for and by the heartland. The best description of the band is the one they wrote themselves: “Rodeo Boys is what happens when the Miller High Life gets legs and starts walking around on its own.” Yeehaw.

New television to stream from April 21-27

— The “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” prequel series “Andor” returns for its second and final season Tuesday on Disney+. Diego Luna stars as Rebel spy Cassian Andor and follows his radicalization against the Galactic Empire leading up to “Rogue One” and “Star Wars.” The first season of “Andor” was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding drama series and received praise from critics. It also stars Kyle Soller, Adria Arjona, Stellan Skarsgard, Fiona Shaw and Genevieve O’Reilly.

— Penn Badgley is closing out his chapter as the stalking serial killer Joe Goldberg –who is also disturbingly likeable but that’s for a therapy session– in Netflix’s “You.” Its fifth and final season debuts Thursday. While Season 4 took place in London with Joe working as a literature professor, he’s now returned to his hometown of New York. Joe is married to Kate Lockwood (played by Charlotte Ritchie) whom he met in season four — and they’re a New York power couple. Joe is happy with Kate and intends to stop killing people, but the guy is prone to building tangled webs of obsession that leave dead bodies in his wake. The new episodes also feature Madeline Brewer of “The Handmaid’s Tale” and Anna Camp.

— In Season 1 of Hulu’s “Vanderpump Villa,” Lisa Vanderpump oversaw a young staff at French chateau that both lived and worked together for the summer. For Season 2, she’s relocated to a castle in Italy and brought roughly half of the “Villa” staff with her. She’s also invited “Vanderpump” all-star, Stassi Schroeder to be a special VIP and to serve as her eyes and ears with the staff. Schroeder starred on “Vanderpump Rules” for eight seasons before she was fired for slurs and racial profiling in 2020. Schroeder has since written two best-selling books, launched a new podcast, got married and become a mother of two. She also has her own show for Hulu in the works. “Vanderpump Villa” premieres Thursday.

— When Brett Goldstein isn’t writing and acting in hit shows like “Ted Lasso” and “Shrinking,” he’s a busy stand-up comedian. Goldstein recently taped his first comedy special called “Brett Goldstein: The Second Best Night of Your Life” for Max. It premieres Saturday.

— Bravo has tapped some of its most famous single ladies from “The Real Housewives” to star in a new dating show called “Love Hotel.” Cameras follow Shannon Storms Beador (“The Real Housewives of Orange County”), Luann de Lesseps (“The Real Housewives of New York City”), and Gizelle Bryant and Ashley Darby (“The Real Housewives of Potomac”) as they stay at a hotel in Los Cabos, Mexico and meet eligible bachelors who are just visitors to the property, unless they get an official invite from one of the ladies to check in. Bravo superfan Joel Kim Booster hosts as their “Love Concierge.” “Love Hotel,” premiering Sunday on Bravo, streams next day on Peacock.

New video games to play week of April 21-27

— Every year, the mystical Paintress paints a new number, and every person of that age dies. This year’s number is 33, so its up to the crew of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to try to stop her. It’s the debut title from French developer Sandfall Interactive, and it aspires to the storytelling, exploration and turn-based team combat of classic role-playing games like Final Fantasy and Persona. The graphics evoke the lush glamor of Belle Epoque Paris, while the voice cast features heavyweights like Charlie Cox (“Daredevil”) and Andy Serkis (“The Lord of the Rings”). It’s rare for a young studio to launch such an ambitious RPG series — and we’ll see if it pays off Thursday, April 24, on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.

— Lou Kesten

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Lifestyle

A Pentecostal church in South Africa holds mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous

Published

18 hours ago

April 20, 2025

dailyofworld

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A Pentecostal church in South Africa celebrated Easter Sunday with mass wedding ceremonies for around 3,000 people, with many of them entering into polygamous marriages.

The International Pentecost Holiness Church said mass weddings are part of its Easter festivities and the tradition of polygamy, which is observed in some African cultures, has been incorporated into the church.

Sunday’s ceremonies would see some men marry their sixth or seventh wives, church spokesperson Vusi Ndala said. Other grooms were set to marry multiple brides at one time, Ndala said.

“Polygamy is not only embraced but held in high regard” in the church, Ndala said.

A man with his wife and two of his brides walk, during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Couples dance as they enter the church building during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church, in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

People queue during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

The International Pentecost Holiness Church was founded in South Africa in the early 1960s. It is an African-initiated church, meaning it was founded by Africans rather than foreign missionaries, and blends Pentecostal beliefs with local traditions.

The church has held mass weddings before, including in 2023 when around 400 couples or bridal parties tied the knot. It says this year’s event was its largest by far.

Ndala said the large number of people being married this year was because of “a large number of men marrying more than one wife at a go.”

In some cases, grooms brought their current wife or wives to be with them for their new marriage.

The weddings were held at the church’s headquarters, a huge, dome-shaped building in the town of Heidelberg, near Johannesburg, that can seat 60,000 people.

The congregants who were being married waited in long white tents set up in open fields next to the church building, where they were given bridal flowers, food packs and water. They then filed into the church building in long queues, the women wearing white bridal gowns and many of the men in matching white suits and red ties.

Polygamy is legal in South Africa if the union is registered as a customary marriage.

A man with his wife and two of his brides sits inside a marquee ahead of the mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at the International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

A groom in a wheelchair is assisted by a fellow member whilst his two brides walk in front, during mass Easter weddings for 3,000 people, some polygamous, at The International Pentecost Holiness Church in Heidelberg, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

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Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite dog breed race for glory in the UK’s Corgi Derby

Published

24 hours ago

April 20, 2025

dailyofworld

LONDON (AP) — Some of the fastest canines on four very short legs have raced for glory in Scotland’s annual Corgi Derby.

The Musselburgh Racecourse Corgi Derby was first held in 2022 to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne. The late monarch was a devoted corgi fan who owned almost 30 of the breed over the decades, along with a few dorgis – a corgi-dachshund cross.

Four-year-old Juno beat a 16-strong field of dashing dogs dressed in bright sweaters over the 230-foot (70-meter) race on Saturday at the racecourse outside Edinburgh. She came from behind in the final stretch to beat last year’s winner, Rodney.

The winner and her owners, Alisdair Tew and Fran Brandon, were presented with a trophy and dog treats by tennis coach Judy Murray, mother of Scottish star Andy Murray.

Tew told the BBC that “we trained her for this last year but this year we just resorted to just letting her chasing things, particularly seagulls” on Edinburgh’s Portobello Beach.

“Juno is always ready for treats -– that is probably why she won,” he said.

Elizabeth’s love of corgis began in 1933 when her father, King George VI, brought home a Pembroke Welsh corgi they named Dookie

Corgis were often by Elizabeth’s side in the decades before her death in September 2022 — accompanying her on official tours, reportedly sleeping in their own room at Buckingham Palace and occasionally nipping the ankles of visitors or royal family members.

Three corgis even appeared alongside the queen as she climbed into James Bond’s waiting helicopter in the spoof video that opened the 2012 London Olympics.

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