Synopsis Psychology is not the first profession one thinks of when looking for environmental activists. In fact, much of this is a primer in what a psychologist who specializes in self-determination, calls "the five characteristics of sustainable lifestyle' - conservation, recycling, renewable resource use, restoration and population control. While he does make a good point that the excessive consumption is accompanied by a large degree of self-imposed blindness, much of the rest will be familiar to readers versed in environmental issues. Experimental psychologists have typically focused on understanding the mechanisms of behaviour, leaving analysis of meaning and value to clinicians and to introspection. A combination of ecological and experimental methods can help us better understand the meaningful aspects of everyday life.