KIB Reading Room

Stopping Illegal Dumping Is Up To Us, By John Ockels, Ph.D.

This link will take you to a readable and downloadable article by Dr. John Ockels, Regional Criminal Justice Coordinator, Texoma Council of Governments that is located on the Keep Texas Beautiful Web site.  Dr. Ockels’ expertise on illegal dumping and enforcement of illegal dumping laws are evident in this article. Dr. Ockels leads KTB “Stop Trashing Texas – It’s The Law” seminars and he is also the  the author of the very popular “Local Control of Illegal Dumping: Texas 2002.” This resource book is available for purchase by contacting John Ockels at , ordering online at www.DumpBook.com, or calling (903) 786-6259. The cost is $20 delivered,

Understanding the Stages of Peoples’ Readiness to Change

http://www.aa2.org/philosophy/stagemodel.htm

In the final analysis, reducing litter, and maximizing recyclables, trees, plants, and beautification, etc. is  about not things but people.  In other words, the real challenge for those who would make improvements in those areas, is that of learning how to systematically and affordably change the habits of many hundreds if not thousands of individuals.  This challenge has attracted considerable interest from, especially, public health scientists since 1980 or so.  A sharp advance in this field of understanding how people change (and thus how to manage change in people) is called “Stages of Change Theory.”  This  link is to a very short article that summarizes the Stages of Change Theory in simple language.  Many other links can be found by searching on the Web for “stage of change” and/or by contacting the KIB office.

The Culture Change Planner: By Judd Allen, Ph.D. with editorial assistance from Michael O'Donnell, Ph.D., William Baun, M.A. and Shari Levine, M.P.H.

http://www.healthyculture.com/Articles/CCplanner.html

Changing the behavior of a single individual over time can be challenging enough.  It can also be a fruitless effort if the “environment” or “culture” in which that person operates does not also change or at least support the individual’s change efforts.  This downloadable paper by one of America’s leading corporate consultants is based in large part on the thinking of his father, the very man who helped design the Keep America Beautiful System.  This version is a bit demanding but most people should learn quite a bit for the effort of wading through it.  The author says of it ”This manual provides a framework for the challenging task of modifying culture…It is intended for both professional behavioral scientists and the general public: all those with a vision for healthier, more caring and more productive relationships and social institutions.