THE ROLE OF EMOTION ON ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY

SHELAH MARIE DARAP RECIDE
TOPIC TITLE:
THE ROLE OF EMOTION ON ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES:
AN ASSESSMENT IN DEVELOPING PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIONS
TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

BACHELOR THESIS

Study Mode : Full-Time
Major

: Environmental Science in Management

Faculty

: International Training and Development Center

Batch

: 2011-2015

Thai Nguyen, September 2015


APPROVAL SHEET
This thesis entitled: “THE ROLE OF EMOTION ON ENVIRONMENTAL
CHANGES: AN ASSESSMENT IN DEVELOPING PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL
ACTIONS

TOWARDS

ENVIRONMENTAL

SUSTAINABILITY”,

prepared,

presented and submitted by SHELAH MARIE D. RECIDE in partial fulfillment of the
requirements in the undergraduate degree in Environmental Science and Management has
been examined and hereby recommended for approval and acceptance.

Thai Nguyen, September 25, 2015
Supervisor

A/Prof. Dr. HOANG VAN HUNG


BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
Name:

SHELAH MARIE DARAP RECIDE

Address:

BRGY. M. PANDEÑO SINILOAN,
LAGUNA PHILIPPINES

Nationality:

FILIPINO

Date of Birth:

SEPTEMBER 23, 1995

Place of Birth:

STA. CRUZ, LAGUNA PHILIPPINES

PARENTS:
Father:

REYNALDO S. RECIDE

Mother:

LEONORA D. RECIDE

SIBLINGS:
Brother:

JHOVAN REY D. RECIDE

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT:
UNIVERSITY (2012-2016)
Major: Bachelor of Environmental Science in Management
Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, Thai Nguyen City,
Vietnam

(Advanced Education Program from University of California, Davis, USA)
SECONDARY (2008-2012)
Curriculum: Special Agricultural Science
Laguna State Polytechnic University, Siniloan Campus, Siniloan, Laguna
PRIMARY (2002-2008)
Angela Ong Javier Memorial Elementary School, Siniloan, Laguna

ii


ABSTRACT
Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry
Degree Program Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management
Student Name
Shelah Marie D. Recide
Student ID
DTN1153110279
The Role of Emotion on Environmental Changes: An Assessment
Thesis Title
in Developing Pro-Environmental Actions Towards Environmental
Sustainability
Supervisor
A/Prof. Hoang Van Hung, Ph.D.
Abstract:
The viability of the planet to sustain life amidst development on both economic
and industrial fields must be preserved at all cost. However, environmental changes
and its risks are currently the most serious concern of all individuals especially the
researchers. They argue that the causes of these extreme phenomena are not only
associated with scientific issues, but also with the individual’s behavior towards the
environment. Thus, various researches have been taken out to consider the solutions

for the role of human behavior to develop pro-environmental consciousness. The
positive and negative emotions analysis in this study not only affects their own
experiences with the environment, but it also tests the possibilities of engaging into
eco-friendly ways. Thus, this study investigates the role of emotion in developing proenvironmental behavior in the influence of environmental changes, particularly natural
disasters. Furthermore, results have shown that emotion significantly affects the
changes of the participants’ willingness to be engaged in pro-environmental manners.
This explains that emotion in developing environmentally-friendly behavior is a
contributing variable as a stepping stone to environmental sustainability. Eco-friendly
attitudes are also confirmed important in building behavior intentions and acceptance
of nature, this assessment makes the development of desired outcome possible when
good relationship with the environment is already inhabited. Likewise, the study
showed excellent significant result of the emotion-arousing video manipulation and
ecological footprint, thus, emotion is a factor in considering the start and development
of one’s sustainable way of living.
Keywords:
Number of Pages:
Date of Submission:

Environmental sustainability; Emotion; Environmental
changes; Climate change; pro-environmental behavior
Forty-eight (48) pages
September, 2015

iii


DEDICATION

To my parents and brother;
Reynaldo, Leonor & Jhovan

Especially to my grandfather;
Alejandro
My greatest motivation through hardships,
I love you and I did it to the best of my abilities while your heart beats linger, for it is
as always as it is:
As if listening to raindrops; as if feeling a distinct tone; as if learning how to crawl.

iv


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

“You'll have a tale or two to tell of your own when you come back.”
–Gandalf; The Hobbit

This quote played a huge inspiration for me during the timeline of this research.
Things sometimes did go mad and I was ready enough and yet, still terrified. Fortunately,
more people came and very little gone. Through the time of hardships on this research, I
take hold of the Lord’s guidance and trust. Thus, first and foremost, I express my deepest
and solid gratitude to our Almighty God for providing me the strength and courage as the
time gone by; for taking me away from doubts and indifferences; and most definitely for
leading my path to live by His plan.
The unconditional love and support of my parents, Reynaldo & Leonora Recide, and
my brother, Jhovan Rey Recide, gave me strength to love in return; to continue what I have
started that lead to the amazingly successful completion of this study.
Likewise to the people who never doubted my capabilities to gain success,
especially my research supervisor, A/Prof. Dr. Hoang Van Hung and my Lao Cai
and Thai Nguyen families. Thank you for the additional knowledge, worthy
indications, comments and unending guidance.
To the Advanced Education Program, Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture

and Forestry and the University of California, Davis director and staff for permitting me to
undergo with this research in the first place, for giving welcomingly great opportunities
towards attaining productive abilities hindering failure.

v


The novelists that gave me life and journey through words, for teaching me the
values of life; strengthen my writing skills and my cognitive mind that played a very
wide role for this research—J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, S. Collins, V. Roth, & C.
Clare; you were most wonderfully amazing.
And of course, Andrés Ceballos y DVICIO [Oye, sé que algún día nos
veremos. Pronto.] for overwhelmingly being a part of my huge circle of inspiration.
The good things of my life happened with you all and the best yet to come.
Thank you truthfully and whole-heartedly.

The Researcher

Shelah Marie D. Recide

vi


TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................1
LIST OF TABLES.........................................................................................................2
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................3
PART I. INTRODUCTION

4

1.1. Research Rationale .................................................................................................4
1.2. Objectives of the Study...........................................................................................7
1.3. Research Questions.................................................................................................7
1.4. Significance of the Study........................................................................................8
1.5. Hypothesis ..............................................................................................................8
1.5.1Null hypothesis ...............................................................................................9
1.5.2.Alternative hypothesis ...................................................................................9
1.6. Scope and Limitation of the Research ....................................................................9
1.7. Time and Place of the Study...................................................................................9
1.8. Assumption of the Study.........................................................................................9
1.9. Definition of Terms ..............................................................................................10
PART II. LITERATURE REVIEW ..........................................................................11
2.1. Environmental Changes and Natural Disasters ......................................................11
2.1.1. Human Vulnerability to Environmental Changes due to Climate Change.13
2.2. Environmental Sustainability and Environmental Changes...................................14
2.3. Emotion and Natural Disasters ...............................................................................16
2.4. Emotion and Environmental Sustainability............................................................17
PART III. METHODS ................................................................................................21
3.2. Research Location ..................................................................................................21
3.3. Research Approach.................................................................................................22
3.4. Data Collection .......................................................................................................22
PART IV. RESULTS...................................................................................................30
4.1. General Quantitative Result...........................................................................30
4.2. Differences on Current Pro-Environmental Behavior............................................32
4.4. Environmental Concern..........................................................................................36
vii


4.5. Behavioral Change Intention/Willingness..............................................................39

PART V. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION ........................................................43
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................46
APPENDIX I
APPENDIX II

viii


LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Research Approach ....................................................................................... 22
Figure 2. Research Procedures ..................................................................................... 24
Figure 3. Mean Effect of Video Treatments to Environmental Behavior .................... 37
Figure 4. Mean scores for the Importance of Environmental Issues............................ 38
Figure 5 Willingness of the Participants for Environmental Sustainable Way of
Living........................................................................................................... 40

1


LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Average PANAS-X scores of both treatments (Pre-Video and Post-Video
Treatments) ....................................................................................................30
Table 2. Environmental Attitude and Pro-Environmental Behavior ..............................31
Table 3. Environmental Measures Overall Record ........................................................32
Table 4. Correlation and Differences of Environmental attitude, behavior, and
ecological footprint........................................................................................33
Table 5. Grand means of the participants’ emotional score at Pre- & Post-Video
and ANCOVA ...............................................................................................34
Table 6. Emotion and EID Score One-Way ANOVA....................................................35
Table 7. Emotion and NEP Score One-Way ANOVA...................................................35

Table 8. Emotion and EF Score One-Way ANOVA......................................................36
Table 9. Video Impact to the participants ......................................................................37
Table 10. Multiple Regression Analysis Significance Test ...........................................41

2


LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ABBREVIATIONS
ANCOVA
ANOVA

MEANING
Analysis of Covariance
Analysis of Variance

CDP

Committee for Development Policy (CDP)

DRC

Democratic Republic of Congo

EF

Ecological Footprint Test

EID

Environmental Identity Scale

EMB

Environmental Management Bureau (EMB

EVI

economic vulnerability index (EVI)

GCMS
H0
IPCC
MS Excel
NEP
PANAS-X

Global Coherence Monitoring System (GCMS)
Null hypothesis
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Microsoft Excel
New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Questions
Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scale

PCI

Planning Commission of India (PCI)

SPSS

Statistical Package for the Social Science

UNEP

United Nations Environment Programme

3


PART I. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Research Rationale
Environmental problems are beginning to coexist with the present generation while
adding risks and hazards to the inhabitants of the earth. From the depletion of natural
resources follow the extinction of both essential flora and fauna species, and drastic
climatic disasters, it is no doubt the earth’s natural environment is hitting the bottom line
of dying. The global society, on the other hand, is widely affected to the threats that
already jeopardize the withheld strength of our planet and the worst things are soon to
come (Schreiner, 2012). These environmental issues such as climate change are putting
all sorts of comforts, places and all ways of life to risks of disappearing on a timescale of
years or a decade (Jamieson, 2014). Natural disasters are the primary issues of global
environmental change. According to the report from New England Journal of Medicine,
natural disasters worldwide have steadily increased affecting millions of people every
year. Climate change in particular is related to this issue. The massive contributions of
human activities to greenhouse gas emission trigger natural disasters. These disasters such
as floods, storms, tropical cyclones, heat waves, droughts and wildfires that threaten life
into difficulties, poverty and death are expected to increase, to be frequent and to be more
severe without proper action.
Prior to these phenomena raises the concerns from experts, government, marketing
managers and even the normal people about the issues regarding the environmental

awareness and sustainability. Environmental sustainability is defined as “the urgent need
4


of using Earth’s resources while taking action of protecting the natural world,
emphasizing the preservation of natural environment to sustain human life as well as the
balanced coexistence of all organisms for the future.” (Oskamp, 2000). Although this
definition centers the viability of the environment to sustain life, the human ways of using
the natural resources can cause extreme changes in the environment and drastic
consequences for the future of the Earth. Hence, sustainability with less effective
mitigation measures is inflicted with the vulnerability of the whole society. No matter
how fast and big the economic growth is, without sustainability measures, the world is in
danger of increasing mortality rate due to natural disasters. Currently, environmental
sustainability is receiving major attention from the media and all environmental and
government organizations. Likewise, most research today prioritizes the long term
implications of this issue. Environmental sustainability is aiming businesses to look
beyond the negative impact they have on the environment. As a result, many
organizations turned guilty for engaging in unsustainable practices that threaten the
environment, though as of today, the increasing list of these organizations and businesses
are committed to reduce their damaging practices and adopt positive influences for a
developing economy along with sustainable environmental growth.
However, scientists argue that the Earth’s vulnerability is not only due to
overpopulation, excessive emission of greenhouse gases, or degraded agricultural and
oceanic features, but it could also be triggered by the individual emotion and behavior of
the global society. Environmental problems are exacerbated by human behavior caused by
thoughts, beliefs and values. Psychology studies and helps understand how human behave
5


and interact with the natural environment whether it is positively or negatively (Dietrich,

2013). Likewise, the concept of social cognition, which is within the scope of social
psychology and studied as part of the social environment, may provide frameworks for
solutions considering the role of emotions in behavioral decision-making and the changes
in behaviors to a pro-environmental ways.
Social psychological factors, specifically emotion, people’s thoughts and behaviors
are easily influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others (Allport,
1985). This concept allows us to plan solutions by applying human emotion and behavior
theories for pro-environmental growth and sustainable environment.
Moreover, Oskamp (2000) believes that unless the primary sustainability threats are
overcome, Earth will eventually lose its ability to inhabit humans and all forms of life.
Thus, psychologists work on efforts to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle with positive
mechanisms towards

pro-environmental

goals to encourage

the

governments,

organizations and corporations to reduce or if possible, prevent environmental damage.
The human way of living has alarming impacts towards the environment (Schreiner,
2012). It is our duty to be engaged in environmental protection involving personal
behaviors to sustain planet Earth. As such, the way human think about environmental
dangers from disasters and extreme phenomena may affect whether or not we behave in
environmentally-friendly ways (Schreiner, 2012). Thus, human emotion and behavior
may support the sustainability planning efforts that minimize the threats and damages that
befalls the Earth.

6


1.2. Objectives of the Study
General Objective:
This study aims to assess the contribution of emotion in developing eco-friendly
behavior towards sustainability through environmental change.
Specific Objectives:
The study also aims the following,
 To determine whether the emotion and behavior affect individual’s awareness of
environmental changes and sustainability.
 To survey individual emotional state, attitude and behaviors towards the
environment.
 To assess what degree to which individual views the environment as part of their
identity; and their perspectives on the relationship between human and nature.
1.3. Research Questions
The following are the problems and questions to be answered by the end of the
research.
 What are the perspectives and behavior of individuals to the environmental
changes and natural disasters?
 What emotion motivate people to take action to protect the environment?
 Are the participants willing to change their environmental behavior, knowing that
natural disasters could mean devastating impacts and death all over the world?

7


1.4. Significance of the Study
Climate change is putting all the things with a great deal at the end including
humanity and creation—driving environmental, technological and social changes rapidly.

Given these environmental phenomena we are experiencing today, it is imperative to
devise plans and precautionary measures for environmental sustainability. Human
activities contribute to the biggest portion of the threats of nature. However, it is believed
that social, psychological factors, including one’s emotion and behavior is the driving
force. Thus, the application of social psychology theories might be a significant
determinant of pro-environmental actions.
The outcome of this research is viewed to bring benefits to the following:
The Author. This study will provide opportunities for knowledge transfer from past
studies and researchers to the author, herself.
The Readers and Future Researchers. This study will serve as a baseline reference
for cognitive researchers. It will also open up their minds to explore different areas of
related research.
The Environment and the Community. This study could provide explanations
about the psychological roles for pro-environmental actions. It will also encourage
everyone to become allies of the planet engaged in behavior towards sustainability goals.
The Country. The study will bring huge possibilities of sustainable environmental
growth without jeopardizing the viability of the Earth.

1.5. Hypothesis
8


1.5.1. Null hypothesis
The emotion of individuals due to environmental changes doesn’t have a
significant relationship to the development of pro-environmental behavior.
1.5.2. Alternative hypothesis
The emotion of individuals due to environmental changes has a significant
relationship to the development of pro-environmental behavior.
1.6. Scope and Limitation of the Research
The scope of this research is the role of emotion and human behavior on

environmental changes and sustainability. It will explore participants at diverse gender
and age.
However, it is limited on the participants’ focus on the study. Since the current
study explores the inner thoughts and feelings, the participants’ attention must focus on
the procedure, otherwise, the result of their emotions and behaviors could be misleading.
Since the experimental subjects are Vietnamese, communication is limited. The
videos and questionnaires must be translated before distribution.
The length of time of the study may be limited due to a series of procedures for at
least 40 participants of different groups.
1.7. Time and Place of the Study
This study was conducted in Lao Cai Community College, Lao Cai Province,
Vietnam from March 22, 2015 to June 16, 2015

1.8. Assumption of the Study
9


The author assumes that the role of emotion and human behavior on environmental
changes has a significant relationship to environmental sustainability.
1.9. Definition of Terms
The following are defined to provide a clearer understanding of the terminologies
included in the study:
Emotion. A conscious mental reaction (as anger or fear) subjectively experienced
as strong feeling usually directed toward a specific object and typically accompanied by
physiological and behavioral changes in the body.
Environmental Sustainability. The urgent need of using Earth’s resources while taking
action of protecting the natural world. It emphasizes the preservation of natural environment to
sustain human life as well as the balanced coexistence of all organisms in the future.
Environmental Changes. It is defined as a change or disturbance of the
environment caused by human influences or natural ecological processes. (E.g., natural

disasters, climate change, etc.)
Natural Disaster. A natural event such as flood, earthquake, or hurricane that
causes great damage or loss of life.
Geological hazards. Geological process or phenomenon that may cause loss of
life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services,
social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.

10


PART II. LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter presents the summary of related literature and studies on
environmental changes, roles of emotion, and environmental sustainability. This is to
provide baseline information regarding the study.

2.1. Environmental Changes and Natural Disasters
Environmental changes are happening so quickly and harming the Earth tragically.
This large-scale, global environmental hazard includes climate change and human
activities disrupting ecosystems, losing biodiversity, and inviting natural disasters.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that “an increase of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will probably boost temperatures over most land
surfaces”. Many possibilities in this statement could acquire different outcomes of the
phenomena—it includes higher risk of drought and higher intensity of storms, higher
wind speeds of tropical cyclones, and unpredictable changes in monsoon.
Amman (2009) discussed at the Global Risk Forum that more disasters will come
due to extreme weather and climate change. He stated that the number of natural disasters
from the past 10 years has increased dramatically. On the other hand, Tetzlaff (2009)
emphasized that climate change impacts are not equal in all countries. Thus, climate
change has to be further studied and monitored, especially when it comes to both rare and

particular destructive events (German Committee on Disaster Prevention (DKKV)).
Global warming is another phenomenal environmental change that catches
attention of all inhabitants of the Earth. Abrupt temperature and atmospheric changes
11


between the poles and the equator could affect the formation of intense storm and
hurricanes (Riebeek, 2005). Today, to monitor impacts of global warming, scientists
devised climatic models for the estimation of sea level rise, greenhouse gas emission and
tropical storms. They monitor melting of glaciers and ice caps that causes severe, deadly
coastal flooding when associated with strong storm. IPCC (2013) stated that global
warming could cause sea level to increase about 95% of the ocean area by the end of the
21st century.
The Philippines has suffered great loss of lives and resources from the typhoon
Haiyan last November 2013. Nearly 6000 people were killed and 13.26 million were
affected (Granath, 2014). Environment Assessment showed that most areas affected by
storm surge and flooding correspond to the areas indicated as being at high risk of
geological hazards. Flooding, however, is mainly due to land subsidence lowering the
land surface a couple of centimeters every year. Environmental Management Bureau
(EMB) showed that the Geo-hazard map of Tacloban city was very exposed and
vulnerable to danger. Furthermore, Tacloban holds a huge density of population that goes
through urbanization—bigger population requires more housing, infrastructure, facilities
and risk of vulnerability to typhoons (Ranada, 2013).
The impacts of climate change and global warming produces environmental
changes everyone has least expected. Despite different environmental and governmental
approach to these phenomena, people’s awareness to the worst possibilities is a necessary
baseline guide for impact reduction measures and a key for preparedness in case of
natural disasters.
12

2.1.1. Human Vulnerability to Environmental Changes due to Climate Change
The contribution of human activities to economic development and growth is
expected to hit wide expansion through the twenty-first century and yet, little do people
know that with this; environmental changes, natural disasters, biological outbreaks, and
degradation of living resources are unleashed. Thus, vulnerability assessments are carried
out all over the world as an important baseline to the planning processes and decisionmaking for resource allocation. UNEP (2003) has proposed a new framework for this
assessment targeting weak channels for environmental degradation such as health,
economic loss, poverty, food insecurity, conflicts, and vulnerability to extreme events and
natural disasters.
Climate change is anticipated to affect the worldwide agricultural output directly to
world food security. In United States of America, the agricultural sector conducted
National Assessment that reported to have met the average productivity, but since most
developing countries are suffering from hard hit of natural disasters, a great possibility of
food shortages is likely to occur (Chalecki, 2002). Likewise, vulnerable populations are
easy target for diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, dengue, cholera, measles, Ebola
and pneumonia. The district of Ituri in North East of the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) is reported worldwide as the most active focus of the human pneumonic plague
with a total of approximately 1000 cases each year (Gale, 2006). This disease is due to
poor environmental condition and large scale of population displacement brought worse
by changing weather conditions. Climate change impacts the evolution of pathogens and

13


diseases most likely the vector-borne diseases which are highly sensitive to climatic
conditions (Canyon, 2008).
A nation’s economy is very much impacted by environmental changes, but a big
contributor for the natural hazards as well. A country with poor policies is vulnerable to
all threats of nature and likewise, resiliency depends on many aspects of policy. Hence,

the Committee for Development Policy (CDP) has developed an economic vulnerability
index (EVI) in distinction of least develop countries to identify the three elements of
vulnerability, such as, the size and structure of the economy, exposure of international
trade shocks, and exposure and resiliency to natural disasters. EVI’s assessment of
climate change can be reflected through different exposure components such as the
distribution of the population at risk of flood or other natural shocks. Its purpose is to
have an indicator to allocate external resources for the adaptation to climate change
(Guillaumont, 2011).
The impacts of climate change are irreversible and the natural disasters cannot be
stopped despite preparedness. However, through excellent mitigation measures, the
vulnerability of one community is decreased while the resiliency is strong.
2.2. Environmental Sustainability and Environmental Changes
Severe natural disaster events trigger substantial threats to environmental
sustainability, development and poverty-reduction initiatives. Decision-makers nowadays
implemented numerous disaster reduction policies and mitigation measures for a resilient
society against natural hazards while ensuring the low-point vulnerability of development

14


efforts. Hence, disaster reduction planning and movements become an important factor
for a sustainable environmental development.
Disaster recovery operations do not always consider environmental sustainability,
that is, the risk of severe impacts of natural hazards is greatly maximized. Abrahams
(2014) conducted a case study of the recovery of Haiti from an earthquake in 2010. He
created disaster barriers grouped into two categories—priority and perceptions within the
disaster response incorporating environmental sustainability; and barriers for the structure
and organizations within the disaster response framework. However, the study resulted
that incorporating environmental sustainability in disaster recovery was not constantly
happening in the area and dependent on the motivation of decision-makers.

Likewise, Nicaragua suffered from severe hurricane back in October 1998.
Nicaragua is geographically vulnerable to natural disasters that cause them economic
breakdown after the tragedy. Despite many international lending institutions for
sustainable development, Nicaragua’s viability to hold back the storm wasn’t successful.
Thus, different international and local nongovernmental organizations are implementing
economic and environmental development policies that will reduce its vulnerability to
natural hazards (Lane, 2000).
Environmental sustainability has become a vital element in planning and decisionmaking process. India’s environment suffers from deforestation, soil erosion,
desertification, air pollution from industries and vehicle emissions, and water pollution
and yet, it recognizes responsibility for a sustainable environment. The Planning
Commission of India (PCI) is developing that the environment, health and development
15


are essential factors for ensuring environmental sustainability of the development process
(Tharan, 2004).
Today, sustainable economic and environmental development must be extended to
all fields beyond the notion of minimizing environmental impacts. It addresses actions for
vulnerability and the capacity to adapt and respond to natural disasters for the resiliency
not only of the whole society but also the people living the changing environment.
2.3. Emotion and Natural Disasters
In a natural disaster situation, it is predominant to see people in their confused,
afraid, and most vulnerable state. Disastrous events alter the physical environment
drastically to the point of nothing can be recognized; the place is devastated and dead
bodies swarmed everywhere. These deaths, injury and the threats of nature signal the new
and powerful danger ahead.
The American Research Organization, HeartMath, initiated the Global Coherence
Monitoring System (GCMS) Project in order to test if the human emotion affects the
Earth and natural disasters or not. They installed magnetometer sensors in the US, Saudi
Arabia, Canada and England, as well as in New Zealand, Brazil and South Africa. These

sensors measure the heart rhythms and brain waves of the planet to find out the energetic
activity around the world. McCraty, project coordinator, stated that “There’s already
overwhelming evidence that mass emotionality – when something happens that triggers a
lot of people feeling similar ways at the same time – that that can affect the global field
environment.” He also claims that sudden changes in human emotion like a shift in
consciousness and awareness, and increased in human stress relate to natural disasters in
16