The reasons to (not) act
...so why should I go through the trouble to change?
A task force of the American Psychological Assocoation
investigated why so many people are still not acting on climate change
even though most people understand that climate change exists and is
human-caused. Understanding why people do not act enables us to better
communicate the solutions we need to enact - expansion of renewable
energies, improved energy efficiency, and behavioral changes.
The report (which was presented at the 117'th APA meeting in Toronto) describes several factors that hamper fast and decisive action:
Uncertainty. As described elsewhere, our climate is a highly interrelated system. Climate scientists can thus not give precise predictions, but their models estimate the most likely outcomes under certain assumptions. The estimated likelihoods are never 100%
certain, because not every factor that contributes to changes in the
climate system is known. Such lack of certainty is typical for most
scientific studies, not just climate science. But it is climate science
that is most attacked for its uncertainty. That seems quite irrational.
Like a patient that is diagnosed with cancer, demanding 100% certainty
that he will die from the disease. Of course, he will only be 100%
certain when he is about to do die. Similarly, to require 100%
certainty in climate science before acting would be nothing less but
suicidal.
Mistrust. Scientists always want to receive
additional funding to be able to continue their course of study. Many
people therefore assume that climate scientists play up the severity of
the problem to receive more money. However, grant proposals and
publications undergo a very demanding review process. Even though this
review process is not 100% fool-proof, it does guarantee that most
published studies can be trusted and most financial support is
distributed to those who deserve the support.
Denial. There are still some people around that deny
that climate change exists and that it is caused by humans. But their
numbers are dwindling as the evidence for anthropogenic climate change
becomes more and more clear. So denial is not the problem any more that
it used to be a few years ago.
Undervaluing Risks. Even people who understand that
climate change is happening and that it will be disastrous if we do not
act in time do not realize that we need to act immediately to avoid the
enormous risk of passing irreversible tipping points. And that
immediately means today, not tomorrow. Procrustination is a normal part
of our busy lifes; but procrustinating effective action to combat
climate change will be disastrous.
Lack of Control. Many people feel that they cannot
make a difference anyway, so why should they go through the trouble of
doing anything? That attitude is probably the most common among people;
it is a convenient excuse for inaction. But a bad one, because it is
not true. We all determine our lives together. The millions of daily
actions and decisions determine what products are produced, which
politicians are ruling the world, which airplanes are flying. We all
are part of a machinery that only functions due to the actions of every
single one of us. Who else but I should start the change?
Habit. We like doing the same things that we used to do before. Changing our habits is therefore one of the hardest things to do.
How can we overcome these factors? There is no silver bullet, e.g.,
there is no single approach that will lead to success. But a
combination of several approaches will help to move more people to act
quicker:
1. Communication. We need to better communicate what
climate change is all about by speaking clearly and openly about both
the science and the solutions, addressing both the brains and the
hearts of our audience.
2. Personal benefit. People need to understand that whatever action they decide to take will result in a personal benefit.
3. Practicability. The actions need to be simple and be supported and implemented with the help of trustworthy, competent people.
We still require a lot more people who help others understand and
practice the changes we need. Once we have a critical mass of active
people, then the followers will jump on as well to create the mass
movement that is still missing. Let's hope we will reach that critical
mass in time.
Maiken Winter
Source: Science Daily