Human Defenses to Climate Change Pt.2 (Week 10) - Post 2

Human Defenses to Climate Change Pt.2 

          Climate change is a pressing issue in modern society and it has the potential to wipe out people and ecosystems on a mass scale. While ninety seven percent of scientists agree that anthropogenic climate change is real, a majority of society still does not. This is due to climate change denial, caused by three main factors: fear, misinformation, and political and economic influence. In order to solve the climate crisis there must be a general consensus on climate change, and then large scale mitigation actions must be taken. With defenses to fear, misinformation, and political and economic influence that goal is possible. To combat fear each part of fear must be singled out: Distance, Doom, Dissonance, Denial, and Identity. First distance must be turned to social. Instead of an issue that feels far away in space and time, make climate feel near and urgent. Bring it to homes and communities. Positive mitigation actions like household solar panels can spread from neighbor to neighbor and make a real difference. Then turn doom to support. Instead of framing climate change in terms of disaster and cost, frame it as a chance for opportunity and growth. Mitigation actions result from advances in science and technology. Mitigation actions also create jobs such as solar energy which creates a whole new job market. After hearing doom and gloom in the media for so long, a change to positive framing will make a huge difference. Psychology says "In order to create engagement, we should present, on balance, three positive or supportive framing for each climate threat we mention." Next, turn dissonance to simple nudging. Make climate friendly behavior default and convenient, instead of difficult. Simple behavior like food waste can be solved easily. Provide restaurants and homes with smaller plates. The same meal looks incomplete on a large plate will look complete on a smaller plate. Smaller plates reduce over serving so reducing food waste. There are millions of behaviors like this, that if nudged will reduce dissonance greatly. Then, turn denial to positive signals. Instead of denying the crisis, tailor signals that visualize progress. Provide positive reinforcement for even small climate mitigation actions. Lastly, turn identity to personal stories. Tell the stories of the people of all different nationalities and economic backgrounds that are making real change happen. It is through these five ways that fear of the climate crisis can be turned to positive energy and actions. Then, in addition to fear induced denial there is misinformed denial. The only way to combat a lack of information or incorrect information is to provide an over abundance of accurate information. This blog can even be a start for some people, as every fact and source used is peer reviewed and factual. There are also many climate crisis documentaries easily accessible on the internet. These documentaries provide peer reviewed information presented in a entertaining way. If there are misinformed people in a community then it is up to their neighbors to inform themselves and then inform the misinformed. There are many widespread news channels that repeatedly present incorrect ideas about climate change; it is the informed citizen's job to combat the channels' influence in their communities. School textbooks are another major source of climate change misinformation. Children's minds are very impressionable when they are young, and information taught to them from a young age tends to stick. Right now a majority of school textbooks feature blatantly incorrect information about climate change. The wide spread Texas and Californian textbook companies have been proven to have information about climate that is not peer reviewed and is biased towards climate change denial. This needs to change because the same children being taught that climate change is not real grow up and deny climate change as adults. If mitigation actions were taught to children from a young age, they could grow up and be productive members of the climate change movement. Political and economic influences are the last inducer of climate change denial. The best way to combat this issue is to vote for politicians who pledge help to the climate crisis. Also vote out the congress members who are doing nothing. Support environmental lobbyist with votes and donations. And, as with any government injustice, and there are a lot, make the movement public. Speak out for change, Learn about issues and then tell others. The head of the Environmental Protection Agency should not have ties to a Shell lobbyists. Lastly, if all else fail, run for those political offices.
          The climate crisis is a global issue that threatens today, threatens tomorrow, and threatens everyday after that. Large scale societal mitigation actions are vital to solving this issue, but in order to do that, society first needs to believe in climate change. To combat this denial the causes of climate change denial needs to be targeted. Fear, misinformation, and political and economic influences need to be reversed. The good news is, it is still very possible to combat climate change denial.