Certainly there are times, when faced with dire circumstances, such as those that existed during WWII, when you will band together with others and accept radical change to your every day life. You are willing to accept the changes because you view the situation as an emergency directly affecting your way of life. You feel camaraderie with others. It's a team effort to defeat the threat.
With such issues as climate change things are different. When there is no immediate emergency or crisis you don't like to make changes when you perceive them resulting in your life being made worse. You don't want to sacrifice. You don't want to give up what you perceive as being the "good life" to address the problem. It is easy to ignore taking action and live another day, week, month or year as you currently are doing.
This gives us clues as to why we currently are experiencing the reluctance of people to accept climate change. People are in denial to avoid taking what they view as negative action diminishing their "way of life".
First, there are those that completely deny its existence. They choose to deny the overwhelming scientific evidence and ignore the problem completely. These people don't want to be bothered with the facts. They want to be left alone to live their life as they see fit.
Others admit to the problem but remain unmotivated to take action. Climate change presents no perceived critical immediate threat to their way of life. They perceive no impending emergency needing to be acted upon. Generally they might know things need to change sometime in the future but they are not immediately motivated to make any personal alteration to their current lifestyle of any significance.
There is also a justification for inaction found in the idea that all I'm doing is "just spitting in the ocean". Climate change requires concerted massive change throughout a society to have a significant impact. Recycling, changing to energy efficient lightbulbs and turning down the thermostat seem insignificant in the overall magnitude of the problem. Why should I do it if no one else is? Why should I sacrifice if everyone around me is not?
Climate Change
Frightening people into action will not work. Telling people they have to drive smaller cars, freeze in their homes and become vegan will not motivate anyone into action. Telling people the ocean will rise, cities will be flooded, storms will become more fierce and frequent, deserts will expand and forests will disappear along with the polar bear will only force people to put on their entertainment ear muffs and ignore the "rain on my parade" message until a crisis occurs that affects their personal day to day life.
So what other options are we left with to motivate the vast majority to take climate change seriously? What can be done to make people willing to take concerted action to slow, stop and ultimately reverse it? I suggest a positive message needs to be formulated and advocated at every opportunity. To get people to admit climate change exists and motivate them to take action a "positive outcomes" sales job needs to be made. Convincing people of the benefits and improvements to their lives will result in a willingness in them to change.
People are very quick and willing to change if they perceive the change resulting in a positive effect on their livelihood. Look how fast the automobile was adopted worldwide. How about the telephone, television and internet. Change is capable of happening incredibly rapidly throughout society if the change is viewed as enhancing one's way of life. In these circumstances there is no need for any emergency to present itself. Change takes place because of a desire to obtain the benefits the change will bring.
This positive outcomes sales program must come from top leadership and it must be bold, inspirational and realistic.
How bold? Well we're talking about an effort that is greater than the New Deal, WWII effort and the Great Leap Forward combined. It needs to be woven into the fabric of every aspect of life.
How inspirational? Just as inspirational as when President Kennedy said we would put a man on the moon in 10 years.
Just as inspirational as when Prime Minister Churchill said: "Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, This was their finest hour."
How realistic? Just as realistic as when the tracks were laid for the
transcontinental railroad.
Just as realistic as when this nation embarked on building our
interstate freeway system.
It is not hard to formulate positive messages as they relate to climate change. Here are just a few examples.
Imagine waking up to a bluer sky as you commute to work in your electric car. Enjoy the quietness of the ride. Imagine rolling down the window on your favorite downtown street and smelling the clean crisp fresh morning air free of the smell of exhaust.
Imagine getting your electric bill in the mail and realizing for the first time the utility company actually owes you money because your solar system has produced more energy than you have used. You take the family out to eat with the proceeds because you know this is only the first of many months you will realize this flow of additional income.
Imagine turning on the TV and hearing the government proclaim we are now importing 0% foreign oil and don't care if the Iranians block the Straight of Hormuz. They are in fact scrambling around the world to sell their product because demand has dropped off so steeply.
Imagine our nation at peace, secure in the knowledge we no longer need to enter into war to protect our vital energy interests.
Imagine the new good paying renewable energy jobs now being offered in your hometown because of the solar plant that has just opened up.
Things will change when people see it in their best interest. Then they will want the change. Then they will demand the change. Our job is to light the fire.
This is President Obama's moment. His chance to make his mark on our future. His signature environmental decision. Let's help him say no to KXL! Yes we can!
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"Forward On Climate" Rally - February 17, 2013, 12:00 pm, Washington, DC
Link - feel free to post on your Facebook pages.
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