TIP toward climate change solutions
When it comes to talking about what we need to do to advance climate solutions, there’s a mnemonic I like to use: we need shifts in Technology, Institutions (that is, systems change including how we do politics), and Perceptions. It’s how I think we can ‘TIP’ toward climate action.
While I have worked in clean energy, I’m not a technical guy. My bailiwick has been in the area of perception, of how we can talk about positive environmental change in a way that’s empowering not overwhelming.
And I think this is critical, because climate change – often referred to as a ‘wicked’ problem – can be overwhelming, frightening, and complicated. It can lead to climate anxiety or climate apathy. You could argue that our main challenges are no longer technical — many if not most solutions already exist — but rather political, educational, and operational.
There are several challenges we face when talking about climate change:
For many, it’s a trade-off between short-term and long-term problems. Climate change as a concept struggles to overcome human psychological biases against threats that appear to be distant in time and place. (Although, unfortunately, threats from climate upheaval aren’t that far-off anymore.)
As a result, many people are not forced to grapple with the specifics of climate change, but rather can treat it as an abstract concept. And abstract concepts simply don’t motivate people to act as forcefully as specific ones do.
People often form (and reinforce) opinions based not on the science, but through social interactions with peers, emotional stories, values, etc. (This is why trust in ‘sources’ is critical.)
Climate change can be scary, and lead to ‘fear management’ – if people feel powerless or overwhelmed, they might engage in fear control…discounting the threat, avoiding the issue, or distorting the impact.
Many worry that climate change action could lead to loss: loss of jobs, of convenience, of lifestyle. Acting on climate change represents a trade-off between short-term and long-term benefits, which is the hardest trade-off for people to make.
And if you are in a community facing discrimination, economic barriers, obstacles to political power today… worrying about the future can almost feel like a luxury.
This can all lead to various ‘perceptions’ that it’s too late or too disruptive to change, or it’s a problem that will affect others more than us, whoever we may be. So it’s important to promote solutions, hope, and practical ideas.
We should emphasize that climate change is happening in the here and now – and that we should (and importantly, can) adopt solutions (e.g. the energy efficiency of our homes, changing our driving habits, etc.). And we should make solutions as easy as possible, but not simplistic.
The ‘drop in a bucket’ argument is admittedly a hard one to deal with outside of the usual clichés of ‘it all adds up’, ‘you set an example for others’, etc. You can try to shrink the bucket so that your drops have a bigger impact in a smaller container (say your community).
We can talk about how our action on climate change does not just protect what is already here (the status quo) but can also open up opportunity for a better society (through, for example, green jobs for youth, acknowledging past cases of environmental racism, creating healthier communities, etc.).
These are often called ‘co-benefits’. Climate co-benefits are beneficial outcomes from action that are not directly related to climate change mitigation. They could include cleaner air, green job creation, public health benefits from active travel, economic fairness, and more green spaces.
We need to tell better stories about climate solutions. Humans respond to good stories. Canadians are fairly optimistic about technology and climate action, but we can do a better job of showcasing effective solutions. Relate these solutions to sources of happiness, social connections, social identity, and family.
We need to build trust. Acknowledge that this is difficult. Be honest about our own roles in climate change, and recognize that solutions aren’t always easy. Understand people’s feelings of anxiety. The truth is that climate change is a far more complicated topic than most other issues.
Connect climate change actions to the values of any given community. I say this as someone who identifies as an ‘environmentalist’ but climate change does not belong in the cultural domain of environmentalism. Understand peoples’ values and then come up with ways that climate change action can speak to those values. This can include religious values, cultural values, community values, etc. Who the communicator is can be as important as the message. Leadership matters, and the right messenger can move the dial.
We don’t live in issues or abstract concepts, we live in communities. Belonging is a fundamental and universal human need, and as a result, we often choose to conform to our group. That’s why our friends and family often have far more influence on our view than do experts.
And remind people of successful action in the past. For example, global efforts in the 80s and 90s to address the dramatic thinning of the ozone later in the Earth’s atmosphere. The ozone layer prevents harmful wavelengths of ultraviolet light from passing through the Earth's atmosphere. These wavelengths cause skin cancer, sunburn, permanent blindness, and cataracts, which were projected to increase dramatically as a result of thinning ozone, as well as harming plants and animals.
The main causes of ozone depletion are manufactured chemicals, including chlorofluorocarbons. What did the world do? It adopted the Montreal Protocol in 1987, which bans the production of CFCs and other ozone-depleting chemicals. Ozone levels stabilized by the mid-1990s and began to recover in the 2000s. The ozone hole is expected to reach pre-1980 levels by 2075.
We need to foster hope. Not ‘things-ain’t-so-bad’ hope, but cautious optimism based on concrete solutions that can tip the balance toward impactful action.
-SK
