A recent Gallop poll shows concern about climate change ebbs and flows in the minds of the American public. Most recently, that concern has spiked because of a winter that most described as being unusually warm. Sixty-three percent said they experienced an unusually warm winter, and the majority of the group ascribed the warm weather pattern to human-caused climate change. In other words current events influenced their views on the issue.

Most of the time, when I bring up the issue of climate change, my friends and acquaintances will remain largely silent and often switch the subject as quickly as possible. It begs the question. Are humans psychologically incapable of facing up to the likely horrific consequences of global warming as described by scientists?

This question has fascinated me for quite some time. It’s one of the reasons I try to focus on the psychological aspects of climate change. Just as climate change is a complex problem defying simplistic resolution, so to is the psychology surrounding the issue.

As George Marshall, author of Don’t Even Think About It. Why our Brains are Wired to Ignore Climate Change, states:

‘It’s not so much that we’re wired to ignore climate change… The problem with climate change is that because it does not have immediacy, it’s not something that readily works with our inbuilt threat detectors,’

When a child is spotted in the window of a burning building, without hesitation, firemen rush to their rescue. When we see someone drowning we immediately act to help save. When an active shooter is storming a local campus the swat teams and local police force spring into action. There is immediacy to the threat and it elicits an immediate response.

But risks associated with climate change lack this immediacy. We consider them possible events that will occur sometime into the future to people living in that future.

Few climate activists were surprised when a Yougov poll published in late September confirmed what many had already suspected: the British public are not particularly worried about global warming.

A minority of 39 per cent responded that they believed climate change posed a serious problem affecting the world as a whole, compared to 61 per cent for poverty and 77 per cent for terrorism. When asked which issue they believed presented the gravest global threat, only 6 per cent of those polled selected climate change.

Marshall found that victims of floods and hurricanes were more intent on restoring their lives to the way they were before the storm than willing to consider making changes to their lifestyle to avoid similar disasters in the future.

Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, of the University of Bristol has conducted extensive research into the psychology of climate change says:

‘I can ask people four questions about the free market and if they tell me in their responses that they really care about the free market as the best way to distribute goods in a society, then I can be almost certain that they will also say climate change isn’t happening and is nothing to worry about.’ ‘The tricky thing is that you have to ask people in a way that doesn’t trigger their political identification,’ explains Lewandowsky. ‘When you do that, you find that 70-80 per cent of people know exactly that climate change is occurring, that it’s a real risk and that it’s going to get worse.’

According to CRED – the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions – a growing body of scientific evidence shows that attempts to scare people into action with fear-based appeals actually result in increased climate scepticism. It is important to couple the fear message with viable solutions

‘Anybody who runs a fear campaign will always combine that appeal to fear with a presumed solution to the problem,’ says Lewandowsky. ‘Fear campaigns are very effective if they offer you the solutions.’

For example a terrorist fear campaign will swiftly be followed by a proposal to send troops or implement a bombing campaign. The appeal of a simple solution coupled with quick action usually results in public support for the proposal irrespective of the morality or effectiveness of the proposal. In the case of climate change solutions are complex and nuanced.

It is very important for all of us involved in the effort to get people to focus on solving climate change to portray a positive solutions/better quality of life message especially when informing individuals of the perils to our quality of life climate change poses.

I have found doing something about it goes a long way in maintaining a positive attitude!

I currently suggest people channel their concern and efforts by involving themselves in one of three different organizations depending on their personal preference. I offer them here for your consideration.

***

1. For a U.S. political focus working to elect candidates willing to prioritize climate change.

Climate Hawks Vote

Earlier today RLMiller posted about this exciting and valuable upcoming training opportunity.

People’s Climate March next Saturday. Run on Sunday.

On April 30th, the day after the People’s Climate March, Climate Hawks Vote is hosting a training for leaders of the climate movement who are considering running for office! We need bold progressives to run for office who will lead on climate, and stand in stark contrast to Donald Trump’s climate denial and the fossil-fuel industry agenda. At the training we'll hear from grassroots leaders who have gotten elected themselves and made major progress by stopping fossil fuel projects, advancing renewable energy, and helping their communities deal with climate disasters. And we'll be joined by some of the top progressive political strategists and trainers in the country. This training is for you if:

- you are considering running for office yourself in the next one to three years,

- you want to help a friend run for office,

- or you want to learn how a local electoral strategy could help your campaign. Engaging in local politics is a critical part of the climate movement, whether we're fighting for divestment, no new fossil fuels, or solutions like community solar and green building policies. Organized by: Climate Hawks Vote and Lead Locally, with 350 Action

AllofUs

Blue America

ClimateTruth.org Action

Communities for a Better Environment Action

Democracy for AmericaFood & Water Action Fund

Friends of the Earth Action

Netroots Nation

Oil Change USA

Progressive Change Campaign Committee

Progressive Democrats of America

#VOTEPROCHOICE

Working Families Party

Food & Water Action Fund

United We Dream Action Note: This training is available for RSVP both in DC and online. See climatehawksvote.com/training for more details.

2. For a global yet local focus with an emphasis on social justice aspects.

350.org

350 is building a global grassroots climate movement that can hold our leaders accountable to the realities of science and the principles of justice. That movement is rising from the bottom up all over the world, and is uniting to create the solutions that will ensure a better future for all. Our online campaigns, grassroots organizing, and mass public actions bring together a global network active in over 188 countries.

3. And for a US political focus with a more bi-bartisan approach trying to influence those already in political office.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots advocacy organization focused on national policies to address climate change. Our consistently respectful, non-partisan approach to climate education is designed to create a broad, sustainable foundation for climate action across all geographic regions and political inclinations. By building upon shared values rather than partisan divides, and empowering our supporters to work in keeping with the concerns of their local communities, we work towards the adoption of fair, effective, and sustainable climate change solutions. In order to generate the political will necessary for passage of our Carbon Fee and Dividend proposal we train and support volunteers to build relationships with elected officials, the media and their local community.

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” Martin Luther King Jr.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post and caring about climate change!