Barriers of Change

                                                                                                                                -by Ann Mukami

Addressing climate change is one of the most pressing tasks facing our planet and its inhabitants today. Climate Scientists and researchers have been at work, unearthing new information and solutions to cope and curb the menace.

One would think that now that there is so much information on climate change, more people are taking action to stop the problem. 

Unfortunately that’s not the case! Research has shown that despite the fact that more people now know about climate change and its significant threat to human well-being, this has not translated to equivalent behavioral changes to stop it. 

Why? 

This is due to existence of psychological barriers that inhibit individuals from making choices and decisions that would help in prevention, mitigation and adaptation of climate change.  These barriers stem from our beliefs, attitudes, ideologies and our social interactions.

 

Which are these barriers?  

a. Distance  
  
The issue of climate change seems a distance issue for most of us. This is in a number of ways. 

First, it feels distance in terms of geographical location, in that some of these impacts of climate change; extreme droughts, floods, fires, rising sea levels, melting of ice and glaciers, are happening to countries that we may have never heard about or even visited. 

Therefore it becomes difficult to act because there is the feeling that the problem is happening somewhere else. 

In addition, it feels distant in terms of responsibility, that many citizens may think that it’s the responsibility of their governments to solely take action and stop climate change so they end up not doing something about it.  Forgetting that everyone has a role to play and in our small ways, we can make a difference. 

It also feels distance in terms of time. This is because some of the major impacts of climate change are expected to take place in the future, may be coming century or even beyond. So one may think that he/she will not be there when these impacts are happening so there is no need to take action and also the feeling of uncertainty crops in, in that they are not even sure these impacts will take place( at least  for climate change skeptics)

b. Doom 

Often, the information on climate change has been presented in dramatic videos and emotionally draining messages that only show the devastating losses and negative impacts. 

These does not at all encourage people to take action, this is because it creates a feeling of fear and helplessness that the problem is so big and there is nothing we can do about it, so let’s wait for the dooms day!   

Therefore, there is need to shift from this kind of approach and focus more on existing practical solutions that can be done and how implementing them will enhance our lives and promote growth in the society.

c. Dissonance 

This refers to a situation involving conflicting attitudes, beliefs, ideas or behaviors. 

People tend to keep consistency in their beliefs and perceptions. So when for instance we are confronted with information that says contrary to our believes or behaviors, there is usually discomfort or some kind of mental stress. 

Hence to offset this, we tend to avoid the situation and give all the excuses we can think of, reason? We most often don’t want change and we always want to satisfy the inner urge of maintaining our original ideas or perceptions.  

For example, if one knows that continuous emissions of CO2 in the atmosphere cause greenhouse effect that consequently leads to global warming and it conflicts with what he or she does in real life, example drives or flies a lot, then dissonance sets in.

Therefore in order to create consistency, it will be easier to choose to avoid the topic of climate change and stay business as usual because it will make one feel better about oneself and how one lives. Dissonance therefore impedes people from making behavior changes to stop climate change.

d. Denial
  

Despite international scientific consensus and glaring evidence that climate change is happening around the world, some people still deny that it exists or that humans are causing it. 

Denial arises due to different world views or ideologies that individuals hold. 

Denial to acknowledge the facts on climate change eliminates the feeling of guilt; that we are contributing to climate change, which therefore leads to content and delay in taking action on climate change. 

e. Identity
  

Individuals tend to accommodate information that affirms their values and beliefs that define their identity. 

For instance, it is difficult for oil producing nations to suddenly stop oil extraction because it’s contributing to climate change. This is because, it’s   their identity and oil production majorly drives their economies and stopping production means, at least to them, detrimental economic implications, a risk they are not willing to take! 

Hence the need to maintain Identity inhibits climate change action. 

These barriers are interrelated but yet distinct. It’s important for climate change activists and other climate change communicators to be aware of these defenses when delivering their information so as to avoid triggering them. This will encourage positivity and more action to address climate change.