The biggest obstacle to dealing with climate disruptions lies between your ears, says

psychologist and economist Per Espen Stokes. He's spent years studying the defenses we
use to avoid thinking about the demise of our planet -- and figuring out a new way of
talking about global warming that keeps us from shutting down. Step away from the
doomsday narratives and learn how to make caring for the earth feel personable, do-
able and empowering with this fun, informative talk.
The talk begins with two brief illustrations of familiar attempts to motivate people to
action. The first consists of listing the facts and figures of CO2 levels and carbon
budgets and allowing the science to speak for itself. The second describes the
impending disaster awaiting humanity. Both methods fail, Espen says, because they
evoke in people one or all of “the five Ds”.
Points of the first are:

Distance - people see a scenario that is terrifying but remote from everyday
concerns.

Doom – the lack of practical solutions leads to helplessness and so the message
backfires.

Dissonance – if what we know (that fossil fuel use causes global warming) conflicts
with what we do (drive, fly, eat beef) then dissonance sets in. We doubt or downplay
what we know in order to feel better about how we live.

Denial – some people find refuge from their fear or guilt by denying or avoiding
unsettling facts.

Identity - (with a nod to the licence taken) – the power of cultural identity means
that we look for information that confirms our existing values. Conservatives are
likely to reject calls for government action on climate change because it interferes
with certain freedoms

Espen’s answer is to move beyond these 5 Ds, focussing our communications on

evidence-based solutions presented with five Ss in mind.

Social – increase awareness through social networks of the positive things that are
being done – eg the increase in the number of solar panels and recycling
programmes
Supportive – reframe the issue in a positive way that emphasises the benefits to
human health of changing diet and transport, and the opportunities for innovation
and employment.

Simple – we can use “green nudges” to make it simpler to act – eg reducing food
waste by (yes, really!) serving food on smaller plates so that helpings appear larger.

Signals – we need to integrate climate communication with new indicators to give

feedback on progress and avoid apocalypse narratives

Story-based – the importance (again) of making known the good news stories. His
example is encouraging. Norway, with more than 77,000 electric vehicles, has
become the first mass market for EVs. The Oslo region alone has 35,000 and is now
focussing on electrifying the fleet of commercial vehicles.

He ends with this wisdom.

Individual solutions are not sufficient but they build support for policies that can
solve problems.

The new psychology of climate action lies in letting go, not of science but of the
crutches of abstractions and “doomism” and then choosing to tell the new stories –
of how we achieve drawdown and of the steps we’re taking.