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The hard truth

What if you were told that by the end of the century sea level can rise by 56 cm, the Arctic summers will be ice-free every decade, the number of hot days will increase by 25% and coral reefs might completely disappear [6]? You might be surprised, but this is one of the best-case scenarios or consequences of the 2 degrees Celsius warming, proposed as an objective during the Paris Agreement [9]. The bad news is this “goal” is becoming increasingly unrealistic, as we are currently heading towards 4+ degrees Celsius [2]. 

4+ °C path means that the Earth will be unrecognizable from its state today [6]. As temperature and sea level rise further, the capability of humans to exist will become questionable because we may no longer be able to obtain the ecosystem services vital for our existence. Plus, it will most definitely lead to rapid positive feedback mechanisms [5]. In other words, we might get trapped in the continuing warming until Earth will become uninhabitable for humans, not to mention the thousands of species uninvolved in this climatic crises [6]. 

Just another type of climate denial 

If you made it through the first two paragraphs, chances are that at this point you already feel overwhelmed.  This article is indeed no different from similar agitating papers, news and Netflix documentaries. The problem is that most people already know that the climatic crisis of the Anthropocene is happening. Yet, they skip the terrifying awareness-raising videos in their social media while drinking their latte from the KeepCup, thinking that they have already done a lot. They still prefer planes to trains, cannot refuse a good steak and simply cannot be bothered to switch to a renewable energy supplier. 

Naomi Klein refers to such behaviour as climate change denial [4]. Yes, climate change denial is not only about simply refusing to believe the scientific consensus over the global warming, which Sigmund Freud referred to as “negation”. Denial can also be in the form of “disavowal” - when something is accepted as true, yet is treated as inconsiderable [3].

So, what are the actual reasons behind climate change disavowal? 

Inaction causes

The first cause of inaction perhaps can be applied to practically all types of climate change denial and scepticism, and it is a defence mechanism [8]. Existential threat is a psychological threat, which without any doubt causes stress. As a result, we avoid stress to minimize negative emotions in order to return to baseline functioning [1]. In simple terms, it is about having one eye shut because thinking about this is too much of a “negative energy” or causes anxiety [4]. Such responses are evolutionary explainable but in the context of the climate crises - situationally inappropriate because environmental crisis disavowal keeps us from making significant changes [1]. 

The second it bystander effect [1], which is also a way of saying: “I am not alone in this boat, why should I take the responsibility?”. The real issue arises when 7.8 billion people think this way [10]. It is also about relying on the group of experts out there, who might come up with a solution similar to existing carbon capture and storage facilities [4]. However, this ‘miracle technology’ might never be invented, and if climate change does not affect you, it will affect your hypothetical children.

The last but not least is anthropocentrism, tragedy of the commons or our approach towards materialism and self-interests [7][8] - call it what you want. We are not here to blame globalization or capitalism. At this point, all you have to consider is a materialistic and unsustainable behaviour, which is widely promoted because it is at someone’s interest. The truth is that we deplete the natural resources [1], believing that it is our share but not thinking that this behaviour detriments our planet and ecosystem services, crucial for our existence [5]. 

What is next?

The list above is by no means exhaustive, and must not be treated as rationale or excuse for inaction. Instead, this argumentative piece calls for a wider engagement of psychologists and anthropologists within the environmental science discourse in order to contribute to social change and ecologically adaptive coping response. As for now, it is vital to recognize that our attitudes and behaviours do matter. Social transformation and lifestyle changes are an integral part of the solution - it cannot be done without us. Stop blaming fossil fuel companies and remember that our choices create a demand. Keep calm but make a change.

Written by: Marina Tsoumpa

References

1. Anderson, J. (2018, November 16). Coping and Defences. Climate Psychology Alliance. https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/handbook/304-coping-and-defences

2. Buis, A. (2020, October 12). A Degree of Concern: Why Global Temperatures Matter. Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet; NASA. https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2865/a-degree-of-concern-why-global-temperatures-matter/#:~:text=If%20warming%20reaches%202%20degrees,on%20humans%20and%20ecological%20systems.

3. Freud, S. (1925). NEGATION. Smu.edu. http://faculty.smu.edu/dfoster/English%203304/Negation.htm

4. Klein, N. (2014). This changes everything : capitalism vs. the climate. Simon & Schuster.

5. Malhi, Y., Franklin, J., Seddon, N., Solan, M., & Turner, M. G. (2020). Climate change and ecosystems: threats, opportunities and solutions | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (C. B. Field & N. Knowlton, Eds.). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2019.0104

6. McSweeney, R. (2021). Interactive: The impacts of climate change at 1.5C, 2C and beyond. Carbonbrief.org. https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/impacts-climate-change-one-point-five-degrees-two-degrees/?utm_source=web&utm_campaign=Redirect#

7. Petersen, H.-A. (2019, January 2). Climate justice and the bystander effect. The Ecologist. https://theecologist.org/2019/jan/02/climate-justice-and-bystander-effect

8. Riggio, R. E. (2019). Why Aren’t We Doing Something About Global Warming? Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/201908/why-aren-t-we-doing-something-about-global-warming

9. UNFCCC. (2020). Key aspects of the Paris Agreement | UNFCCC. Unfccc.int. https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement/key-aspects-of-the-paris-agreement#:~:text=Long%2Dterm%20temperature%20goal%20(Art,the%20increase%20to%201.5%20degrees.

10. Worldometers. (2021). World Population Clock: 7.9 Billion People (2021) - Worldometer. Worldometers.info. https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/