The other side of climate change
When thinking about the climate change issue it is hard for me to understand how many people don’t care and even those that understand it on a theoretical level seem reluctant to make changes to their life. I find myself asking what would compel them to make a change in their behavior when the overwhelming evidence is not motivation enough.
People are notoriously difficult to change, even the most committed Eco-warrior may find it difficult to convince members of their immediate family to change behavior. Over the middle to long term however I believe that change can happen much faster than we think. Looking at just the last 10 years and how much the environment, sustainability and climate change are now so commonly discussed, it seems we have come quite far but not far enough.
I was told by someone the problem we face in climate change is not about data, it is about the story. The data is already very clear about what is going on, if that is not getting the reaction then it is the story that needs to change. Much of the discourse around climate change is focused on the negative impact of the changes, people should stop flying, they should stop eating meat, they should stop buying cheap plastic products shipped halfway around the world. Anyone who listens to this would struggle to believe that the future will be better than the present.
What people talk less about is how a more sustainable world will positively impact every single person on the planet. We need to be told a story we can believe and get behind. If everything we have been told makes us think that life will be worse or harder than it currently is there is, it will be difficult to create motivation for this change. We must believe, as many people have since the end of World War Two, that tomorrow will be better than today.
War is a fair comparison for the kind of effort that will be needed to defeat climate change. Countries have achieved astounding feats of engineering and technology in the name of destruction. During WW2 the US out built the rest of the world combined in adding 1200 combatant ships to their fleet, they requisitioned car factories as they attempted to “out build Hitler”, and of course there is the creation of the atomic bomb with all the energy and effort that took. All of this mobilization is what won the war for the Allies. This was against an enemy we could see, one that you could describe and focus your energy on. Even the current Covid-19 global pandemic shows us what we can do when we have a single goal and something to focus on. That may actually be the key word in all of this, focus, why are we not putting humanities collective focus on this one single issue? The instant gratification of the current world make issues down the road hard to think of in the moment.
We all know about the downsides, sea levels rising to flood our coastal cities, ground going baron through desertification, weather which is wilder and more unpredictable than ever before. It is stuff that is straight out of the worst kind of horror movies. If this is not impacting peoples minds and behaviors into action we should consider an alternative approach.
There are people who see how amazing this world could be. How we do not have to give up what we have and what we are comfortable with but can have it as well as living a sustainable and balanced life. Elon Musk being the most famous of them but two other people I have been learning from are:
Peter Diamandis, founder of Singularity University, who believes we are actually moving into a world of abundance. Where things that have previously been scarce in our world such energy and knowledge are becoming universally available at either very low cost or free.
Saul Griffith, MacArthur genius grant winner, who is looking at a world which is entirely electrified as a way to stimulate economic and job growth while raising our living standards to an even higher level. He makes a strong case through his organization Rewiring America that the jobs that need to be created cannot be outsourced to other countries as projects need to be done in the local community.
These beliefs of a better life and greater opportunity is something that people can understand and believe in. This is the story that needs to be told when trying to convince people of the value of particularly policies. If these beliefs are widely held then in theory those who we elect should reflect these beliefs, along with the businesses we buy from and the way we live our everyday life.
When people are scared and feel powerless it is easier to hide then to face the reality of the world we live in. To believe that it will happen to someone else and not to them. If we are able to flip the script on the story and make people believe that it is where they want to be and it is achievable then there is hope for our future.
Humans beings have adapted over thousands of years to worry about our own well being and prioritizes dangers in the immediate future instead of ones that may be 5 or 10 years away. It the shortsightedness that has led us into this situation. We cannot expect to solve our problems with the same thinking we have used to get in them. We have to harness this selfishness, we have to understand how we turn the zealous enthusiasm of an investment banker to a cause that has a net positive contribution to the world.
If people deep down believed that the future we are talking about would be better for them and their children, they would work hard to achieve it. High paying jobs in your local area, better health for you and your family, an abundance of cheap energy, better food, air and water quality, less natural disasters, and so much more. These are the ideas we should be sharing and businesses we should be championing.
The fundamental idea that tomorrow will be better than today has been eroding. Without this belief it becomes even harder to think long term because you feel you have to get while the going is good. But if this narrative changes to the one that is starting to take root. We can believe that by making these changes not only will we be able to live a better life then we currently do, but can transform everything around us, including family and your community into a better state as well.
If we cannot scare people into making changes in their life, we need to fill them with hope so they are motivated internally to make these changes.
Would love to know what you think about engaging people and a positive vision for the future. Please leave a comment and feel free to share this with anyone you know who you think may like it.