Humans and Climate: Why is it so difficult to behave climate-friendly… · 2019. 11. 22. ·...

Humans and Climate: Why is it so difficult to behave

climate-friendly?

Thomas Brudermann, University of Graz 1 Thomas Brudermann

https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data

2 Thomas Brudermann

Graph: https://rateofchange.substack.com/p/the-rate-of-change-july-15-2019 Data: Mauna Loa (since 1958), ice cores (before 1958)

3 Thomas Brudermann

https://rateofchange.substack.com/p/the-rate-of-change-july-15-2019https://rateofchange.substack.com/p/the-rate-of-change-july-15-2019https://rateofchange.substack.com/p/the-rate-of-change-july-15-2019https://rateofchange.substack.com/p/the-rate-of-change-july-15-2019https://rateofchange.substack.com/p/the-rate-of-change-july-15-2019https://rateofchange.substack.com/p/the-rate-of-change-july-15-2019https://rateofchange.substack.com/p/the-rate-of-change-july-15-2019https://rateofchange.substack.com/p/the-rate-of-change-july-15-2019https://rateofchange.substack.com/p/the-rate-of-change-july-15-2019https://rateofchange.substack.com/p/the-rate-of-change-july-15-2019https://rateofchange.substack.com/p/the-rate-of-change-july-15-2019https://rateofchange.substack.com/p/the-rate-of-change-july-15-2019https://rateofchange.substack.com/p/the-rate-of-change-july-15-2019

Marshall Sheperd, TEDx Atlanta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O019WPJ2Kjs

“The situation is serious.”

4 Thomas Brudermann

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O019WPJ2Kjs

5 Thomas Brudermann

Present vs. Future Generations

“[meeting] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”

6 Thomas Brudermann

7

Photo: R20AWS/Martin Hesz

Thomas Brudermann

8 Thomas Brudermann

Knowledge and literacy

• Science literacy does not predict perceived climate change risks (Kahan, 2012)

• Climate change literacy in lay public is limited and error-prone (Reynolds 2010; Sundblad 2009; Tobler 2012)

• Austrian study: participants on average correctly answered only 5.5 out of 10 true-false statements correctly (Thaller, forthcoming)

9 Thomas Brudermann

Items Accuracy Confidence

M SD

The ozone hole is the main cause of the greenhouse effect. 39.7 80.5 15.8

The production of one kilogram of pork produces more greenhouse gas emissions

than the same amount of wheat. 78.8 79.7 18.1

If the current greenhouse gas content in the atmosphere was stabilized, the

climate would nevertheless continue to warm up for at least 100 years. 76.0 72.7 16.2

Without humans there would be no greenhouse effect. 56.5 80.9 16.9

The global rise in temperature in the last century was the biggest within the last

1.000 years. 73.3 77.4 17.5

CO2 is more harmful to the climate than the same amount of methane. 57.9 67.9 16.4

The 1990s were the warmest decade of the 20th century. 53.3 72.7 16.7

In the last century, warming in Austria was significantly lower than the global

average. 64.9 71.1 16.5

Water vapor is a greenhouse gas. 16.4 80.0 17.6

A diesel vehicle generates more CO2 emissions per person and kilometer than a

comparable petrol vehicle. 36.5 79.0 16.5

10

11 Thomas Brudermann

Overconfidence


Confidence is highest when accuracy is lowest

Overall Easy Medium Hard

M SD M SD M SD M SD

Confidence 76.2 11.1 76.6 13.3 73.1 12.4 79.8 12.5

Accuracy 55.3 16.5 76.0 25.6 58.2 25.6 30.9 27.1


Does knowledge play any role at all?

• In climate-friendly behaviors – not really

• But knowledge increase acceptance of climate change policies

• (Tobler, 2012; Bostrom 2012)

• Is it necessary that laypeople have detailed climate-knowledge?


Source: ipsos.com


Awareness

• Globally, general awareness of climate change is high

• Recognition of human influence is rather high either

• Why do high levels of climate awareness not translate into high levels of climate action?


Attitudes and Intentions

• Attitude behavior gap

• Intention action gap

• Socio-economic status >> attitudes


https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9a/dc/68/ 9adc6823f09415a348f8ecb42f11e420.jpg

“I intend to...”

Tbd.


Temporal discounting

• Now I want to fly on holiday and eat Argentinean steak

• Later I will avoid flying, commute by bike, and reduce my steak consumption

• Focus on present and discounting of future • Future climate risks are perceived less

important than current benefits of carbon-intense lifestyles http://jtyrrell.com/2016/04/the-road-to-hell/


http://jtyrrell.com/2016/04/the-road-to-hell/http://jtyrrell.com/2016/04/the-road-to-hell/http://jtyrrell.com/2016/04/the-road-to-hell/http://jtyrrell.com/2016/04/the-road-to-hell/http://jtyrrell.com/2016/04/the-road-to-hell/http://jtyrrell.com/2016/04/the-road-to-hell/http://jtyrrell.com/2016/04/the-road-to-hell/

Concern vs. Action

• Belief in climate change has a solid relationship with the extent to which people intent to behave in climate-friendly ways…

• …but only a small-to-moderate relationship with the extent to which people ‘walk the talk'. (Hornsey, 2016)

• In Austrian sample (representative, n=500): no effect of climate change concern on behavior (Thaller, forthcoming)


“I already do..”

• ..take the train..

• ..and switch of the light

• ...so it is ok to take that flight to Peru. • “Moral licensing” – I can, because..

• (even some climate/sustainability scientists engage in moral licensing)

• “Single Action Bias”



Source: Modified from Diekmann and Preisendörfer (1998)

“I do pollute, but I compensate..”

http://www.earthtimes.org/going-green/planning-eco-friendly-vacations/323/

https://veggievagabonds.com/2019/02/05/make-flying-sustainable/

“Higher tariffs for louder airplanes – our contribution to climate protection”


http://www.earthtimes.org/going-green/planning-eco-friendly-vacations/323/http://www.earthtimes.org/going-green/planning-eco-friendly-vacations/323/http://www.earthtimes.org/going-green/planning-eco-friendly-vacations/323/http://www.earthtimes.org/going-green/planning-eco-friendly-vacations/323/http://www.earthtimes.org/going-green/planning-eco-friendly-vacations/323/http://www.earthtimes.org/going-green/planning-eco-friendly-vacations/323/http://www.earthtimes.org/going-green/planning-eco-friendly-vacations/323/http://www.earthtimes.org/going-green/planning-eco-friendly-vacations/323/http://www.earthtimes.org/going-green/planning-eco-friendly-vacations/323/https://veggievagabonds.com/2019/02/05/make-flying-sustainable/https://veggievagabonds.com/2019/02/05/make-flying-sustainable/https://veggievagabonds.com/2019/02/05/make-flying-sustainable/https://veggievagabonds.com/2019/02/05/make-flying-sustainable/https://veggievagabonds.com/2019/02/05/make-flying-sustainable/https://veggievagabonds.com/2019/02/05/make-flying-sustainable/

Sale of indulgences


• We have sufficient reasons and excuses to not behave in climate-friendly ways • (and this was only a fragmentary list)

Thomas Brudermann 26

What is driving climate-friendly attitudes and behaviors?

• Attitudes (meta analysis, Hornsey 2016) • Political ideology and political affiliation strongest demographic predictor for climate change

belief and concern (++)

• Eco-values (++)

• Age (-)

• Behaviors (Austrian survey, Thaller et al. ftc.) • Willingness to sacrifice (++)

• Feelings of powerlessness (-)

• Age (+)

• Gender bias


http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/13/ a-polar-bear-as-a-pet-it-works-for-this-guy/

Tasks for Environmental Psychologists • Effective communication – information provision & awareness raising,

framing, nudging, educating

• Transition from “small steps” to “big steps” – small steps are important, but not sufficient (single action bias, licensing...)

• How to overcome the policy-citizen dilemma?

• Citizens are unlikely to change their lifestyles if policy makers don’t set the ground

• Policy makers cannot set the ground if citizens don’t support and accept that ground

• How to activate intrinsic values and (carefully) use extrinsic incentives)?

• Breaking habits, changing practices, framing & context

• ...


Source: Wikimedia, photo by Max Halberstadt, 1921

• A big challenge ahead, and a lot to do for psychologists


Joint International Master in Sustainable Development

• Combines the strengths and specializations of eight partner universities

• Interdisciplinary and international approach to teaching

• High share of international students

Brudermann et al. (2017). Integrating Interdisciplinarity and Internationality in Sustainable Development Education. GAIA 26(4): 360-62

www.jointdegree.eu/sd


http://www.jointdegree.eu/sd

Thank you!

• www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas_Brudermann

• www.linkedin.com/pub/thomas-brudermann/33/6a8/3b3


http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas_Brudermann

References Bostrom, A., Morgan, M. G., Fischhoff, B., & Read, D. (1994). What Do

People Know About Global Climate Change? 1. Mental Models. Risk

Analysis, 14(6), 959–970.

Diekmann, Andreas, and Peter Preisendörfer. 1998. “Environmental

Behavior: Discrepancies between Aspirations and Reality.”

Rationality and Society 10 (1): 79–102.

Hornsey, Matthew J.; Harris, Emily A.; Bain, Paul G.; Fielding, Kelly S.

(2016): Meta-analyses of the determinants and outcomes of belief in

climate change. In Nature Clim Change 6 (6), pp. 622–626

Kahan, Dan M., Ellen Peters, Maggie Wittlin, Paul Slovic, Lisa Larrimore

Ouellette, Donald Braman, and Gregory Mandel. 2012. “The

Polarizing Impact of Science Literacy and Numeracy on Perceived

Climate Change Risks.” Nature Climate Change 2 (10): 732–35.

Kollmuss, Anja; Agyeman, Julian (2002): Mind the Gap: Why do people

act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental

behavior? In Environmental Education Research 8 (3), pp. 239–260.

IPCC (2018): Global warming of 1.5°C. Summary for Policymakers.

Reynolds, Travis William; Bostrom, Ann; Read, Daniel; Morgan, M. Granger (2010): Now what do people know about global climate change? Survey studies of educated laypeople. In Risk analysis 30 (10), pp. 1520–1538.

Sundblad, E.-L., Biel, A., & Gärling, T. (2009). Knowledge and Confidence in Knowledge About Climate Change Among Experts, Journalists, Politicians, and Laypersons. Environment and Behavior, 41(2), 281–302.

Thaller, A., & Brudermann, T. (2019). Data for: You know nothing, John Doe – Judgmental overconfidence in lay climate knowledge. Mendeley Repository.

Tobler, C., Visschers, V. H. M., & Siegrist, M. (2012). Consumers’ knowledge about climate change. Climatic Change, 114(2), 189–209.


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