Psychology's Essential Role in Climate Change

There is no doubt that climate change is a multi-disciplinary task which requires experts from a wide variety of fields. We know that geography, earth and ocean science, economics and political science are all faculties that can contribute valuable insight into the complex process of climate change. What is not so apparent is the important role that psychology plays in this change process. When we think about the environment and climate change, psychology is typically not the first science that comes to mind. This tendency to disregard psychology when considering climate change certainly has potential negative implications. It seems almost absurd to think that changes in our environmental behaviour can occur without insight into the human mind.

This issue has been raised by psychologists here at UVic (e.g., Dr. Robert Gifford - Dr. Gifford's Environmental Psychology Webpage), as well as journalists and other scholars. A dangerous phenomenon that has been discussed is the idea of climate change denial.

Why is it that although we all know that climate change is a very real and serious occurrence, we continue to deny its existence? One psychological explanation is that we tend to suppress and downplay unpleasant cognitions. The prospect of climate change and global warming is distressing, and for most of us is not blatantly obvious in our everyday lives. Therefore, the natural human tendency is to disregard the importance and severity of the issue.

In order to address this, we feel as though the field of psychology needs to become more involved in the climate change debate. Tapping into the psychological knowledge base will provide increased insight into the motivations behind our environmental behaviours, and inevitably lead to actual physical behaviour changes.  

Clicktivism for Change

An article came out in the Ecologist the other day titled “The Ecologist guide to turning 'clicktivists' into activists” by Christine Ottery. This article discusses the debate on whether people who agree to ideas online are really interested in seeing these goals attained, or if they are just looking for tweets to follow. Initially I got to thinking that I personally commend many causes online and am often invited to facebook groups with the goal of starting some revolution or another. Would I sign up for something online that I wouldn’t support offline? Of course not, and it seems that there are at least a few people who think the same way.

            The difference between me and them is that they will actually sign up for these things online and see them through. The internet has become a great tool for bringing people together who would normally not have enough in common or be able to reach one another. Now these online groups have become a starting point for networking to cause change.

                The group from the article banded together to stop the sale of forest land, but it could be used to show support for many other causes (including political action to reduce climate change). Not only that, this article even goes on to suggest how to get people out of their seats and into the streets. Empowering members to take action, getting input from members, sharing peer-to-peer, keeping the message positive, meeting in person or demonstrating together, focusing on local and attainable goals, raising awareness, and visualizing the problems and solutions are the eight easy steps to making change.

                Climate change is a real issue, very few scientists disagree with that. The problem has become how to fix it and how to change the minds of the politicians with the power. The truth is, the solution is to change the minds of the people who elect the politicians. Online activism can become a launch pad to let our leaders know that this is what we want, offline. Will this new media band us together and make us strong enough to be the change we wish to see in the world?

Determinants of Pro-environmental Behaviour - Sustainability at UVic

We all know that engaging in pro-environmental behaviours is a good thing – few would argue that doing our best to protect the environment is beneficial to us all. Although we may agree on this theoretically, there are many barriers that prevent and deter individuals from acting in accordance to their beliefs. One such barrier is the perceived difficulty associated with engaging in pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs). The difficulty associated with carrying out a PEB determines how likely an individual is to participate in such a behaviour – essentially, the easier the task, the more likely people will do it (Kennedy, Beckley, McFarlane, & Nadeau, 2009). For example, people are more likely to use a reusable mug (a relatively easy task) than they are to compost (a much more difficult task). Accordingly, making a PEB easier to do will increase the likelihood people will engage in it. So, if an individual or institution wants to minimize their negative impact on the environment, why aren't more institutions taking steps to make the process easier?

Hearing all this got us thinking about the environmental movement here at UVic. There are many initiatives around campus which are aimed at making engaging in PEBs easier for students. The plethora of recycling bins as well as the compost stations around campus is excellent examples. Cycling amenities such as bike lockers, showers, and change rooms are provided to faculty and staff to promote bicycling. Did you know that a brand new Bike Kitchen opened last April? Check out the video below!

Although UVic has provided these tools to promote pro-environmental behaviours, are they truly effective in doing so? How many students are actually bringing their compost in their backpacks to drop off on campus?

 

There is no easy answer to this question. In reality many factors contribute to whether or not individuals will engage in pro-environmental behaviours, what is important is that people in high positions of power ensure that engaging in these PEBs is as easy as possible for the general population. We defiantly feel as though UVic is withholding their end of the deal by implementing so many environmentally friendly initiatives on campus. Yay UVic! 

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