Who here is a climate
skeptic?! Hands up please! None of you of course, otherwise you
budding eco-warriors would not be here at our Europe Day Youth Forum!
Now, let me quote
from Wikipedia; “...climate change denial can also
be implicit, when individuals or social groups accept the
science but fail to come to terms with it or to translate
their acceptance into action.” OK, so now let me ask how
many of you have taken real concrete steps to DO something about
climate change? Not everybody, I see! Well, the people who
have not taken real concrete steps to DO something about
climate change are, to a degree, climate skeptics because, though
you know climate change is happening, you have not so
far done much about it... This is good for me, because that
means I will not just be preaching to the converted by what I am
about to say!
As you are aware, there
are many political, economic, and cultural reasons countries are
very slow to act on climate change. At the level of
the individual citizen, there are
also psychological reasons not to commit to climate action.
I want us to consider some of these psychological reasons together
now… I will explain just three of these psychological reasons
for inaction, but if you want to learn more about them, there's
a lot of really interesting scientific information on internet!
So, why is it, when
we intend to do something, we actually don't?! There
appears to be some kind of psychological barrier, right?
One of these “barriers”
can be summed up in the question: “What might other people think
about what I intend to do?” For example: “If I buy a smaller car,
an electric one maybe, will people find me a bit ridiculous?”.
Don't forget that, in our culture, having a big car is a status
symbol, so, yes, buying a smaller car could be a sign of being a
“loser” in the eyes of many. I read an article in “The
Guardian” recently about the fact that many men are reluctant
to recycle stuff because they are worried others might
think them too “feminine”... Sad, right? But, social
norms do often crush an individual's need for personal
fulfilment. Most of the time, when a person wants to do something,
she first thinks: “What might other people think about what I want
to do?”.
Another psychological
barrier to our inaction is that we, individually, are not able
to face the truth. I mean, don't you dread
doomsday sometimes!? I know I fear the “end of the world”
the media keeps going on about! But, even if we know something
to be true (global warming for example), we bury our heads in the
sand because the reality of the situation is too awful and
complicated to admit. We think to ourselves: “Maybe if I ignore it,
the thing that worries me, and that I should do something
about, will just go away and everything will become simple again?”.
Another psychological
explanation to our passivity, is our fear of failure: “What if
I do it wrong? What if I make things even worse?” That is
why we very often let others (the Government for example) be in
charge of things, because: “They know how to do it and I
don’t!”. Fear of not being “up to the mark” wins and we stick
to our habits, however detrimental they are to ourselves and to
others. We end up by forgetting that the problem is real and
that it will not stop getting worse...
Now, how can
we overcome these psychological barriers: fear of other
people's opinion, fear of reality, fear of failure? Well, knowing
about them is a great way to start, don't you think?!
Basically, concerning the
three psychological barriers I've just mentioned, we are going to
have to learn:
a) to ignore what others
might think about what we do (in the end, it's really up to
you, individually, to change your life for the better!);
b) to bravely face
the reality of our situation (you need to make the effort
to understand the impact of issues like global warming on your life
in order to face them intelligently!);
c) to do things that
actually work (that way, you can avoid that awful sense
of failure!).
You might be thinking:
“That's easier said than done!”. Well, no, not really!
The solution to overcoming those psychological barriers is
in fact very simple: you need to join a small group of people
(your family, your friends) and decide, together, to adopt
easy-to-learn habits that are positive for our
wellbeing as well as positive for the environment! For most
of us, it is easier to achieve something with the help of other
people, with the help of people we trust and who appreciate
us. Being part of a united group of like-minded people gives us
personal courage: we emulate the positive example of the other people
in the group, and there can even be a healthy competitive spirit
among the members of the group (like: “Who, in the group, can be
the most virtuous?!”).
So, are you ready
to get involved in some real, effective, climate action!? Believe me,
it's a breeze! Let me lead by example by listing for you the
things my family and I have started to do. Here it is:
The Lentin family “DO
NOT FORGET TO DO!” list of eco-friendly habits (we keep adding to
this list of course):
- Do not let the water run when brushing your teeth!
- Shower for just 5 minutes!
- Switch off unnecessary lights!
- Turn down the heating and put on a jumper/add a blanket!
- Unplug electric appliances at night!
- Unplug your mobile/laptop when it's fully charged!
- Use the “economy” setting on the washing machine and dishwasher!
- Switch off the boiler and unplug everything before going on holiday!
- Only use grey water for the plants!
- Use the car only when it is really necessary!
- Recycle, recycle, recycle (my brother keeps saving things to use later for his genius inventions)!
- Eat less meat!
- Do a good deed for a charity at least once a month!
- Try to be positive!
Of course, the Lentin
family being perfect, we always do everything that's on our list
(hem)! Can you and your family and friends do as well?!
So, final word: are you
too busy or lazy or confused to commit to climate action? No problem!
Go have fun with your family and friends and help save the
planet by adopting good habits, together!
Hello Andréa Lentin ! Have you heard about how some multinationals and politics nurture climate change skepticism, and spend billions to prevent climate action ? This is another major reason why it is so difficult to have better climate action. The ExxonMobil controversy is a very famous example. Since the 70's, the oil company has been lobbying against action on the climate crisis. Mentioning it would be great ! Il will also make your article go beyond the individual level of action, and question the collective level, that of public authorities and the private sector.
ReplyDeletePS : Wikipedia is an open source of information, but it is a lot better to mention first-hand sources, such as papers like The Guardian. Otherwise, good work on this article.
Cheers,
Paul Ha Duong
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/nov/09/doomism-new-tactic-fossil-fuel-lobby
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/what-would-world-look-if-everyone-went-vegan
ReplyDeleteAndréa, I think your talk is amazing because, not only do you explain why we are so bad at getting involved in climate action (I always just blame the government, which I realize now is too simplistic a way of looking at things!) but you also give a practical, simple, do-able SOLUTION! Yes, I think you are right to say that we can, individually, adopt “good habits” that will contribute to reducing pollution IF we adopt them at the same time as a group of friends; together is better! It is so difficult for example to stick to a diet or to stop smoking if you are on your own. When friends support and encourage you, it is easier to achieve your goal. Organizations that help addicts, based on mutual support, are a good model for what you are suggesting. You really put your finger on the fact that climate action is both our individual AND collective responsibility. We need to act as responsible citizens not as (selfish) consumers! I can try and be a superhero and save the world on my own; it might make me feel worthy, but in the end I will just become despondent... Have you thought about how to promote your idea of grassroots climate action? You should contact NGOs like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth and suggest to them they use the slogan: “We can help save the planet by adopting good habits, together!” Or, as the delegate for your Département 63, you could contact the person in charge of “EDD” (“Education au Développement Durable”) in your schools; he or she could launch a poster competition using your slogan. What do you think? A final question for you: do you think that if everyone adopted good habits (including a vegetarian diet!) that would be enough to “save the planet”?
ReplyDeleteI think that Andréa did an amazing job in this speech. She has great arguments, good explanations and a lot of examples that help people understand better what she is saying. It isn’t boring to listen to because she uses a lot of intonations, when there are questions, or important words or sentences. Also, I think it is great because she tells us habits that we can adopt easily without changing our lifestyle a lot. And, like she says, doing it all together with family and friends is a great idea, it will make it more fun. What I think makes this speech more dynamic is the fact that she asks questions of her audience. Andréa talks about all the importants facts of climate change and really makes us realize, as we already know, the importance of taking actions against it. This is a very complete speech and I congratulate her for her work. I think that we should adopt the habits that Andréa and her family have adopted. I only eat meat 3 or 4 times per week; it reduces the quantity of meat that we buy a lot and reduces the carbon print of farm animals. I think that changing the habits of citizens can help a lot with fighting climate change, but it will not save the planet completely. Some damage is irreversible, like the loss of biodiversity. I think that there are some laws that can be voted to reduce pollution, but there should not be too many because otherwise people will not obey them; people will feel that their habits are being undermined and won’t change. I think that teleworking would be a great change if several companies use that solution for some days of the week. Some work, mostly for work in offices, can be done at home by the workers if they have a PC.. It would reduce car travel, therefore atmospheric pollution and noise pollution too. Regarding boycotting products, we should boycott tools or cars that pollute a lot, and I think that we should boycott them too because there are products that do the same work and pollute way less.
ReplyDeleteMalaurie Whal writes: Wow! I think that Andréa has good ideas and her arguments are clearly explained. It’s really interesting because she uses examples for her audience to understand her message. She has a good tone of voice and when we hear her, we want to listen. She motives her audience to react and face the serious problem of climate change which concerns everybody. I find the content really relevant and she deals with an important subject. Maybe Andréa could give us more everyday examples to attain a wider audience and especially younger people. People think that by doing little things for our planet, such as sorting waste or giving away our old clothes, is useless. But they are wrong! Little actions are useful, but, it is true, only if everybody adopts them. We have to explain to the new generation that they are the “saviors” of the planet. At school, I know that many teachers tackle the environment problems in their classes and sometimes the study programmes include a chapter on climate problems. I think that this is a good start, but much more needs to be done to educate people, especially children.
ReplyDeleteMathilde MAZAL writes: I think that Andréa has really good arguments and exposes them very clearly so that everyone can really understand. The fact that she proposed loads of everyday things to do to help save the planet is also really good, and those should really be done by everyone because they are simple things to do (though not every family can do “a good deed” for a charity...). I also liked the fact that she talked about eating less meat. There's a really good documentary film about the impact of animal agriculture on the environment, and which investigates the policies of environmental organizations on this issue, called “Cowspiracy” directed by Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn that you can watch on Netflix or on Youtube and it really impacted me. I won't say that I don't eat meat anymore but I definitely eat LESS meat than before. And of course talking about having better habits "together" is great because if everyone unites then our "little" changes can do really great things!
ReplyDeleteElise Auzance writes: I think that Andréa really wants us to change our bad habits and to act as best as we can. I agree with her that it is necessary to do something against global warming and to protect Earth. In her speech, she not only says what is wrong but she also gives solutions to help people who don’t know how to care for the planet. I think that her speech is very simple to understand because she has arguments and really good examples to support them. We clearly understand that she is involved in this cause (cf. her “DO NOT FORGET TO DO!” list) and it is why it is a really good speech because she talks with conviction. I agree with her that some actions are very simple but, unfortunately, not everybody does them. Some people think that if they are the only ones doing something, then it is not much use. But, I believe that if everyone does at least the basics, like recycling, things can change. Andréa can be a model for us to follow: she protects, defends and acts for the planet; she doesn't just talk, she takes action.
ReplyDeleteMaximilien BIDET writes: What you say is really interesting, Andréa, but when you talk about the psychological barriers to climate action, you just give examples for adults; I don’t feel concerned when you talk about “buying a smaller car”! ;) Also, at our age, very few of us will get involved in street protests, so, you are right, the only thing everyone can do is to pick up good habits.
ReplyDelete