I have long said that people are not going to voluntarily make changes towards energy efficiency and conservation unless they are personally hard hit. When gas was $4.50 a couple years ago, SUV sales took a nose dive. Gas went down to $2, and SUV sales went back up. When people feel the pinch themselves in a tangible and obvious way, they will change.
We are very self-centered! Our main question when making decisions is ‘What’s in it for me?’ We are always thinking only of ourselves.
So, naturally, since climate change is a slow process (slow and seemingly invisible to the average Joe, but happening faster than anticipated), people don’t see it, don’t feel affected by it, and don’t act on it. There is nothing in it for them immediately if they make changes in their lifestyles. Until something dramatic is at their doorstep, they will not budge.
I think climate change has been an extra hard sell in the past year, due to the economy. I keep reading that people took more action to conserve and reduce their carbon footprints in years preceding 2009, although it is a more dire situation today.
I venture a guess that people today are more concerned with keeping their jobs and homes than with climate change. Their priority is to pay the bills, keep eating and keep working. Not everyone has been lucky enough to satisfy these basic needs, judging by rising unemployment rates, foreclosures and increased activity at food banks and other human resource services.
Consequently, a few global degrees seem miniscule compared to what people are personally facing today. They are spending their emotional and physical energy to survive instead of ‘going green.’
There is no saying which situation is worse – climate change or the economy – but I hope it all improves soon. I am hopeful that people will not wait for the worst to happen to make energy conscious lifestyle changes once they get back on their feet. And I will keep talking, writing and educating to effect as much change as I can.
(This post was inspired by Global Warming a Tough Sell for the Human Psyche by Malcolm Ritter.)
