Why is it so hard to talk about climate breakdown?

[goecobaby]

I’m part of an Eco-Parenting messaging group and one of our discussions last week was ‘Why do people feel defensive or just shut down when talking about climate change?’

Is this a real perception or are we missing something?

I wonder this too

Yes it does feel this way. Some of my closest friends prefer to disengage than to have a healthy 'adult' conversation about the health of our planet. Prefering to say things like "it's the way the worlds going, and there's nothing I can do to stop it"
How do we get through to people? Education seems to be the key but it's very difficult if people don't want to listen and learn... Any ideas?

I think a contributing factor is that people don’t like being told what to do.

Many reasons

• feels so hopeless there is a feeling of "what's to discuss"
• too scary to think about
• people don't want to think about or face up to the changes we all need to make so prefer not to talk about it

One reason I don't bring it up unless I know I am with like minded people is that often when I did, I found the people I'm talking to are climate change deniers! And these are normal, educated people . That just makes me so depressed I don't know what to do.

I have become a social outcast as I always (subtlety or not so) manage to raise it in every social situation.

People don't like talking about because they don't want to know, they don't have any answers and they don't want to change or make changes.

Even when I've spent time giving solutions to reducing plastic or carbon emissions I'm met with 'but that's so hard' type faces that I immediately talk about how long we have left, that's always a real conversation killer and I'm met with tumble weed until someone changes the subject.

"Education seems to be the key but it's very difficult if people don't want to listen and learn"

I feel the same about overpopulation OP.

I have given up trying to discuss it with people. Just leave leaflets wherever I can

It’s in the same category as politics and religion
Never to be discussed

I also think people don’t want to change / can’t see why they should change/ doesn’t affect me / I’m only one person Etc etc

STRIKES, REBELLION? WHICH WAY NOW TO SAVE OUR CLIMATE?

You are invited to discussion with speakers

Macsen Brown, UK Student Climate Network

and

Max Wakefield, Campaign Director, 10:10

Thursday 24 October 7.30 PM

at Muswell Hill Methodist Church

28 Pages Lane N10 1PP

134 bus or 43 bus from Muswell Hill Broadway

Tim Root
Co-ordinator, Muswell Hill & Hornsey Friends of the Earth
[email protected]
07726 793265

People are scared. They don't want to question everything they are familiar with. Consumerism etc. It's not our fault we've been conditioned to live wastefully but making changes is going to be hard when sticking to old habits is easier and often cheaper. You don't see the effect of actions like not using disposable baby wipes immediately, if at all, and humans subconsciously rely on rewards for actions.

I don’t know if it’s people being scared or people genuinely just refusing to absorb the information as it’s too awful to grasp. It’s very hard to imagine a completely different way of life.

Whenever I hear people with young kids/ babies talking about how they’re saving money for them to go to uni/ have a car/ have a gap year in 15 years time or so, I think ‘do you really think that will still be happening then? You don’t think the fact that a third of the population of the entire world will be trying to migrate to the few habitable places left on earth and the world will be complete fucking chaos?’ But I just smile and nod because I sound like a crazy person.

I think if it's not affecting people personally right now then it's perceived as 'not real'. People are starting to get the message - less plastic use, switching to electric cars etc but it seems too little, too late. Government and businesses are not leading by example either so no wonder a lot of people are 'meh' about the whole issue.

It is so overwhelming to know where to start, and people just don't want to change enough. They can't visualise the consequences affecting them personally.
Even as an interested person I'm not sure where to go for more info. Already don't drive and don't have a car. Don't buy more than is necessary, but there is so much more to be done.

People might feel helpless/hopeless when faced with climate change, it's a scary topic but we really are capable of making a difference. Every little positive change really does help, despite the scope of the situation!

One example is donating to a tree planting organisation- I don't have a garden/time to plant trees myself, as I'm sure many can relate to! So I donate to 'MyTrees' who plant and protect trees with charity Conservation International. It's a really fab idea. Find them here: bit.ly/My-Trees

It's so difficult to talk to people about really changing, I'm trying to stop flying, but circumstances are not helping (the train unions are on strike here , Fr. and I need to get to Eng. to relieve dsis caring for dm.) which I was doing by train.

dd2 talks about it and is trying vaguely but then tells me that she's going on another cut price flight to wherever for an extra holiday. I can't discuss it calmly with her because I get upset .

I watch the telly and every effing advert and trailer seems to be about something bad for the planet .Most of the manufacturers are not taking it seriously , I suppose it's just soo enormous. AND so many people voted for the Trump lover B.J. ffs

If you honestly and sincerely don’t understand that it’s a subject that both overwhelms and terrifies people, I suggest you have as much to learn about human psychology as you think other people have to learn about climate change.

I think it is not wanting to give up our lifestyles. We live in a consumerist society that promotes immediate gratification on one hand and pushes us into tough choices on the other. I mean, for example, like buying endless plastic tat for presents (kids, parties, Xmas, etc) and then having to commute by car to work because we can't afford to live nearer and public transport would take 10x as long.

Also humans respond better to short-term stimuli than long-term threats. Another thing our world is run by narcissists and sociopaths. They are manipulating us for their own ends.

So most people don't want to and/or can't really change their their habits. They get defensive instead.

I think it is hard to know how to get through to people. Education is the key, but you can't force people to listen. Also you can't rely on 5-10% of the population to make masochistic "right" choices. The government should be bringing in much tougher environmental regulations. With brexit though, there is no chance.

I think a whole reform of our economy and society is needed. But our press is so right wing there is not even a real democracy in the UK - let alone that possibility. I'm pretty pessimistic about the future to be honest.

Whowants I'm pessimstic too. onalong Of course most people don't want to face the problem; a very good example is the response of the Australian govt. to their New Years Eve fireworks. I said to dh wouldn't it be lovely if the WHOLE world just banned fireworks!!!! Not much to ask but they couldn't even do it in Sydney.

Humans are so arrogant and stupid.

The problem is you need to influence not just the Sidney Tourist Board but the Indian, Chinese , US governments, and other global industrial players, to change the way the whole world works. Then you need to tackle population growth, which is really at the heart of it. Quite how you do that effectively and maintain any sort of democratic accountability I'm not sure. I went to a lecture recently and a number of Piccadilly Line academic bubble dwellers all agreed that democracy was the route cause to any meaningful change, and that drastic action needed to be enforced, if necessary. I left and standing in the rain waiting for a bus was wonderful. Things are changing but you are dealing with people who are one pay-packet away from the breadline or facing redundancy. You have to be in the real world.

Ime no one ever stops talking about climate change.

I think it's because people dont like being told what to do. And tackling CC means giving up some of the luxuries in life. All the things that just people love are contributing to CC and no one wants to give any of it up.

I have climate change fatigue.

As a child, the UN message was that by the year 2000 we’d all be dead except for a few million survivors due to climate change. Even the US DoD had a report on it and was planning for chaos and warlords.

In the 1990s, the 2000 deadline was moved to 2015 and we were told that was the new climate catastrophe date where entire nations would be wiped off the Earth due to rising sea levels, over half the planet would be at war due to climate refugees and famine. Extreme weather patterns would make flying impossible.

Al Gore in the early 2000s was talking at the UN pushing the 2015 deadline. I think even Prince Charles was saying it too with a monthly countdown.

By 2014, the deadline had moved to 2020.

Now we are at 2020 and the headlines have moved the climate catastrophe date out to 2030.

I’m tired of hearing we are all going to die in the near future. I am utterly convinced that in seven years it will be moved to 2050.

I said to dh wouldn't it be lovely if the WHOLE world just banned fireworks!!!!

Why? Are fireworks causing climate change?
Chocolate bars have a higher carbon footprint...