The climate crisis is affecting every part our peoples’ lives, including their personal psychology. Reading about the climate crisis makes them sad, or depressed, or angry. It’s so hard hitting that people have begun to avoid the issue altogether, and have changed their outlooks on life or influenced their personal choices. Because of this, not much is actually getting done. Although there are plenty of amazing people working to make a change, the global ignorance of the issue is slowing progress immensely.
While, yes, the information is depressing, there are better ways to present the problems of climate change that will want to make people act. While plenty of data should be given, as people should remain informed, this information also needs to inspire people to act, not scare them away. Classic advertising strategies could be used, the nature of advertising doesn’t always work. It needs to capture the attention of a wide audience but still be accurate. Plenty of social tricks could be used to motivate people to fight for change, but they ought to be handled in a way that inspires hope and motivation rather than depression.
How can we get people to act and not stay stuck in the mindset that there is nothing they can do?
ReplyDeleteThis story might interest you and would fit with this topic.
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-48060788/finland-s-new-generation-of-climate-heroes
I think that it has to do with the way the information is presented. If PSA's involving climate change were presented in a clear, factual, but uplifting way, people would be shown that there can be change made, and that it's worth it to fight for change.
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