No, I don’t think it’s decision paralysis. There are two separate issues at play here:
Do people really think climate change is an issue?
Who should be responsible for fixing it?
So obviously you have stupid people still thinking it’s all lies and we don’t have to do anything.
The problem is that even people that agree climate change is an issue and we should do something don’t want to be the ones that will have to sacrifice anything to fix it. They will say that we shouldn’t do anything until China becomes 100% green or that the rich should first stop flying in their private jets. EU can’t force China to do anything and doesn’t want to tax rich people out of existence so normal people oppose any policy aimed at limiting emissions. But EU is doing things. They slowly improve energy mix and push green transition. They simply have to move very slowly because if they do too much they will hand over power to populists.
My guess is everyone (politicians and elites) simply hope general public will get desperate, give up and accept they will have to pay the price of the transition. Looking at this summer we’re not that far away from it.
The main problem why people deny climate change is fear of high costs and resistance to change. Many climate policies like C02 tax and similar have lead to higher costs for most people. Other climate change policies invalidate many business models and endanger whole industries. Combustion engine cars don’t just create jobs at manufacturers, but also mechanic shops, gas stations, accessories, etc. Owners are afraid to lose profits and workers are afraid to lose their income. So resisting change makes economic sense for them.
So it’s not why people deny climate change is real, it’s why they oppose plans to stop it. They simply prefer to face the consequences of climate change then the consequences of preventing it. As I said, people don’t want to be the ones forced to sacrifice anything.
No, I don’t think so. I think we’re well past the “it’s not getting warmer” and “it’s natural” excuses. Majority of people is at “I’m not going to drive less, make the rich fly less” phase. People don’t deny the underlying reason anymore. They just don’t want to be responsible for fixing it.
No, I don’t think it’s decision paralysis. There are two separate issues at play here:
So obviously you have stupid people still thinking it’s all lies and we don’t have to do anything.
The problem is that even people that agree climate change is an issue and we should do something don’t want to be the ones that will have to sacrifice anything to fix it. They will say that we shouldn’t do anything until China becomes 100% green or that the rich should first stop flying in their private jets. EU can’t force China to do anything and doesn’t want to tax rich people out of existence so normal people oppose any policy aimed at limiting emissions. But EU is doing things. They slowly improve energy mix and push green transition. They simply have to move very slowly because if they do too much they will hand over power to populists.
My guess is everyone (politicians and elites) simply hope general public will get desperate, give up and accept they will have to pay the price of the transition. Looking at this summer we’re not that far away from it.
The main problem why people deny climate change is fear of high costs and resistance to change. Many climate policies like C02 tax and similar have lead to higher costs for most people. Other climate change policies invalidate many business models and endanger whole industries. Combustion engine cars don’t just create jobs at manufacturers, but also mechanic shops, gas stations, accessories, etc. Owners are afraid to lose profits and workers are afraid to lose their income. So resisting change makes economic sense for them.
So it’s not why people deny climate change is real, it’s why they oppose plans to stop it. They simply prefer to face the consequences of climate change then the consequences of preventing it. As I said, people don’t want to be the ones forced to sacrifice anything.
Opposition to the plans is what makes them deny the underlying reason.
No, I don’t think so. I think we’re well past the “it’s not getting warmer” and “it’s natural” excuses. Majority of people is at “I’m not going to drive less, make the rich fly less” phase. People don’t deny the underlying reason anymore. They just don’t want to be responsible for fixing it.
It’s similar to stages of grief like denial, bargaining, acceptance.