Arctic ice melting FAST in summer heat

Vast amounts of arctic ice are melting in this summer’s heat. Scientists are awaiting a record low polar ice cap. While this may be exciting to those of us who aren’t crazy about the cool temperatures in southern Ontario this summer, the trend which has been accelerating for a number of years now can only end badly.

So, how about some good news, for a change? I promise to work on that 🙂

Psychological barriers affect our reaction to climate change

Change is hard. Threats that seem nebulous are difficult to react to in ways that radically alter our lives.

I think that most people would recognize that climate change data is complex, and not always easy to wrap one’s head around. At the same time, we are continuing to find out that things are changing that will likely have major effects on the Earth and its inhabitants. What to do?

The American Psychological Association (APA) has studied the psychological factors that have an effect on our responses to the threat of climate change.

Despite warnings from scientists and environmental experts that limiting the effects of climate change means humans need to make some severe changes now, people don’t feel a sense of urgency.

[From Psychological factors help explain slow reaction to global warming, says APA task force]

Not really a surprise here. Scientists and government leaders who insist we need to change our lives in ways that change our habits, consumer-oriented culture, lifestyle and priorities are not generally well-received. For why should we trust sources that haven’t always been accurate in terms of assessing risks and predicting specific outcomes? And why should we mess our lives up so much if there might not actually be a climate change crisis coming down the pipe? (For the sake of argument, ignore the compelling evidence, data trends and scientific consenus – in fact, the APA has shown that our brains often deal with the climate change threat in exactly this way, by undervaluing risks and/or moving into “denial” mode).

In my view, the most important contribution of the study is in answer to the question, “How can psychologists assist in limiting climate change?”

Most people hate the idea of being manipulated. Think incentives instead of manipulation. Economic incentives, strong social marketing, etc…

The full report (pdf format) can be found at http://www.apa.org/releases/climate-change.pdf

Copenhagen looking dimmer as Canada drags its heels

“What are we thinking??? This is so pathetic!” So says my other half – in a reaction borne out of growing impatience with the reverse gear in which we Canadians seem to be stuck.

Sir David King, the UK’s former chief scientific adviser, yesterday accused Canada and Japan of blocking progress towards a meaningful international deal to tackle climate change…. [From Canada and Japan accused of blocking Copenhagen progress ]

So says another frustrated citizen of our planet. Apparently we are “undermining the talks” and “gung-ho about rising oil prices and want to exploit that.”

We are falling down on the front lines. What is needed is a “battlefield commission”, so that someone with vision and principle can take charge, rise up as the “champion” and move us forward.

Canada used to quietly hide behind the policies of the previous U.S. administration, but now that the U.S. has begun changing course, the Canadian Harper government is going solo and protecting its resource-based economic interests rather than balancing them with a clear vision of the problems that we leave for our children to cope with down the road.

Unfortunately, elections can change governments, but what does it take to change the electorate, the heart of the nation? I am not sure. Perhaps we are doomed to live out our mistakes.

Or, maybe the tide will turn when things get really bad. Of course, the later that happens, the more difficult the road will be. But how often in human history have clear-headed leaders seen threats and dealt with them surgically to avoid certain crisis and calamity? We seem to like the harder road. As we often tell our children, “you always seem to learn things the hard way.”

Canada screws up (again) on Climate

TreeHugger has an excellent overview of Canada’s failing report card on Climate Change:

To the surprise of nobody who lives there, Canada has come in dead last on a climate report card prepared by the World Wildlife Foundation. The US is close behind, but at least is going in the right direction.

“Nowhere else on Earth do fewer people steward more resources, yet Canada now stands dead last among the G8 nations in protecting our shared home from the threat of dangerous climate change,” said foundation spokesman Keith Stewart.

[From EPIC FAIL for Canada on WWF Climate Report Card : TreeHugger]

I am Canadian….. so I can practice what we are so good at – pointing out our own shortcomings!

I am ashamed that our federal government is not taking a bolder stance on Climate Change. I am sick and tired of everyone living merrily in the moment, “fiddling as Rome burns.” I am tired of looking the other way as we bury our heads in the sand and sacrifice future generations for our present comforts. I am tired of greed trumping good sense. I am tired of profits winning out over sound policy that looks ahead and not down at one’s feet. I am tired of watching scientific evidence and consenus being ignored by those who are increasingly afraid that their self-serving way of life is under threat. I am certain that we would want to make a drastic shift if we could only catch a glimpse 50 years ahead into the future… alas, our vision (or lack of it) is all we have.

We can do so much better. We have risen to challenges before, and we will rise again.

I am Canadian.