Recent US research (also quoted here) shows that less people believe that climate change is real compared to last year.

Less people now "believe" that climate change is real

Over the same period, there has been a comparable decline in the proportion of Americans who say global temperatures are rising as a result of human activity, such as burning fossil fuels. Just 36% say that currently, down from 47% last year.

Research in the UK and Canada shows similar trends.

Less people believe it but the effects of global waming are accelerating

So what do we have to do to convince people that we need to cut GHG emissions? It reminds me of the smoking debate. Both invoke public health issues. Both have solid science behind them. And for both, BELIEF was everything.

I know that many people have written about this before, but changing people’s attitudes and behaviour probably needs to be done using a behaviour-change model such as that used in health promotion and medicine.

For instance see these two abstracts:

The dynamics of belief in climate change and its risks in business organisations.

Climate change: Motivation for taking measure to adapt

Unfortunately the science alone is not enough. It may SEEM that way to scientists but it is not enough for the general public. We have to MARKET climate change and SELL it to the masses.

We have to if we are going to achieve meaningful change.

The anti-climate change lobby is crafting messages to achieve an emotional outcome – we have to as well.

So this conference is trying to do just that – and strangely enough it’s on next week: BEHAVIOR, ENERGY & CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE. Looks like it’s too late to register to attend but you can download the program and all the abstracts (which together forms a sort of topic / study guide) plus there is limited webinar registration available until tomorrow.

New conference on climate change and behaviour

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