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I concur with Martin's assessment.  It is at a much higher level, but it also needs to connect to people at they're everyday life level.  It might not involve a brighter, better future. The fundamental climate problem runs counter to our biology and cultural memes.  The solutions will not necessarily come easily and will not likely be popular.  That's a hard sell, particularly when the "big experiment" results aren't in, but anticipated and complex.  In this situation, there needs to be an emergent and comprehensive decision making body that can make the best choices and strongly advocate a course of action and direction.  It needs to be directed towards effective actions and laid out over time, with gains, costs and sacrifices recognized and included.  We are approaching that point, but we're not there yet according to some fraction of the population, or ever will be according to another.

C
On May 16, 2012, at 7:29 PM, Martin Weiss wrote:

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> 
> Esther
> 
> What I am bewildered about is the lack of leadership from international
> leaders. The level of inactivity by nations is almost suicidal. Yes,
> politicians are in office for a short time but isin't everything on a
> shorter time line than global climate change? Being elected to office means
> you have to face difficult choices that are going to have effects long
> after you are out of office.  Most of the decisions congress' and
> president's (prime ministers, premiers etc) make have long, long term
> consequences. And sometime unintended consequences but the major science of
> global climat change is good enough to act upon. It is not only in each
> countries interest to come together and act in consort but it is in all our
> interests to preserve the Earth until it can die a natural death in future
> millenenia.…
> 
>> Dear Martin,
>> 
>> It is depressing indeed. But, I do not believe that stressing the probable
>> inevitable coming catastrophe in communications to the general public will
>> help. (I realize that Jim Hanson’s message was meant for the US and
>> international policy, not for the general public, but it inspired me to
>> write down the things below)
>> To compare: I can recommend everyone www.futerra.co.uk/downloads/**
>> Branding_Biodiversity.pdf<http://www.futerra.co.uk/downloads/Branding_Biodiversity.pdf>to be inspired with a refreshing sound. A publication that I came across
>> while preparing for a biodiversity exhibition.
>> 
>> Years ago, in my graduation year, I wrote my thesis on the use of fear
>> appeals in health communication. My review of the literature at that time
>> led me to conclude that framing your message in a frightful message (e.g.
>> if you don’t examine your breasts regularly, you might discover breast
>> cancer too late) is a risky venture. If you do not accompany this type of
>> messages with explanations of how easy AND efficient it is to perform
>> certain health behaviour, people tend to stick their heads in the sand and
>> ignore the message.
>> 
>> My research to the use of fear appeals considered health. Something that
>> is one of the most important goods of individuals to maintain. Something
>> that is personal and that takes place right now. Even then, people’s
>> attitudes and behaviours are hard to change. You can imagine how hard it is
>> to change the attitudes and behaviours of people about the Climate.
>> Something that is invisible, changes so slowly, and changes aren’t really
>> ‘felt’ by the individual. Climate is global, and individuals --who can only
>> act local-- will easily consider themselves incapable of relieving such a
>> big problem. Even for policy makers, who have to score within their period
>> of reign, which does not often exceed four years or so, there often are not
>> clear (short-term) gains from Earth-favourable measures.
>> 
>> People who are preaching fear, are preaching to the choir. I already
>> ‘believe’. I already eat almost completely vegetarian, I cycle to work, I
>> don’t owe a car, I have lower energy and water bills than the average
>> Amsterdammer, and I separate my waste.
>> 
>> Just like Futerra, I believe we need different messages to get the public
>> working for the climate. People need to have the attitude they want to
>> change, not that they should or have to change. Moreover, people need to
>> believe that change is easy, fun and worthwhile.
>> 
>> Esther
>> 
>> 
>> Esther Hamstra
>> Content manager
>> NorthernLight
>> 
>> [log in to unmask]
>> www.northernlight.nl
>> www.twitter.com/**northernlightnl <http://www.twitter.com/northernlightnl>
>> 
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> T +31-205353737
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> Grasweg 77
>> 1031 HX Amsterdam
>> The Netherlands
>> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>> 3rd Floor, Building 3
>> 600 Shaan Xi Rd (N)
>> Jingan District, Shanghai,
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The opinions and thoughts expressed here are my own and should in no way be construed or attributed to the Exploratorium or related organization, and do not represent an institutional position.
Charles Carlson
Senior Scientist
exploratorium
3601 Lyon St.
San Francisco, CA 94123
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Tel:   415-561-0319
Fax:  415-561-0370
http://blogs.exploratorium.edu/whyintercept/









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