BBC NEWS | Politics | 'Scary' UK climate ad faces probe

Not only is it not necessarily going to be very effective, it turns out it also appears to be breaking some Advertising Standards Authority rules...oops...

BBC NEWS | Politics | 'Scary' UK climate ad faces probe

Bridging the Apathy Gap | ClimateBiz.com

An interesting snippet of extra information to add to our discussions as to why appealing to the consumer as a rational decision maker doesn't always work, even with a proven economic incentive of saving money in place...the answer according to this is that they can't really be bothered...although whether that is actually news or not is an altogether different point...

Bridging the Apathy Gap | ClimateBiz.com

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Is technology the answer?

In response to Ben's comment on my post below:

I guess the whole point about an issue such as climate change is that there is no single solution to the problem, and that a range of different approaches are needed.

Technology will no doubt play it's part, but relying on it to do so as the only or the major agent of change is too risky, encourages a 'business as usual' mindset, and creates the false impression that it is ok for us to continue living such a resource intensive lifestyle.

Social changes are also necessary to tackle climate change, and this is where the idea of engaging 'community' groups as another tool in the box of behavioural change methodologies comes in - appealing to an individuals conscience doesn't work beyond a committed minority, so before we go down the path of forcing people via taxation or carbon allowances - or indeed waiting for a technological fix such as CCS or a new generation of nuclear reactors to be built (neither of which I think are the answer either, by the way...) encouraging voluntary change seems a worthwhile pursuit.

UK Government's latest 'Act on CO2' campaign...

Is this the way to encourage behavioural change?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w62gsctP2gc

Personally, I don't think so. Whilst the comments posted on YouTube are of the familiar sceptic variety - such as my personal favourite shown below, the real danger here is that the intended audience - individuals who may be concerned about the future impacts of climate change for both themselves and their children - are likely to be put off by the negativity inherent in the message. Dystopian visions of the future do not encourage most people to act, but instead encourages them to bury their heads in the sand and hope the problem goes away or that someone else will deal with it.

Defra's own research (amongst a list of other academic work on the subject) has shown the limited value of appealing to individuals via such information campaigns, whilst other work has also shown the limited effectiveness of using such overtly negative messaging as it does not resonate with a wide enough section of society.

My favourite YouTube sceptic quote (so far) attached to this video:

I like to think of myself as a conscious user of energy and yet I still find this advert infuriating. What a load of rubbish. Is this advert on the television? If it is then it should be pulled immediately. CO2 is NOT A POLLUTANT!!! Come on! Think about it! Humans exhale this stuff day in, day out to keep us alive!! There is literally NO (yes, that's right, ZERO, scientific proof that CO2 causes adverse affects to our atmosphere and global climates.

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Zero, sorry, ZERO scientific proof? That's a relief. We can all carry on as normal then...

But seriously, if, as the Government keeps telling us, we need to face up to the challenges of climate change, how do you engage with people such as the author of the above quote? This is where I believe the idea of 'community' can be used as an instrument of change to encourage pro-environmental behavioural change - even amongst those more reluctant members of society who remain disengaged from the issue.

'Community' as both an idea and as a place can have a powerful influence over people. The ties that bind people to community as either a physical location such as a village or suburb or as a shared sense of identity such as a company, sports club or church can be utilised to encourage people to change their behaviour without them necessarily having to engage with them on an intellectual/informational level as to why they are.

There is currently a limited (but growing) body of academic research around community engagement with sustainable development, consumption and climate change issues, however the potential to utilise 'community' as a focal point for future behavioural change campaigns has been recognised - and is in fact the focus of my own interest.

Correctly framed and presented climate change messaging aimed at individuals has its place, but to me the content of the latest Act on CO2 campaign is certainly not it...