How people stop change happening

A group of climate researchers over in Germany catalogued four ways that people who are comfortable with the status quo try to derail attempts to clean up the world https://tinyurl.com/2bc4h2k9.

Among the methods that people use to stop change from happening is loudly agreeing that there is a problem and that something needs to be done, while all the time regretfully pointing out that, alas, it can’t be THIS thing, or THIS thing, or THIS thing... and so maybe, reluctantly, we should leave everything exactly as it is until we can find a solution that works for everybody and doesn’t penalise anyone at all, even those who are causing the problem in the first place.

Another approach the researchers identified is emphasising all the downsides of taking action.

Yes, it would be lovely to solve this problem - of course it would! but what about the poorest members of our society who will be affected by this change?

Maybe we should just hold on until we’ve found the one perfect plan that will please everybody, otherwise we’ll have squandered the only opportunity we’ll ever have to make things better.

Those German researchers did their work before B&NES announced plans to experiment with making it easier to get around the city without a car.

But it is interesting to note the overlap between the strategies identified in that report and the arguments we have seen against reclaiming a small amount of street space for active travel in this city. Ian Walker

Bath