STREET DOGS

Global warming is … like the extinction problem: if you don’t have a way of reversing it, then you’re fighting a losing battle. Whether it’s solar panels, or not using your SUVs [sport utility vehicles] as much, or not buying SUVs, or having smaller houses — all of these things are slowing down the inevitable. It’s hard to get excited about that.

The other thing that is problematic socially is the whole idea that it’s an “inconvenient truth”. To some extent [Al] Gore’s phrase is brilliant, but it’s also counterproductive … people don’t want to believe it. People don’t want to give up their SUVs and their steak meals. It would be better to talk about a convenient solution, whether or not that’s the real solution or the best solution — just talk about it so you get acceptance first.

The other part that makes acceptance difficult is blame. People will say, “It’s not my fault.” The thing that got us into the position of denial was the blame game. You want everybody to be inconvenienced because it’s their fault. That’s two strikes against you. In The Righteous Mind, Jon Haidt makes the point that even people who consider themselves very rational are making decisions and then using the rational argument to rationalise. So, [when it comes to global warming] the thing that’s making decisions in your life is deciding that this person is telling you that you’re responsible for something you don’t feel responsible for. It’s telling you that you have to sacrifice many things that you don’t want to sacrifice. From your viewpoint, that person is inconvenient, incorrect, and you’re going to ignore them … and then you’re going to make a bunch of rationalisations about that. This is why we have problems.

So, let’s reframe it as you’re not responsible necessarily, but here’s an opportunity…