Comments on: Buy Your Own Porn http://climatedenial.org/2006/08/03/buy-your-own-porn/ Charting the disconnect between climate science and action Fri, 09 Jul 2010 10:09:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Climate Change Denial » Beware of Greens Bearing Gifts http://climatedenial.org/2006/08/03/buy-your-own-porn/comment-page-1/#comment-15903 Climate Change Denial » Beware of Greens Bearing Gifts Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:02:18 +0000 http://climatedenial.org/2006/08/03/buy-your-own-porn/#comment-15903 [...] Educational? No, not really. The figure of 100 metres was chosen by a graphic designer not a climate scientist. Even if all of Antarctica, Greenland ice sheet and the world’s glaciers melted it would still only add 80 metres to sea levels (more info…). This misinformation plays to a form of voyeuristic climate alarmism that the Institute of Public Policy Research calls ‘climate porn’ (see my posting…) [...] [...] Educational? No, not really. The figure of 100 metres was chosen by a graphic designer not a climate scientist. Even if all of Antarctica, Greenland ice sheet and the world’s glaciers melted it would still only add 80 metres to sea levels (more info…). This misinformation plays to a form of voyeuristic climate alarmism that the Institute of Public Policy Research calls ‘climate porn’ (see my posting…) [...]

]]> By: Graham Game http://climatedenial.org/2006/08/03/buy-your-own-porn/comment-page-1/#comment-32 Graham Game Fri, 18 Aug 2006 19:56:41 +0000 http://climatedenial.org/2006/08/03/buy-your-own-porn/#comment-32 Interesting comments. I'm unsure about the collective denial scenario, my sense is that it is just sheer ignorance. (Especially in the USA as David Suzuki's research shows this week). However, bombarding people with information is unproductive too. I think what is required is lots of good role models reducing their carbon footprint visibly, then hopefully the sheep will follow . . . We also need strong leadership - was it Napoleon who said " A leader is a dealer in hope"? Interesting comments. I’m unsure about the collective denial scenario, my sense is that it is just sheer ignorance.
(Especially in the USA as David Suzuki’s research shows this week). However, bombarding people with information is unproductive too. I think what is required is lots of good role models reducing their carbon footprint visibly, then hopefully the sheep will follow . . . We also need strong leadership – was it Napoleon who said ” A leader is a dealer in hope”?

]]> By: Ed Beale http://climatedenial.org/2006/08/03/buy-your-own-porn/comment-page-1/#comment-30 Ed Beale Wed, 09 Aug 2006 14:38:05 +0000 http://climatedenial.org/2006/08/03/buy-your-own-porn/#comment-30 I agree. There has been quite enough and often too much talk already on the issue of climate change, with newspaper articles appearing almost daily not to mention TV and radio programmes, debates, conferences and books. Sometimes it can seem vital to have all the facts before taking action, but then information gathering can turn into the most important activity, leaving little or no time or energy to actually make any positive changes in our lifestyle. In fact, the only way to feel empowered to make positive changes is to start making positive changes! It is not necessary to know every detail of climate science, or the ins and outs of every alternative technology to start making a difference. There are loads of different initiatives now that are encouraging individuals and groups to get together and start making small (or big) changes to be more environmentally friendly. There seem to be new initiatives of this type starting up every month or so. Obviously we have to hope that each new initiative is attracting new people. These are the ones that I can think of off the top of my head, but I'm sure I have heard of more: Eco-Teams COIN Climate Action Groups A Rocha 24:1 Living Lightly in God's World Commitment Operation Noah Climate Covenant The Little Pledge Stop Climate Chaos Pledge Flight Pledge It is empowering to be part of a group. Sometimes a particular lifestyle change can seem impossibly hard, giving up a car for example, but if someone you know in your group has already done that, suddenly it seems possible - still a challenge, but possible. I agree. There has been quite enough and often too much talk already on the issue of climate change, with newspaper articles appearing almost daily not to mention TV and radio programmes, debates, conferences and books. Sometimes it can seem vital to have all the facts before taking action, but then information gathering can turn into the most important activity, leaving little or no time or energy to actually make any positive changes in our lifestyle.

In fact, the only way to feel empowered to make positive changes is to start making positive changes! It is not necessary to know every detail of climate science, or the ins and outs of every alternative technology to start making a difference. There are loads of different initiatives now that are encouraging individuals and groups to get together and start making small (or big) changes to be more environmentally friendly. There seem to be new initiatives of this type starting up every month or so. Obviously we have to hope that each new initiative is attracting new people.

These are the ones that I can think of off the top of my head, but I’m sure I have heard of more:

Eco-Teams
COIN Climate Action Groups
A Rocha 24:1 Living Lightly in God’s World Commitment
Operation Noah Climate Covenant
The Little Pledge
Stop Climate Chaos Pledge
Flight Pledge

It is empowering to be part of a group. Sometimes a particular lifestyle change can seem impossibly hard, giving up a car for example, but if someone you know in your group has already done that, suddenly it seems possible – still a challenge, but possible.

]]> By: Linda Buzzell-Saltzman http://climatedenial.org/2006/08/03/buy-your-own-porn/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Linda Buzzell-Saltzman Wed, 09 Aug 2006 14:22:54 +0000 http://climatedenial.org/2006/08/03/buy-your-own-porn/#comment-29 In the fields of ecopsychology and ecotherapy we have been puzzling over this issue for some time: what is the nature of the state of denial which prevents human beings from taking timely and constructive action to avoid our own destruction? Can one view this "denial" as the kind of phenomenon therapists see routinely in their offices or is collective denial another animal entirely? Are we ecocidal? Suicidal? I'm glad you're addressing these issues as well. A new group, Psychologists and Mental Health Professionals for Sustainability, based at the North West Earth Institute (www.nwei.org), is in the early stages of preparing a conference to be held at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon next spring to examine these and other issues. If you're interested in attending, you might want to contact Dick Roy at NWEI. Linda Buzzell-Saltzman International Association for Ecotherapy http://thoughtoffering.blogs.com/ecotherapy Santa Barbara, California In the fields of ecopsychology and ecotherapy we have been puzzling over this issue for some time: what is the nature of the state of denial which prevents human beings from taking timely and constructive action to avoid our own destruction? Can one view this “denial” as the kind of phenomenon therapists see routinely in their offices or is collective denial another animal entirely? Are we ecocidal? Suicidal? I’m glad you’re addressing these issues as well.

A new group, Psychologists and Mental Health Professionals for Sustainability, based at the North West Earth Institute (www.nwei.org), is in the early stages of preparing a conference to be held at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon next spring to examine these and other issues. If you’re interested in attending, you might want to contact Dick Roy at NWEI.

Linda Buzzell-Saltzman
International Association for Ecotherapy
http://thoughtoffering.blogs.com/ecotherapy
Santa Barbara, California

]]> By: Almuth Ernsting http://climatedenial.org/2006/08/03/buy-your-own-porn/comment-page-1/#comment-26 Almuth Ernsting Sat, 05 Aug 2006 18:02:39 +0000 http://climatedenial.org/2006/08/03/buy-your-own-porn/#comment-26 I was in Germany during July's heatwave, obviously reading and speaking quite a bit about the record-breaking heat and the drought. The impression I got was that there is a very strong sense in Germany that nuclear power is morally wrong, a crime against the next generation and the future of the planet. But there is no similar sense of fossil fuel burning being a moral issue. There is plenty of information out there about climate change scenarios but, as a relative and long-standing environmental activist said to me, reading about it seems more like 'watching a disaster movie about something happening far away'. The result, of course, is that it would be political suicide for any German government not to get out of nuclear power, whilst subsidising and building new dirty coal fire stations is no serious political liability. Now, I don't want to debate nuclear power - but it seems that, if fossil fuel burning was seen in the same moral terms as nuclear power stations are in Germany, positive change would be far closer! I was in Germany during July’s heatwave, obviously reading and speaking quite a bit about the record-breaking heat and the drought. The impression I got was that there is a very strong sense in Germany that nuclear power is morally wrong, a crime against the next generation and the future of the planet. But there is no similar sense of fossil fuel burning being a moral issue. There is plenty of information out there about climate change scenarios but, as a relative and long-standing environmental activist said to me, reading about it seems more like ‘watching a disaster movie about something happening far away’. The result, of course, is that it would be political suicide for any German government not to get out of nuclear power, whilst subsidising and building new dirty coal fire stations is no serious political liability. Now, I don’t want to debate nuclear power – but it seems that, if fossil fuel burning was seen in the same moral terms as nuclear power stations are in Germany, positive change would be far closer!

]]> By: Peter Hale http://climatedenial.org/2006/08/03/buy-your-own-porn/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Peter Hale Fri, 04 Aug 2006 07:13:50 +0000 http://climatedenial.org/2006/08/03/buy-your-own-porn/#comment-24 Quite agree - the best thing I have heard for a long time was the recent news that the Environment Secretary is looking at personal carbon allowances. But we need to keep engaging with people! e.g. to tell them why the sceptics/deniers' arguments they read in the Telegraph and Mail are likely to be wrong. And to emphasise our individual moral responsibility to do our bit. As a speaker, I am trying to take on board these communication ideas for effective action, but have a bit of a problem with the idea that we should not convey bad news - are we supposed to make out that climate change isn't too much of a problem?! Quite agree – the best thing I have heard for a long time was the recent news that the Environment Secretary is looking at personal carbon allowances.

But we need to keep engaging with people! e.g. to tell them why the sceptics/deniers’ arguments they read in the Telegraph and Mail are likely to be wrong. And to emphasise our individual moral responsibility to do our bit.

As a speaker, I am trying to take on board these communication ideas for effective action, but have a bit of a problem with the idea that we should not convey bad news – are we supposed to make out that climate change isn’t too much of a problem?!

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