Turning Off Light bulbs Won’t Save The Planet
A new study from Oxford Academy titled “Climate action literacy interventions increase commitments to more effective mitigation behaviors,” found that people focus on their own actions. That is a mistake the authors report. “However, interventions focusing exclusively on individual-level behaviors run the risk of reducing willingness to engage in collective climate actions, such as voting or attending climate marches.”
People that take actions like eating less meat, avoiding long flights and turning out light bulbs contribute very little to a drop in greenhouse gases. But people are not educated enough about these contributions to know which works well and which don’t. That is why education on these issues is such an urgent problem.
Carbon Footprint
Education can come in several forms. One that the writer uses is an app that tracks the carbon footprint of the person who uses it. However, they point out, most people take the paths of least resistance. For example, they won’t put solar panels on their homes because it is expensive. People who decide to take public transportation often find it adds to the time it takes to make trips. On the other hand, voting is not only convenient. It is potentially powerful.
Which behavior changes are most effective? Those that last. The authors concluded by saying that policies that drive climate-friendly habits over the long term are most effective.
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