Under such circumstances, people are resourceful in finding ways to reassure themselves or turn their backs on the threat posed by climate change.
Some applaud their own environmental virtue: “Changing to compact fluorescent bulbs makes people feel good — ‘I’ve done my bit for today,’” said Kasser, describing a common attitude in the US.
“Blaming China and India is another great psychological defense mechanism,” he said.
A more sophisticated variant is to conclude, with a sigh of resignation. that individual action isn’t enough.
“Even if all of us were at our most maximally green, it probably wouldn’t make much more than about a 0.5 percent difference,” said Grayling in characterizing this mentality.
At some point, however, reality may bite.
Hamilton, who is running for parliament in Australia, said more and more people he meets are having what he calls an “Oh shit!” moment.
“It’s that moment when you really get it, when you understand not just intellectually but emotionally that climate change is really happening. I think we will see a rush of that over the next couple of years,” he said.
It may take one or more terrible shocks — national bankruptcies, a major environmental disaster in a vulnerable country like Bangladesh — for that to happen, Grayling said
Once it does, “it will be impossible to look back over your shoulder and think, ‘it’s not true,’ or ‘there will be a scientific fix, it will all go away,’” he said.
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