Joni Mitchell had it figured out when she spoke of the disavowance
(but more likely splitting) inherent in the song Carey: “Oh you’re a mean old
daddy but I really like you.” After
having spent the coherent part of my night reading through two Shove articles
and a Whitmarsh rebuttal, I was a little disappointed that I left the Kenis for
last. In addition to relating directly
to my own interest in the role of experience in shaping environmental activism
(more so at a curriculum level), I was drawn to the perceived blurring of lines
between individual behaviour and social action.
It would seem that behaviour change specialists have underestimated the
intrinsic complexity at the root of people’s actions in response to climate
change. Climate change appears to be a
unique threat, a threat for which understanding the root cause is critical in establishing a
timeline for response. Interesting as
people didn’t seem to need to understand the science behind the splitting of
the atom before they blindly took shelter under their desks out of fear of
nuclear fallout. What does the modern
climate change shelter look like? The
problem with climate change is that the perceived outcome is unknown, likely it
will leave us worse off than today, but the general “strategy skepticism”
provides an easy out for those who place their fate in the powers that be.
I think I would place myself alongside those who view “climate
change through the lens of panacea/opportunity for radical social change”
(Whitmarsh 2011). What else has the
power to create a paradigm shift towards sustainability? I’m just not sure how far down the rabbit
hole we have to fall before we find our bearings. I would have to agree with Whitmarsh (2011)
that we need to be “vigilant against claims that one particular perspective is
the only, and correct one.” Tonight’s
blog is brought to you by Gato Negro, a product that embodies the a transdisciplinary
approach to behavioural change. “Gato
Negro is a wine for those occasions when you are with your friends, family or
on your own!”
Whitmarsh, L., O'Neill,
Saffron & Lorenzoni, Irene. (2011). Climate
change or social change? Debate within, amongst and beyond disciplines. Environment
and Planning A, 43(2), 258-261.
Kenis, A. & Mathijs,
E. (2012). Beyond
individual behaviour change: the role of power, knowledge and strategy in
tacking climate change. Environmental Education Research, 18 (1), 45-65.
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