Dr. Robert Gifford |
Keynote Address
The Dragons of Inaction: Diagnosing and Conquering the Intention-Action Gap Most people have goals that they are not turning into action. These might be about diet, exercise, studying, volunteering, or other worthy goals. One important one concerns climate change; most people accept its reality, but many are not engaging in enough mitigating behavior to stem an increasing flow of greenhouse gases. Why is that? Structural barriers such as poverty and inadequate infrastructure are part of the answer, but psychological barriers also impede action. Although many of us are engaged in some positive environmental behaviour, most of us could do more, but are hindered by seven types of psychological barriers. These will be described as they affect climate action, but also apply to those other good intentions that we all carry around but fail to fully carry out. Some solutions for slaying these dragons are offered. Keywords: Climate, Intentions, Psychological Barriers, Diagnosis, Solutions |