Psychology - Climate crisis: Why some people prefer to look away
Unpleasant things are often pushed aside, such as the next tax return or a long overdue dentist appointment. Climate change also joins the list of topics that many people like to put to one side. Yet the extent of the consequences should actually put us on high alert: Record heatwaves, droughts and floods have long been regularly making headlines in Germany too.
But instead of taking action, people tend to put off dealing with the issue until later. According to psychologist Lea Dohm, this behavior is typical of humans and not unusual in itself: "We need to repress ourselves so that we can focus in our everyday lives," says Dohm. "Even mentally healthy people are always repressing something."
Certain topics need to be blocked out in order to avoid being permanently stressed. The expert is a psychotherapist at the German Alliance for Climate Change and Health and co-founder of the Psychologists for Future association.
Not a new phenomenon
"When it comes to climate issues, repression still works quite well. If I simply avoid certain news items or perhaps certain people who keep talking to me about it, then I can manage to block it out quite well in everyday life," says Dohm. This phenomenon may be particularly pronounced at the moment, as there is a lot of news about the climate crisis due to the ongoing World Climate Conference in Dubai.
But even before that, many people avoided such news. In a survey conducted by the Planetary Health Action Survey (PACE) project in September with around 1,000 participants, almost a third said they rarely or never read about climate change.
The topic is particularly stressful for young people
In contrast to adults, the psychological defense strategy of children and young people is less stable, according to Dohm. This is why they are more likely to perceive the climate crisis as stressful. However, this is certainly also due to the fact that they have to experience the consequences of climate change for much longer, says the psychologist.
In any case, many people are not indifferent to the issue - at least that is what a study published this year by the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Federal Environment Agency (Uba) shows. In the representative population survey, 57% of respondents rated the topic of environmental and climate protection as "very important". 85% of participants are already experiencing very strong or strong effects of climate change in the form of persistent dryness, low water levels and droughts.
The climate crisis can be overwhelming and cause unpleasant feelings, says Dohm. According to her, there may be a reason why many people are suppressing the problems despite their apparent awareness:
"The problem is that people don't know effective ways to act. We know that knowledge about the climate crisis is better processed psychologically and that people are more likely to have the issue on their radar if they also have the impression that they can do something: I can actively do something."
Going step by step together
According to the psychologist, people who want to get involved don't have to change their whole life in one fell swoop. "You can eat bratwurst and campaign for climate protection." No one in society is free from guilt. A major influence can be exerted above all through collective action.
Consumer researcher Michael Bilharz believes that individuals also have a responsibility in this regard. The scientist is responsible for Uba's CO2 calculator, which allows users to calculate their own carbon footprint in tons.
"If I really want to reduce my personal footprint, then I have to tackle the big points," says Bilharz. The so-called big points, i.e. the areas that have a particularly large impact on the ecological footprint, include heating energy, mobility, food and electricity generation. As a general rule, the higher the income, the higher the level of consumption, explains Bilharz.
Environmental protection can also protect your wallet
Won't changing your own behavior be expensive? Not necessarily, says the scientist. "For example, a modest level of consumption protects the environment to a very high degree - a smaller apartment, a smaller car, not flying. These are all measures that would benefit the climate and the environment and save a lot of money in the first place."
It's not about getting the most out of every strategy. Everyone has to weigh up what is possible for them personally.
The scientist believes it is wrong to be satisfied with small measures such as buying a bamboo toothbrush. "That's for feeling good," says Bilharz. "If we want to save our prosperity, we have to get the climate crisis under control and achieve a climate-neutral economy and way of life."
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- Despite being a significant concern, climate change in Germany is often overlooked, similar to tax returns or long-due dental appointments.
- Lea Dohm, a psychotherapist and psychologist, explains that this behavior is typical of humans, as we need to repress ourselves to focus in our everyday lives.
- At the ongoing World Climate Conference in Dubai, there has been an increase in climate crisis-related news, which some individuals may avoid to reduce stress.
- According to a survey by the Planetary Health Action Survey (PACE) project, almost a third of people rarely or never read about climate change due to its stressful nature.
- Young people, in particular, may find the climate crisis more stressful, as they perceive its consequences for a longer period and have less stable psychological defense strategies.
- In contrast, the majority of adults consider environmental and climate protection as "very important," acknowledging the impact of climate change on their lives.
- To address the climate crisis effectively, individuals should focus on making significant changes in key areas like heating energy, mobility, food, and electricity generation to reduce their carbon footprint.
Source: www.stern.de
