Tag: pscychological

New Book claims ‘the climate crisis is physically changing our brains—without us realizing it’ – THE WEIGHT OF NATURE by neuroscientist-turned-environmental journalist

https://randomhouse.app.box.com/s/phuwz95j595kdclnbk6uli4l29m8ssso December 2023 Dear Editor/Producer, In August 2020, I was in the Bay Area when the skies turned orange from the August Complex—the largest wildfire in California’s history, started by lightning from a stray thunderstorm that sparked in the draught-ridden mountains. The experience was horrifying, mesmerizing, and haunting—I am now intrinsically fearful every time I […]

Climate PSYOP: Peer-reviewed Study: ‘Addressing climate change with behavioral science’ – ‘Effectively reducing climate change requires marked, global behavior change’

Addressing climate change with behavioral science: A global intervention tournament in 63 countries

Human ‘behavioral crisis’ at root of ‘climate breakdown’, say scientists – ‘The system is driving us to suicide’ – Study: ‘Neuropsychology has been exploited to…grow the economy’ & promote ‘having large families’

UK Guardian: Joseph Merz, lead author of a new paper which proposes that climate breakdown is a symptom of ecological overshoot, which in turn is caused by the deliberate exploitation of human behaviour…“We can deal with climate change and worsen overshoot,” says Merz. “The material footprint of renewable energy is dangerously underdiscussed. These energy farms have to be rebuilt every few decades – they’re not going to solve the bigger problem unless we tackle demand.”

“Essentially, overshoot is a crisis of human behaviour,” says Merz. “For decades we’ve been telling people to change their behaviour without saying: ‘Change your behaviour.’ We’ve been saying ‘be more green’ or ‘fly less’, but meanwhile all of the things that drive behaviour have been pushing the other way. All of these subtle cues and not so subtle cues have literally been pushing the opposite direction – and we’ve been wondering why nothing’s changing.” … 

The paper explores how neuropsychology, social signalling and norms have been exploited to drive human behaviours which grow the economy, from consuming goods to having large families. The authors suggest that ancient drives to belong in a tribe or signal one’s status or attract a mate have been co-opted by marketing strategiesto create behaviours incompatible with a sustainable world.

Study co-author Phoebe Barnard:  “People are the victims – we have been exploited to the point we are in crisis.” … “Is it ethical to exploit our psychology to benefit an economic system destroying the planet?” asks Barnard. “Creativity and innovation are driving overconsumption. The system is driving us to suicide. It’s conquest, entitlement, misogyny, arrogance and it comes in a fetid package driving us to the abyss.”