Climate change is within the news for over 40 years. It is frequently covered as scientific or political problem. However, Social scientists like me have found that Feelings And Values are what motivate people to make comprehensive, collective changes – not charts, graphs or pictures.
Polls confirm that the vast majority of Americans now consider that climate change is realBut many adults appear to feel too exhausted, depressed or powerless to do anything about it.
I lead a big multi-year research project funded by the National Science Foundation, which is studying the way to use morality, ethics, and spirituality to create lasting behavior change on this issue. In the pilot study for this project, which has not yet been published, we recently surveyed 275 adults within the United States to grasp their relationship with and feelings about nature.
This is a primary step in understanding the way to achieve a special communication about climate change. Climate change is changing weather patterns, temperatures and seasons, and folks are actually feeling the results almost in every single place on this planet.
Many people said that after they considered nature they’d fond memories of climbing trees, splashing in puddles or watching sunsets. But in essence they described a fraught relationship with the environment – a strained mix of affection, longing, guilt and worry.
No predetermined answers
We conducted an open-ended survey where respondents were free to decide on what they wanted, with no predefined selections. For example, we asked, “What is your personal relationship with nature?” and gave respondents a blank space to write down their very own interpretation.
Open-ended questions are coded line by line by a team of researchers—a time-consuming process that limits the variety of survey respondents. Large surveys typically use closed-ended questions, that are easier to research and easier for a bigger number of individuals to reply.
However, this approach meant that responses weren’t limited or influenced by the researcher's ideas. The themes we found emerged from participants' own thoughts and feelings.
How do people take into consideration nature and the way do they treat it?
To understand people's relationship with nature, we asked several questions. One of those questions asked: “What is the connection between humans and nature? What role do humans play in nature?” Over half of respondents (53%) said we must always take care of and preserve the Earth. About 45% specifically mentioned the advantages of nature for human health and well-being. And 27% discussed how dependent humans are on the Earth and its resources.
About 1 / 4 of the responses (26%) mentioned that humans can select whether or not they wish to be positive or negative forces in nature. Closely followed by statements that humans take an excessive amount of away from nature (23%).
AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty
When analyzing one other query, “What is your personal relationship with nature?”, we identified necessary themes and the way participants tended to attach them. For example, participants reported that nature represents beauty, health, joy, childhood, and escape for them.
To connect with nature, respondents often engage in activities similar to outdoor walks, camping, sunset watching, or gardening. However, many reported that barriers—similar to lack of time, lack of physical access, or distraction from technology—prevented them from connecting with nature within the ways they desired.
The desire to do higher
Underlying all of this are strong feelings similar to love, longing, worry and guilt. These emotions were most continuously expressed within the responses – normally in the shape of a literal statement, but sometimes also through allusions to the emotion.
When it got here to like, participants were essentially the most direct, normally saying simply, “I love it, honestly,” or “love it.” Longing was often expressed in a rather more varied way, similar to saying, “It makes me sad not to be outside as much as I would like,” or “I wish I could go hiking and do other things to get closer to each other.”
Worry and guilt were expressed in responses similar to: “I try my best to respect and take care of the environment. I know I can do better.”; “I take care of it as best I can, but I wouldn't say I make grand gestures either.”; and “I don't appreciate it enough.” One person simply responded: “Appreciation, respect, care, sadness.”
The query was: “What is your personal relationship with nature?” We didn’t ask respondents to list their feelings. Nevertheless, the answers were stuffed with emotion.
No idea the way to help
The way people discuss or represent a subject – their words, symbols, sentences or images – known as a frame. Frame Highlight a sub-area of an issuewhich then generally becomes people's primary way of desirous about something.
Positive self-efficacy beliefs – the idea that folks could make a difference – were largely absent from discussions about climate changePolitical or distant environmental frameworks are more common.
For example, outstanding images typically depict political figures or distant environmental influences, similar to Chimneys or melting iceThese are likely to leave people feeling powerless or the sensation of getting little to supply.
The results of our survey reflect this framework. People feel longing, guilt and concern towards the environment, while there’s virtually no mention of hope, excitement or empowerment.
From paralysis to engagement
Social scientists have learned through research on climate change that some emotions paralyze and others catalyze. Is it possible to scale back paralysis and mix love of nature with hope?
Other surveys show that Americans are increasingly concerned about future generations, that they’re nervous about damage to plants and animals, and that nearly all groups human motion because the explanation for these concernsHowever, unless people feel they’ll make a difference themselves, they’ll not take motion, similar to calling on policymakers to act.
Our next phase of research will construct on the findings of this survey and examine how ethical, moral and spiritual considerations Influence behaviorWe need to know what it’ll take for these ideas to generate the sense of non-public empowerment needed to take motion.
When people concentrate on their connection to one another and to future generations, they draw on a special set of ethics and self-understanding – and that may motivate them to act.
image credit : theconversation.com