CLIMATE CHANGE: CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN SCIENCE AND ACTION
PART I MATCHING UP TO THE PERFECT PROBLEM 1 INTRODUCTION 2 SCIENTIFIC DISCONNECTS 10 FROM SCIENCE TO VALUES 25 PACKAGING CLIMATE CHANGE AS AN ENERGY ISSUE 35 INCENTIVES 40 DIFFUSION OF RESPONSIBILITY 54 THE AFFLICTION OF PARTISANSHIP 60 SETTING GOALS 66 LEVERAGING THE SOCIAL SCIENCES 83 PART II DIAGNOSES AND RECOMMENDATIONS 91 INTRODUCTION 92 SCIENCE 93 NEWS MEDIA 107 CONTENTS RELIGION ETHICS 117 POLITICS 127 ENTERTAINMENT ADVERTISING 141 EDUCATION 151 BUSINESS FINANCE 161 ENVIRONMENTALISTS CIVIL SOCIETY 173 PART I MATCHING UP TO THE PERFECT PROBLEM 1 INTRODUCTION WHY HAS THE ROBUST AND COMPELLING BODY OF CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE NOT HAD A GREATER IMPACT ON ACTION ESPECIALLY IN THE UNITED STATES FROM THE POLICY MAKING LEVEL DOWN TO PERSONAL VOTING AND PURCHASING DECISIONS OUR ACTIONS AS AMERICANS HAVE NOT BEEN COMMENSURATE WITH THE THREAT AS CHARACTERIZED BY MAINSTREAM SCIENCE MEANINGFUL POCKETS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL INITIATIVE HAVE EMERGED AT THE CITY AND STATE LEVEL IN THE BUSINESS SECTOR AND IN CIVIL SOCIETY MORE GENERALLY BUT WE REMAIN FAR SHORT OF UNDERTAKING THE EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS THAT SCIENTISTS SAY ARE REQUIRED IF WE ARE TO FORESTALL DANGEROUS INTERFERENCE IN THE CLIMATE SYSTEM ON WHICH OUR CIVILIZATION DEPENDS THE PROBLEM OF CLIMATE CHANGE IS ALMOST PERFECTLY DESIGNED TO TEST THE LIMITS OF ANY MODERN SOCIETY S CAPACITY FOR RESPONSE ONE MIGHT EVEN CALL IT THE PERFECT PROBLEM FOR ITS UNIQUELY DAUNTING CON UENCE OF FORCES COMPLEX AND INACCESSIBLE SCIENTI C CONTENT A SUBSTANTIAL AND UNCERTAIN TIME LAG BETWEEN CAUSE AND EFFECT INERTIA IN ALL THE KEY DRIVERS OF THE PROBLEM FROM DEMOGRAPHIC GROWTH TO LONG LIVED ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE TO INGRAINED DAILY HABITS AT THE HOUSEHOLD LEVEL PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS THAT COMPLICATE APPREHENSION AND PROCESSING OF THE ISSUE DUE IN PART TO ITS PERCEIVED REMOTENESS IN TIME AND PLACE PARTISAN CULTURAL AND OTHER LTERS THAT CAUSE SOCIAL DISCOUNTING OR OBFUSCATION OF THE THREAT MOTIVATIONAL OBSTACLES ESPECIALLY THE FUTILITY ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT IS PERHAPS THE QUINTESSENTIAL COLLECTIVE ACTION PROBLEM OF OUR TIME MISMATCHES BETWEEN THE GLOBAL CROSS SECTORAL SCOPE OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUE AND THE JURISDICTION FOCUS AND CAPACITY OF EXISTING INSTITUTIONS A SET OF HARD WIRED INCENTIVES CAREER AND OTHERWISE THAT INHIBIT FOCUSED ATTENTION AND ACTION ON THE ISSUE IN LATE 2005 THE YALE SCHOOL OF FORESTRY ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES CONVENED 110 LEADERS AND THINKERS IN ASPEN COLORADO AND ASKED THEM TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN DIAGNOSIS OF THE GAP BETWEEN SCIENCE AND ACTION FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE SOCIETAL DOMAINS SCIENCE 3