Earth in crisis : why climate Action Matter Now?

Vaishnavi KB ~727824TUCS437

Sri Krishna College of Technology

Kovaipudhur, Coimbatore 641042

ABSTRACT

This paper emphasizes the urgent need for climate action to combat the escalating
impacts of climate change. It highlights the importance of individual, governmental, and
corporate participation in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to climate
challenges. The study explores the psychological, social, and behavioral drivers that
influence individuals' willingness to adopt pro-environmental behaviors and support
climate policies. Furthermore, it examines the role of value-based decision-making,
climate disinformation inoculation strategies, and adaptive policies in fostering collective
climate action. The paper underscores the importance of integrating scientific insights,
public awareness, and actionable strategies to address climate change effectively and
equitably.

Keywords: Climate change, Climate action, Mitigation, Pro-environmental behavior, Policy

acceptance, Disinformation, Sustainability, Behavioral change, Environmental values.
Introduction

The pressing global challenge of our present day takes the form of climate change. Multiple
actors across the spectrum including citizens companies governments must take quick
urgent action at high volumes to confront climate change effects. Individuals’ readiness to
endorse climate policies and contextual shifts combined with behavior and life style
adaptations determines the strength of climate actions. The successful implementation of
climate change adaptations and mitigation systems together with broad public
engagement requires clear understanding of what drives people to embrace climate action
and support its measures.

Current climate changes impact human health along with health system operations thus
projected climate change will modify the locations and sizes of various climate-sensitive
health issues as well as impact public health facilities. If no additional actions are taken,
then over the coming decades, substantial increases in morbidity and mortality are
expected in association with a range of health outcomes, including heat-related illnesses,
illnesses caused by poor air quality, undernutrition from reduced food quality and security,
and selected vectorborne diseases in some locations; at the same time, worker
productivity is expected to decrease, particularly at low latitudesVulnerable populations
and regions will be differentially affected, with expected increases in poverty and
inequities as a consequence of climate change. Investments in effective mitigation
through greenhouse-gas emission reduction and adaptation policies would reduce both
the extent and distribution of health risks across all time frames.

Microsoft along with Nike and Coca-Cola and Walmart have declared commitments to
minimize their carbon output while transitioning toward carbon negativity as their future
operational goal for 5–20 years. Consumer engagement stands as a crucial factor in
solving complex climate change problems even though business and government must
take real action to help combat this issue. Business and government commitments for
climate change will fail without consumer behavioral changes. At present the wealthiest
world residents produce the largest share of global carbon dioxide emissions through their
purchases of goods and services. Every person should take part in climate-friendly
activities that assist greenhouse gas emissions mitigation while fighting climate change
effects through both consumption behavior and actions. New research on sustainable
consumer behavior change enables organizations to develop effective measures for
promoting climate-friendly behavior by optimizing their products and services alongside
their communication strategies.

Value-based evaluation of climate actions and policies

Different values generate conflicting consequences for Singular climate actions. Trains as
a mode of travel deliver environmental benefits which serve biospheric values but this
travel system requires more time than airplanes thus leading to hedonic value reductions.
When we encounter "value conflicts" individuals tend to emphasize the costs and benefits
affecting their important values and select options which align best with these values.
People whose biosphere matters more than pleasure value environmental advantages of
train transport above time inconvenience. A comparable mechanism influences how
people accept climate policies during times of contextual transformation. The acceptance
rate of policies and changes grows when those measures aid core values yet such
measures receive resistance when people perceive threats to their core values. People
who find value in an activity because their essential values gain affirmative results (for
instance choosing renewable power because it profits environmental concerns) tend to
positively assess how this choice affects unrelated values (they see renewable power as
inexpensive because it aligns with personal benefits).

Our research analyzed six psychological inoculation techniques which served to protect
against climate disinformation within a multiple-intervention across various countries
during exposure to twenty real Twitter climate disinformation messages spread by
members of the climate change countermovement. Our study determined how well
protections through inoculations impacted participants' beliefs about climate change.

The study examined both how well people evaluated climate mitigation actions and how
well they distinguished factual information from untruths (called truth discernment
capacity). Our study examined whether protective mechanisms in psychological
inoculations lead to actual pro-environmental behavior changes. The participants were
presented with 20 real climate disinformation statements that were selected on the basis
of an initial validation study . The study measured how well the psychological inoculations
defend against successive climate disinformation statements since this reflects the
volume of disinformation that exists in specific epistemic communities. The participants
responded with affect ratings regarding climate actions following each disinformation
statement we presented to them since we assessed affective reactions rather than
political support. Study participants evaluated climate disinformation statements before
reporting their understanding about climate change causes together with performing
ecological behavior assessments and identifying misinformative climate content.
Research indicated that participants exposed to climate disinformation through an
inoculation received better protection of their affect regarding climate action than
participants placed in a passive disinformation control condition. The protective measure
extended its influence to climate change belief systems (H2), pro-environmental behaviour
task performances (H3), along with truth discernment capabilities (H4). The study received
answers from 12 countries including 7 that fall outside the normal WEIRD classification so
researchers could better validate the effectiveness of the six psychological inoculations.
We explored the different effects between inoculations so participants benefited most
from those that targeted their specific disinformation topic (climate science denial) and
how their cognitive style such as intuitive or deliberative nature affected their response to
the treatment. Research shows this thinking style both shapes (anti)scientific beliefs and
accuracy-based belief updating behavior while driving individuals towards socio-affective
approaches by intuitive thinkers and cognitive requirements by deliberative thinkers when
they update their beliefs. We hypothesized this tendency to be a moderator depending on
its match with the inoculation pathway: Intuitive thinkers would respond most strongly to
socio-affective type content in inoculation whereas deliberative thinkers would benefit
from a purely cognitive approach (Hsecondary 1).

The research sought to create interventions which address both the fundamental
communication methods and principal psychological factors influencing science belief
development thereby creating more effective fighting strategies against climate
disinformation.

Measures

 Climate change concern was measured with an item used previously (Poortinga et
al., 2018): The research instrument presented participants with a rating scale to
 assess their individual worries about 'Climate Change' among today's issues
including Coronavirus, Brexit, Terrorism and Plastic pollution. Study respondents
used a five-point scale starting at 'not at all worried' progressing to 'extremely
worried' for their response selection.

 A measure of climate anxiety used Clayton and Karazsia's (2020) Climate Change
Anxiety Scale (CCAS) with 13 statements such as 'When I think about climate
change I have trouble focusing'. Students assessed statements through a
graduated reaction scale from negative 'never' to positive 'almost always'. Each
survey statement was displayed with a rating scale for participants to indicate how
often the statement applied to their experiences. Results from the measurement
tool showed strong reliability levels. Assessment of general anxiety followed Spitzer
et al. (2006) with the GAD-7 tool that required participants to rate seven stated
symptoms (Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge; trouble relaxing) using a four-point
intensity scale starting from "Not at all" to "Nearly every day." The tool began with
"Over the last two weeks, how often have you been bothered by This measurement
exhibited superior reliability across its applications. •

 Participants assessed their Mindfulness levels through the FFMQ-18 tool developed
by Medvedev et al. (2018) which evaluated Mindfulness through five facets of acting
with Awareness, Describing, Nonjudging, Nonreactivity, and Observing. Survey
items included “I pay attention to sensations such as the wind in my hair, or sun on
my face,” alongside “I'm good at finding words to describe my feelings,” on Items 3,
4, 8, 9, 11, 12, 16, and 18 required reversed scoring before total score
determination.

 ‘The balance of nature is very delicate and easily upset’, with a seven-point
response scale from ‘strongly disagree’ to ‘strongly agree’

 Pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) was measured by summing frequency of eight

pro-environmental actions Eat organic, locally-grown or in season food; Encourage
other people to save energy; Buy products with less packaging; Recycle household
waste (e.g. glass); Avoid wasting food (e.g. by using leftovers); Buy second-hand
items; Borrow or rent items (e.g. tools, toys); and Repurpose something for a
different use, instead of throwing it away; and a response scale from ‘not at all’ to
‘at least once a day’ ; . with response options: ‘Never’ , ‘Less than once a week’, ‘1–
2 days per week’ , ‘3–4 days per week’ , ‘5–6 days per week’ , ‘Everyday’ .
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