Lunch Hour Lecture: The Psychology of Climate Inaction

Introduction by Peter Fonagy, Head of Division of Psychology and Language Sciences at University College London, and introduction of the speaker who heads the Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience.

Speaker's background as a medical doctor focusing on three-dimensional space and recognition as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology and Wellcome Trust investigator.

Speaker's growing awareness of the ecological crisis and the urgency of the situation, emphasizing the impact on the planet and wildlife populations.

Discussion on the exponential increase in greenhouse gases since the Industrial Revolution, its impact on the habitability of the planet, and predictions for the future if actions are not taken.

Explanation of human perception limitations in detecting slow changes, illustrated by examples like the boiling frog analogy and declining insect populations unnoticed by society.

Discussion on the challenge of grasping magnitudes in climate change, such as the difficulty in visualizing the need to plant 40 billion trees to offset emissions.

Examples of human risk evaluation biases like loss aversion and temporal discounting affecting responses to climate change issues.

Exploration of confirmation bias in forming beliefs on climate change, influenced by trusted circles and societal norms.

Comparison of rational economic models to behavioral studies showcasing heuristics and biases, emphasizing the role of language in fostering cooperation for collective action on climate change.

Proposal for citizen assemblies as a democratic approach to making decisions on climate change, along with the need for global cooperation beyond individual governments.