3 Sep 2015

Psychology of Climate Change

From Our Changing World, 9:46 pm on 3 September 2015

by Veronika Meduna

A recent survey (pdf) carried out by the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study at the University of Auckland shows than more than two thirds of New Zealanders believe that climate change is happening and that we are causing it.

But despite the evidence and the near-100 per cent consensus in the science community, one in every five people remains unsure whether climate change is a result of our greenhouse gas emissions.

Victoria University psychology lecturer Marc Wilson discusses why that is the case and what it takes to change long-held views.

He also presented his findings together with Tim Naish, the director of Victoria University's Antarctic Research Centre, in a lecture which is available here.