Kia Rite: Hope beats fear in changing behaviour

Robyn Wynne-Lewis is a Hawke's Bay-based leadership development facilitator and coach, working with organisations throughout New Zealand. Photo / Supplied

The first thing that truly got me to "wake up" in relation to climate change was Al Gore's 2006 movie An Inconvenient Truth.

One particular image from that movie still sticks with me: the frog in the bell jar of water. If the water is heated quickly, the frog jumps out. But if the water is heated slowly, the frog will stay in there – and boil quietly to death.

One would hope humans are more intelligent than frogs, that we would realise the temperature around us is rising, and take action quickly.

But despite dire warnings, solid science and growing evidence of a catastrophic tipping point approaching, we are not changing our ways fast enough.

We are, effectively, choosing to stay in the bell jar. Which raises the question: Why? What more will it take to shake us out of our collective inertia?

One theory is that the "bad news" is not happening fast enough. This week I heard Financial Times columnist Martin Wolf say, ruefully, that he thinks people will "wake up" only when a mega-catastrophe strikes – something even bigger than the forest fires, flooding, and record temperatures already being experienced in parts of the globe.

Imagining a future where kerbside rubbish collection will be a thing of the past is a vision shared in a climate change discussion. Photo / NZME

Maybe he's right, but I think there is another way to get people into action, and it's a way that is not getting nearly enough press: hope.

I don't mean hope in the sense of Pollyanna-ish wishful thinking, as in crossing our fingers and hoping for the best - I'm talking about hope as an evidenced-based strategy.

I believe it is a trump card in the climate action deck that we should be playing way more often, and here's why.

Firstly, the science is clear: We have the solutions to climate change. They have been well documented. We have the technology. And we still have time to avert the most catastrophic impacts – if we act collectively, and quickly. The real game-changer, according to many thought leaders, is getting hearts and minds on board – creating the willingness to change.

Secondly, if we don't imagine and visualise a future that works, we'll never create it. Neuroscience research has proved positive visualisation impacts our brain networks, shaping them in the direction of producing what we're imagining. And the converse is also true: if we think we can't do something, there is every chance we won't.

Thirdly, hope is a much better motivator than fear. Fear paralyses. Fear overwhelms us. Hope inspires people to take bold action. It builds confidence, and pulls people together. Think of the rousing effect of a haka before an All Blacks match. Recall Winston Churchill's iconic "We will fight on the beaches" speech.

I believe it would also be helpful for us to share our hopes for the future, what we are doing in our own lives to reduce our emissions, and what motivates us to do so.

Through my work with Pachamama Alliance Aotearoa, I am surrounded by some of New Zealand's most educated and inspiring voices in the climate change discussion. When asked what they're looking forward to when NZ achieves net zero in 2050, their responses were:

"Quiet streets. No car noise. Being able to walk and bike everywhere safely."

"No more having to remember to take the rubbish out each week. Kerbside rubbish collection will be a thing of the past because in a circular economy, everything will be reused or recycled."

"The climate crisis no longer being in the headlines. Instead, amazing stories of regenerating biodiversity all over the planet."

When it comes to inspiring people to action, the carrot is greater than the stick. Applying this to climate change, we need a clear, compelling vision of what's possible, and this vision has to engage our hearts as well as our minds. Life in a low-emissions future is better for all: healthier, happier, fairer, cleaner, safer and prosperous; we need to see and feel that.

Robyn Wynne-Lewis is a Hawke's Bay-based leadership development facilitator and coach, working with organisations throughout New Zealand. Get in touch at climateaction@hbrc.govt.nz