Feeling the heat: Climate change psychologist Niki Harré says empowering people is the pathway to action

Niki Harré, professor for psychology of sustainability the University of Auckland, inspires people to become more sustainable. Photo / Supplied

Climate change is a big part of the conversation at the moment but it is easy to be overwhelmed and switch off. Over the next week reporter Julia Czerwonatis takes an in-depth look at what it means for Northland, what the issues are, how you can make a difference and how the future is shaping up.
Today we talk to professor Niki Harré who takes a different approach to it.

Climate change can be associated with crisis, chaos and even apocalypse.

The fear sparked by these implications won't help us moving forward, says Niki Harré, professor at the University of Auckland, who specialises in community psychology and the psychology of sustainability.

She looks at climate change from a completely different angle: how to empower groups to work towards improving our environment and inspire sustainability.

"My research focus is on inspiring people to get involved," Harré explains.

To begin with, those who want to make a difference but feel overwhelmed need to focus on what is within their scope of action.

"You have to block things into manageable chunks. Part of this is getting over what is quite an arrogant position in a way – you need to have a bit of humility.

"You are not going change the world by yourself."

Harré says if you are in Northland, China's carbon emissions are not your problem.

"Your problem is your life, the people around you, your local MP – but the whole thing isn't your responsibility. The more you try and feel it's your duty to somehow absorb the whole picture and then act on that, the more you are doing nothing."

For Our Real Clean Environment is a Whangārei group that picks up rubbish around town and is one of many examples of community looking after the environment. Photo / John Stone

Living a sustainable life is a matter of who you are and what you are interested in, what you are good at and the capacity that you have. This might be within an organisation, a community, a family, the Government or the country as a whole.

"You don't need to be overly ambitious."

Meanwhile, exposing yourself to climate change science to a point that you become afraid is a dangerous pathway.

Harré says people don't have a moral obligation to learn everything about climate change.

"What difference does it make to the world if you read this? Probably none. Don't feel an obligation to keep up with it if it's having that toll on you."

Equally important: don't pass climate fear on to others.

"Try to work hard on containing your fear – particularly if you work with young people."

Youth needed to be empowered by their teachers and other role models.

Harré reiterates that the climate change threats are real and scary but circumstance can create empowering communities that in return can bring about change.

"Climate change will require lots of specific local responses – that might be weather events, supply chains from overseas or changes to migration – all of the kinds of issues we are facing. We need to be equipped to take creative responses there and then."

At an organisational level, it can involve creating a network: you get together the people with ideas.

In a school, for example, students have lots of ideas for projects that are oriented towards their peers.

It could be a clothes swap, a reward system for kids who cycle to school and a request to the council asking for someone who talks to the class about their climate policy.

"That's the level on which they can work so they generate these kinds of projects.

"Now the teachers, they can do something different. They can set curriculum and teach entire classes about different aspects of sustainability.

"The principal can foster relationships with other schools and they have a lot of say about widespread changes.

"Every organisation has people with different roles and everybody has got their sphere of influence."

Engaging schools in environmental projects - like Totara Grove School students who plant trees - can help make a difference. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Organisations, groups, communities and whānau have the capacity to set a sustainability culture in place and encourage others to join their projects.

For Harré, it is important to focus on those who want to take action and then help facilitate what they want to achieve. People who show no interest in climate change don't require extra attention.

"You're not trying to coerce someone or change their view. That usually doesn't work well.

"People don't like being told what to do and what to think. Two-year-olds don't like it, and it doesn't stop when you're 40 or 50 or 60."

The vaccination drive is a prime example for this: it worked well while the public message was "look after yourself and the whānau – be kind, stay safe". The vaccine mandate changed the perception of the vaccine for some.

Harré says some people are prone to feel they are being coerced or bullied.

However, the scholar believes legislation is a necessary tool to move forward in questions of vaccines and climate change.

Government regulation will address those who refuse to engage in positive action or won't acknowledge climate change.

Encouraging people to compost their organic household waste is one of many ways communities and individuals can become more sustainable. Photo / Supplied

It is a useless task to convince climate change deniers of what scientists have agreed, Harré says.

"For the hardcore – I think just leave them to it. As long as you can keep them contained and the positive people are balancing that out.

"You're not going to persuade them. In fact, the more you're trying to persuade them the more they are convinced that they are right. Because your attempt to persuade them is evidence to them that they are right. Don't try and engage with those people."

Only when they become a public hazard and spread misinformation, they need to be addressed.

Instead of negativity, Harré speaks of hope.

"Hope comes from inside yourself."

She says hope isn't about the actual situation but how we orientate ourselves.

"We can all help each other to be hopeful."

Those who were pushing messages of despair didn't know the truth.

"To me, hope lies in the possibility that we will act as a community on these issues. When I see the Covid response here in Aotearoa that's a source of hope for climate change.

"Because we have worked together as a community and we have tried hard not to leave people behind.

"Imagine we'd have that attitude towards climate change. Wow, that to me is inspiring.

"Working with others to get the best outcome you can for you and the broader community, is to me how to maintain hope."

The series

Today: How to encourage climate action
Monday: Niwa scientists predict Northland's climate
Tuesday: How can we help
Wednesday: What our are councils doing
Thursday: How we can fight for climate justice
Friday: How to take industry into a sustainable future
Saturday: Regenerative farming and growing techniques
Monday: The future generation