Environmental Activist Urges Focusing on Climate Successes in Public Discourse
In an interview with MDR Aktuell, climate activist Luisa Neubauer emphasized the importance of highlighting successes in the fight against climate change in public discussions. According to her, the focus on failures and catastrophes has been a “blind spot” in the climate narrative and this has led to a misconception that people only act when the situation is dire.
Neubauer pointed out that, in the past, people were often reminded of natural disasters, such as the flood in the Ahrtal, severe droughts in Germany, or the hazy orange sky in New York caused by a massive wildfire in Canada. Currently, the situation in Los Angeles, where many people have been forced to leave their homes, is another example of the devastating effects of climate change.
The activist believes that the constant emphasis on disasters can have a negative impact, leading people to feel overwhelmed and, as a result, become apathetic and less inclined to take action. “We have found that when people hear a lot about the catastrophes and not enough about what we can do against them, they start to sink into these catastrophes and tend to do nothing” Neubauer said.
In a sense, this realization is a reassuring one, as it suggests that people do not need to be shown the complete darkness of the world in order to take action. Instead, by highlighting the successes and progress made in the fight against climate change, people can be motivated to take part in the efforts to mitigate its effects.