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From YouTube: TEDxYouth@TorreAve: Shanlea Tabofunda (2020)
Description
The Psychology Behind Climate Change by Shanlea Tabofunda
Shanlea is 16. In her talk, "The Psychology Behind Climate Change", she discusses the psychological barriers preventing individuals from acting against one of humanity’s most pressing threats. As citizens, we are constantly inundated with statistics that don’t motivate us to change our behavior, but by understanding the science behind our actions, we can ignite a significant change in our own lives.
TEDxYouth@TorreAvenue unites the global network of high school students in Cupertino through the power of ideas. Staffed and run entirely by Cupertino Teen Advisory Board and Cupertino Teen Commission, TEDxYouth@TorreAvenue aims to showcase the biggest ideas by filling the gaps created by misinformation and social barriers.
A
Okay:
listen
what
if
I
somehow
traveled
backwards
in
time
and
I
accidentally
distracted
my
grandma
from
ever
meeting
my
grandpa,
because
then
my
dad
wouldn't
be
born
right
and
then
I
wouldn't
even
exist.
A
lot
of
us
like
to
joke
that
if
we
had
the
ability
to
travel
backwards
in
time,
we'd
be
scared
that
a
minor
action
we
took
then
could
massively
impact
our
current
lives.
But
we
neglect
to
see
that
minor
actions
we
take
today
could
have
a
massive
impact
on
the
future.
This
idea
of
the
butterfly
effect
works
both
positively
and
negatively.
A
If
we
make
small
changes,
they'll
add
up
over
time
to
benefit
the
future,
but
if
we
continue
making
poor
decisions,
their
effects
will
snowball
ultimately
causing
our
downfall.
One
example
of
the
butterfly
effect
can
be
seen
in
the
topic
of
climate
change.
Now
everybody
already
knows.
Climate
change
is
a
problem,
so
why
is
nobody
acting
on
it?
We
are
constantly
inundated
with
facts
and
statistics
that
don't
motivate
us
to
change
very
much,
but
by
understanding
the
psychology
behind
our
own
actions
or
lack
thereof.
A
We
can
be
better
motivated
to
make
significant
changes
in
our
own
lives
by
enforcing
communities
that
normalize
caring
about
climate
change
and
supporting
policies
that
directly
fight
the
problems.
The
first
problem,
and
the
first
reason
why
we
don't
act
in
the
face
of
climate
change,
is
that
we
don't
view
climate
change
itself
as
a
real
threat.
The
climate
chat
org
a
website
guiding
a
larger
discussion
on
the
topic
of
climate
change,
has
come
up
with
the
acronym
pain
to
explain
why
the
P
stands
for
personal.
A
We
tend
to
play
this
blame
game,
pinning
problems
on
a
particular
person
or
group
of
people
when,
in
reality,
climate
change
isn't
the
direct
result
of
a
specific
person.
We
are
all
responsible
for
the
future
of
our
earth.
The
a
stands
for
abrupt.
We
notice
changes
that
happen
abruptly
and
climate
change
is
more
of
a
gradual
threat,
so
it
doesn't
really
set
off
the
alarm
bells
in
our
heads.
A
Even
so,
a
study
by
F
Seymour
assistant,
professor
in
the
department
of
environmental
science
and
policy
at
UC
Davis,
found
that
we
are
actually
growing
accustomed
to
climate
change,
implying
that
we
are
even
less
likely
to
act.
The
longer
it
goes
on.
The
I
stands
for
immoral.
We
share
articles
and
videos
that
make
us
feel
angry
or
sad,
but
climate
change
just
doesn't
evoke
these
emotions
to
the
extent
where
we
can
truly
grasp
how
terrible
its
effects
are
sure
polar
bears
are
losing
their
habitats
and
biodiversity
is
decreasing.
But
what
does
that
mean
for
humans?
A
Even
though
some
natural
disasters
linked
to
climate
change
have
directly
affected
people
like
Hurricane
Katrina,
a
study
by
how
in
2019
found
that
these
events
don't
cause
people's
opinions
of
climate
change
to
shift
very
much
in
the
long
term,
the
n
stands
for
now,
which
is
kind
of
similar
to
the
a
for
abrupt.
Let's
start
this
one
off
with
an
example,
were
all
aware
that
average
temperatures
across
the
globe
are
hitting
record
highs
in
Antarctica.
A
In
February
of
this
year,
scientists
reported
the
highest
recorded
temperature
on
the
continent,
sixty
four
point:
nine
degrees
Fahrenheit
that
was
warmer
than
Los
Angeles
on
the
same
day.
So
we
all
know
that
you
know
global
temperatures
are
following
an
upward
trend,
but
it's
not
like.
We
receive
government
push
notifications
on
our
phones
telling
us
the
weather
tomorrow
is
gonna,
be
a
hundred
twenty
degrees,
so
we
got
act
fast.
A
No
climate
change
is
just
happening
to
gradually
we
don't
perceive
the
temperature
increases,
let
alone
all
the
other
effects
of
climate
change
as
a
real
threat
to
our
everyday
lives.
We
aren't
seeing
the
devastating
impacts
right
now,
and
so
it's
hard
for
us
to
process.
Why
we
should
change
our
behavior,
and
you
know,
even
if
we
did
receive
government
push
notifications
telling
us,
the
weather
was
going
to
be
120
degrees,
it's
not
guaranteed
that
everybody
would
act.
A
You've,
probably
seen
on
the
news
people
refusing
to
evacuate
their
homes,
even
in
the
midst
of
a
massive
hurricane.
In
a
time
article
in
2018,
every
Kluger
states
that
humans
have
evolved
to
care
more
about
immediate
threats
than
those
in
the
future,
and
so
it's
hard
for
us
to
wrap
our
heads
around
why
we
should
make
sacrifices
now
like
evacuating
our
homes,
even
if
this
will
help
prevent
future
disasters.
A
Now,
even
if
climate
change
did
follow
the
acronym
of
pain,
even
if
it
were
personal,
abrupt
immoral
and
happening
now,
there
are
still
psychological
barriers
preventing
us
from
changing
our
behavior.
It's
no
secret
that
humans
are
primarily
self-centered
animals,
since
this
increased
our
ancestors
chances
of
survival.
As
a
result,
humans
have
a
region
of
our
brains,
called
the
medial,
prefrontal
cortex
or
the
MPSC
that
has
to
do
with
regulating
self-centered
emotions
and
behavior.
If
you
went
under
an
MRI
and
I
asked
you
to
think
about
yourself,
your
PFC
would
light
up
with
activity.
A
A
similar
thing
happens
if
I
ask
you
to
think
about
a
close
friend
or
a
family
member,
all
those
who
a
lesser
extent,
but
if
I
ask
you
to
think
about
a
random
stranger
like
residents
of
a
small
town
in
Ohio,
your
m
PFC
would
barely
light
up
at
all.
Now.
Here's
the
interesting
bit
according
to
a
study
by
behavioral
neuroscientist,
our
Jimbo
in
2009,
when
you
think
about
your
future
self,
five
or
ten
years
into
the
future,
your
MPSC
doesn't
really
light
up
at
all.
A
We
don't
recognize
our
future
selves
as
ourselves,
so
our
usual
self
centered
behavior
in
wanting
to
protect
our
own
interests
and
our
chances
of
survival
doesn't
really
kick
in
for
our
future
selves,
and
this
way
of
thinking
is
significant
when
the
threat
to
our
survival
is
climate
change.
So
now
that
we
understand
the
processes
behind
why
we
are
so
slow
to
act,
we
can
discuss
two
powerful,
yet
realistic
solutions.
A
These
solutions
are
centered
around
a
group
mentality
rather
than
the
individual,
because
in
this
way
we
can
overcome
the
individual
psychological
barriers
and
instead
work
towards
change
as
part
of
a
group.
The
first
solution
is
enforcing
communities
that
normalize
caring
about
climate
change.
We
all
exist
as
parts
of
communities,
whether
it's
our
friends,
our
mates,
our
schools,
our
workplaces,
the
Bay
Area
California
and
the
entire
United
States,
and
we
are
also
part
of
online
communities
that
might
bridge
continents.
A
study
by
Jackson
in
2008
says
that
we
are
more
likely
to
work
towards
a
goal.
A
If
we
are
part
of
a
tight-knit
community
or
a
group
of
friends
working
towards
the
same
goal,
we
can
utilize
this
idea
of
group
mentality
to
our
advantage
by
holding
fundraisers
in
clubs
at
school,
participating
in
events
like
Bike
to
Work
days
and
bringing
food
to
book,
club
meetings
or
family
reunions
in
reusable
containers
rather
than
plastic,
and
when
we
normalize
and
encourage
this
type
of
behavior
people
feel
peer,
pressured
in
a
good
way
to
fit.
In
going
back
to
the
idea
of
the
butterfly
effect.
A
A
Greta
Tim
Berg
is
at
the
forefront
of
climate
strikes
and
rallies
across
the
globe,
and
while
these
help
serve
as
a
public
image
of
unity
against
a
common
threat,
you
don't
need
to
participate
in
a
strike
to
have
an
impact.
Multiple
websites,
like
the
Environmental
Defense
Fund
at
EDF
org,
offers
specific
petitions
that
you
can
sign
and
ways
to
contact
your
local
representatives.
A
Now,
let's
take
a
step
back
for
a
second
to
put
all
of
this
into
perspective.
If
we
each
do
our
part
in
the
fight
against
climate
change
by
enforcing
it
in
our
individual
communities
and
supporting
policies
that
regulate
corporations,
we
just
might
be
able
to
subvert
a
slow
and
painful
death
for
thousands
and
of
species.
You
may
never
get
the
opportunity
to
travel
backwards
in
time
to
accidentally
distract
grandma
from
ever
meeting
grandpa,
but
you
do
have
the
opportunity
to
shift
the
entire
fate
of
our
planet
in
the
words
of
Ernest
Hemingway.