Climate Change: Are You Scared Enough? feat. David Wallace-Wells

Maybe if you're not scared, you're not paying attention…

Climate change is scary, because it will negatively impact just about every part of our lives. But the conventional wisdom on how to talk about climate change and inspire people to do something about it has always been "don't scare people". At least until recently. In the past couple years climate scientists and climate journalists have started talking in scarier and more worst case terms than ever before. Why? And is this a good thing? I talked to author David Wallace-Wells, author of "The Uninhabitable Earth" to learn more.
#climate #climatechange #globalwarming

Read more:
Wallace-Wells, David. The uninhabitable earth: Life after warming. Tim Duggan Books, 2019.

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Host: Joe Hanson
Guest: David Wallace-Wells
Writers: Joe Hanson Ph.D.
Creative Director: David Schulte
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Producer: Stephanie Noone
Editor/Animator: Sara Roma
Camera: Miriam Nielsen

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Produced by PBS Digital Studios
Theme Music: Eric Friend/Optical Audio
Music: APM

[HotMessPBS]

People are talking about climate change in scarier, more worst-case ways than ever before. Is that because they are trying to get your attention? Or because climate scientists are legitimately scared? What do you think?

[briansabogal]

I’ve said forever that climate change is the only subject of fear that gets scarier the more you learn about it. With everything else you learn the odds are extremely small or the object of terror (like the monster under the bed) isn’t real. With climate change, every new piece of information presents another obstacle we have to overcome that requires levels of commitment and cooperation beyond the scope of anything in human history, and that’s terrifying. We are legitimately facing human extinction, or at the very least, societal collapse in possibly 100 years or less (and that’s being excessively generous) and still countries and people don’t act. We should be VERY scared.

[OMEGATHENIETZCHIAN]

I think a huge part of the problem is that the information is focused on "this is a problem" and not "here's how to fix it." If you are going to present a problem, especially one that is big and scary, to people then you need to come with either a solution or a reasonable hope that a solution can be found. If you don't then they give up and stop caring. It's inevitable so why try and stop it?

[htpm]

I think we can place a ton of blame of our current crisis at the feet of corporate media. They continue to omit, deflect and/or deny climate catastrophe and thus the public at large are ignorant of the very near future.

[terrycreagh]

People almost worshipped science until it came up with something that makes them very uncomfortable!

[twistedmezelf]

The climate problem isnt what scares me. Im well aware of how we may fix the climate. We have the tech and the resources.

What truely scares me is the ammount of people who say "well that will be a problem for when im dead. I'm not gonna worry about it!"

Like thanks that you care so little of my wellbeing. I still need an earth to live on long after you are dead!

[byrongsmith]

This was literally the topic of my PhD. I argued that (contra the conventional wisdom on not startling the horses) fear can illuminate and motivate and not simply paralyze. What is crucial is how that fear interacts with our identity and the narratives we use to orient ourselves in the world.

[shiny_x]

Thank you. I wake up every day and think about how to prepare for the future, while watching everyone going about their day as if nothing is happening. When did we decide everyone is too fragile to understand the truth? We will need to get massively more resilient to survive this, and if we don't think we are even resilient enough to *know* about the problem, how can we hope to solve it? Our ancestors lived through world wars, genocides, routine famine & plagues...we have to stop babying ourselves and realize we are strong enough to deal with reality and strong enough to tackle climate change.

[lvd]

The thing we should be is not the warming, it is the political effects. So many of the worlds most instable and dangerous countries will collapse under the added climate pressure. This could have a knock-on effect on their neighbours leading to entire regions of the world degrading into chaos.
Edit: spelling

[safir]

Sometimes I feel like I don’t wanna deal with this stuff anymore, & just throw myself out the window. Then I remember I can protest.

[trishosadchuk]

Not scared at all. Climate change has been ongoing for millions of years.

[Ruslan-S]

Wow this channel is so underviewed, it's criminal. Guilty of just finding out about it myself!

[chrissscottt]

I think the film 'The Day After Tomorrow' is an example of using scare tactics that backfired somewhat, further entrenching the idea in some people that human induced climate change is either overstated or a hoax. I think it's important to focus on measured effects, not so much extrapolations.

[SuicideBunny]

I don't think the average person indeed realises just how bad the situation actually is, myself probably included. I mean, I try to be updated in the matter, I try to eat less meat, to not use the car and more bike or public transport, to save water and electricity, to clean up others' waste on the streets etc., but it's just so easy to fall back to our old usual bad habits.

Then it makes me wonder just how much a single person/ small proportion of society can really change when global economy and politics just carry on in its old ways. It's quite discouraging really.

[mikeciul]

I see an assumption in David Wallace-Wells' outlook: most people are complacent, and a few people are about to freak out. I'm not sure that's true. I imagine that I appear complacent to others, but on the inside I'm definitely freaking out. I don't engage politically because it's too scary, not because I don't care enough. I've been more political in the past and I feel burned out from that. I don't want to waste my time trying to change people (i.e. politicians) who don't seem to care what I think.

[snuwwulfie]

In matters like these I appreciate the cold hard truth. I believe it's the duty of the big guys to make sure stuff like this isn't sugar coated or hidden, if they do they'll definitely lose my support. Truth is everything.

[Burhapahar]

Dont give up buddy. Its discouraging sometimes but stay wise and rebel on

[mariela]

Honestly, I wasn't involved in the climate change issue at all. In fact, it all flipped over when I stumbled across Leonardo DiCaprio's documentary called "Before the Flood." After watching that, I felt the precise effect of what this video describes: the fear of complete environmental catastrophe made me interested and engaged. Right now, I am just trying to become more informed so that I can organize collective and productive activities to make a difference. And this video was excellent for me to learn that politics is a huge part of this issue because that is where our money is. Thank you so much for this video!

[ghrey]

In the mid to late 70s I became concerned, in the early 80s I became alarmed. Now I an alarmed and deeply frustrated. It is a mess.

[rursus]

Using fear is a very good idea. Those who can handle the fear and take action may save themselves and a bunch of innocents, and those who cannot and instead denies all stuff can buy the beach sites, so that we can get rid of them.