[jimkleiber]

I'd argue that one of the main drivers of climate change is this precise behavior: trying to alter the environment to be favorable towards the thing that I own.

I see it on a micro level of people trying to kill insects that get into their gardens or moles that ruin their lawns, and a more macro level of my state/country has coal underneath it and therefore we shall fight to continue to use coal or even my state/country doesn't have a lot of arable land for agriculture because of permafrost or access to non-frozen ports for shipping so increasing global temperature may actually be good for us.

[bumby]

This is it. Values lead to attitudes when they are directed at an object. Beliefs and attitudes are emotionally biased and largely inform behavior. Unfortunately, beliefs don't have to be correct or even coherent with other beliefs to be strongly held.

A person may value a coal mine for a variety of reasons that are very emotionally hinged: economic, familial, etc. To change behavior values and attitudes have to change. That's exceptionally difficult when the competing values, like climate, are more abstract than the ones currently held. I worry that humans are not psychologically equipped to manage problems of this scale.

[jimkleiber]

Change can suck. It can also be great. I think our tendency towards loss aversion makes us focus on how much it can suck. Even if my future might be better, it will be different, and I can want to not lose the thing to which I currently feel attached.

> That's exceptionally difficult when the competing values, like climate, are more abstract than the ones currently held. I worry that humans are not psychologically equipped to manage problems of this scale.

I think we may be equipped, as we've handled problems on much larger scales than I think our ancestors would have expected, and yet I hear you, wondering what (if anything) could change to make us more equipped.

I wonder if reframing our identity could help. Instead of me only being a coal miner or Michigander, I'm also more connected with my human identity. Maybe more backwoods experiences, watching and living TV shows like Alone or Naked and Afraid...I dunno. I wonder if we don't actually have to try to connect to the planet but just more deeply to our local wildlife and to ourselves.

[toomuchtodo]

> I wonder if reframing our identity could help.

This requires a level of emotional adjustment and self awareness lacking in many people.

[jimkleiber]

I agree. I've spent the last 10 years focused on trying to help us get better at being emotionally honest with at least ourselves. I had focused mostly on tools for the masses, but lately have been refocused on making tools for leaders and then let leaders change culture by example, as so many of us learn what's ok to feel and what feelings are ok to say from our parents and other authority figures.