Climate change/Risk Literacy

This learning resource starts with a statement that should be analysed by the learner. This analysis is used to trigger further exploration of the topic Climate Change and Risk Literacy.

"Scientists mentioned in the context of climate change that we should limit the global warming to $2^{o}C$. But I am exposed to $30^{o}C$ temperature difference every year between summer and winter. So what is the problem?"

Learning Task

• (Misconception) Analyse the statement above and explain the misconception in the context of Risk Literacy.
• (Timespan between Activity and Impact/Outcome) Long time scales and human activities for risk mitigation. If is hurts immediately (e.g. by touching a hot oven plate) our response is rapid (e.g. remove hand from hot oven plate). If look on longer time scales (e.g. smoking and lung cancer) human activities do not "hurt" directly after the activity (e.g. smoking one cigarette). Explain the problem for risk awareness if outputs or outcomes are visible/observable only after a longer time span after the activities, that caused the ultimate changes. They outcome (change) seems to be decouple due the elapsed time.
  • Identify the scientific evidence in Psychology for this human behaviour (e.g. smoking) and
  • apply these psychological results to Climate Change and Global Warming.
• (Probability and Uncertainty) In general projections and models for the future are associated with an uncertainty. Explain how uncertainty and probability affects behavioural changes in the context of climate change.
• (Short-term goals/long-term goals) Risk Literacy based on scientific evidence about climate change is a long-term goal for the human population. If more than 90% of the human population on earth battle to survive the next week, month or year (physically or from their workload for short-term goals). There might be no capacity of efforts to accomplish long-term goals. Explain how the combination of short-term goals (e.g. public security, food security and sustainability, sustainable income to feed the family, ...) are necessary to accomplish long-term goals.