A conservation scientist argues that the traditional approach to addressing climate change, focusing on doom and gloom, is ineffective. Instead, she suggests that making the issue more tangible and relatable, such as by providing individuals with personal energy usage data, can inspire change. Studies, including UCLA's Engage project, have shown that personalized feedback, social competition, and framing the issue in terms of local health impacts can motivate people to reduce their energy consumption. Companies like Opower and Virgin Atlantic Airways have successfully used these strategies to encourage energy savings. The scientist emphasizes that addressing climate change requires a broader scale of change, including embracing human psychology and competitive spirit, rather than just relying on guilt trips.
Here are the key facts from the text, excluding opinions:
1. The narrator is a conservation scientist.
2. The hole in the ozone layer is expected to be healed by around 2050.
3. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were the main ingredient in many products, including aerosol spray cans.
4. CFCs were found to be destroying the atmospheric ozone.
5. The use of CFCs was reduced after people became aware of the problem.
6. The Engage project at UCLA aimed to make energy usage more visible to people.
7. The project outfitted part of a student housing complex with meters that tracked real-time energy usage.
8. Participants received weekly reports on their energy usage.
9. The project found that the fridge was the biggest energy user in many households.
10. Upgrading to an energy-efficient fridge reduced energy usage.
11. Participants also learned other energy-saving tips, such as unplugging their dishwasher and air-drying their clothes.
12. The Engage project found that personalized emails about energy usage had little impact on behavior.
13. Emails that linked energy usage to environmental and health impacts led to an 8% drop in energy usage.
14. Households with kids showed a 19% drop in energy usage after receiving such emails.
15. A separate study used social competition to encourage energy savings.
16. Participants who received public feedback on their energy usage reduced their usage by 20%.
17. Opower is a company that provides personalized energy reports to millions of customers worldwide.
18. Opower's reports allow customers to compare their energy usage to their neighbors.
19. This social pressure approach has been effective in encouraging energy savings.
20. In 2016, Opower generated the equivalent of 2 terawatt hours of electricity savings.
21. Virgin Atlantic Airways gave pilots feedback on their fuel usage, leading to a saving of 6,800 tons of fuel.
22. The pilots' changes reduced their carbon dioxide emissions by 21,000 tons.