Research conducted by researchers at the University of Gothenburg shows that people tend to rate their own risk of being affected by climate change as lower than that of others. This perception may reduce individuals’ willingness to act and slow down necessary climate measures.
The researchers observed the effect in Europe, the United States and Asia, but the discrepancy was most pronounced among Europeans.
Of course. I live in the us which isn’t afraid to spend ungodly amounts of money. I’m well above sea level and not in a flood plain. I have a well insulated house with air conditioning and can afford the electric bills. I may have to spend more money but I’ll get through without too much direct impact.
Then again, I’m not a sociopath. I see the impact of climate change right in front of my face and understand how it is getting worse. I also understand how it will affect the most those who can least afford it, both in my country and around the world
I also know we are historically the worst causer of climate change and are extremely deep in climate debt. Everyone trying to “what about China?” Is full of crap just making excuses for being a deplorable human being
Most people are stupid, more at eleven.
i hate this individualistic and spineless society we’ve ended up building.
I mean it’s true, it will affect me less than most people simply for the fact that I live in a first world country with moderate climate. That doesn’t mean it won’t affect me, and even if it wasn’t affecting me at all I wouldn’t want other people to suffer from climate change.
Currently, some of the countries most directly affected by climate change are in Europe, like Spain, Switzerland, Germany and France.
Wouldn’t India and Bangladesh, for example, be worse? In summer they get heat waves above 50º C, and I know there’s at least a river in Bangladesh that is being flooded by salt water , and agriculture is becoming impossible. And a lot of people have been dislocated as well in the last decade because of the rising waters.
Define worse. I’m sure the developed countries will be much worse off in financial terms while developing will be far worse off in human misery.
Bangladesh already has its hands full with floods affecting millions, in addition to its other challenges. How could they cope about gets worse and more frequent every year? India already has serious water issues and huge population they already can’t handle well. Many hot areas risk regular temperatures above habitable levels. There’s no end to the serious impacts
I should have said “Currently, some of the countries” indeed. I’ll correct it.
The biggest difference between, let’s say Bangladesh and Germany is that in Bangladesh, most of the damage happens to people, in richer countries the damages are heavily material…
Their comment feels like they are ignoring their cup that’s on its way to boiling, while their neighbors has already started.
When those places become inhospitable, they need to go somewhere, and if your climate is already stressed, they won’t be able to start doing anything, since it’s already too late.
If affects everyone, even when it appears it’s only your neighbours. It doesn’t affect them less, just later.
Even in mild climates it’s causing massive heat and/or chill spikes that will kill crops and destroy trees and other plants.
You’re affected, and this article is proving the point quite well with comments like yours.
Oh I’m by no means trying to imply that it’s not necessary to enact massive changes in order to fight climate change, I think it’s one of the most important things to do right now.
Of course it primarily affects others! There’s a whole lotta others and only one me! That’s why I gotta help!
The ones who would be affected the most are those that aren’t even born yet.
So the headline is true in a dark kind of way
It was 50 degrees F here last week. The trees are budding, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen in January.
I’m amused because those things are true of where I am except that it’s normal in January. I still hear people being surprised by it every year, though.
It’s definitely not normal here, usually it’s single digit temperatures in January and February
I live in the US Pacific Northwest. Of course others are being worse affected than I am. Beliefs can also be facts. Relying on everyone believing that they are the worst affected by climate change is not a good strategy.
Sure, however us PNW residents will get increasingly intense atmospheric rivers (as we’ve already seen several times this year). That’s how climate change manifests here, excessive rainfall followed by extra dry summers. A recipe for massive wildfires.
It’s the ship whose front fell of. It’s out of my environment.
This is why it’s difficult to make any change.
The math ckecks out. If a 100 people are at risk of being affected by climate change, I am only 1% at risk and the otheres are 99% at risk. But we’re talking about billions, so the risk is even lower than that. /s
I live in the arctic. I have no such delusions.
