The reason I write this article is a pretty simple preconception: “We make environmental protection related decisions based on limited information (or even worse based on feelings/emotions)”.
Some examples to make my point clear:
- The global warming issue is by many considered as a fact and after 40 years of research we can now with confidence say that there is such a thing as global warming. But who knows what the effect is on our planet, what extent of increase in temperature will happen until 2100? The complexity of the issue and lack of information is the reason we have no chance to predict with our current data set.
- At home we are making decisions which have effect on the environment, like what do I eat, how should I renovate my home, what kind of car should I buy. Even if I’m an environmental conscious person most of the cases we make decisions based on our gut feeling, emotions and lack the time and ressources to get to the data to make clear logical decisions, like should I put insulation on my house, buy a new furnace or buy a solar panel on the roof…..in each case there should be a logical order which brings the highest rewards.
- Companies are creating a lot of waste and are using a lot of energy. Do you think they are fully aware of their impact and have a clear roadmap what to develop?
For the second and third example there might be some examples, you know the chosen ones, but the wast majority is far off the ideal path.
My goal with this article is to start a discussion about the importance of helping people and the society with accurate information as I believe the biggest issue the environmental movement is facing these days is a lack of information. More suggestions/inspiration is coming soon in a follow up article.
Written by Robert Szücs-Winkler
This article was originally published on Medium.com: https://medium.com/@robert.szucs82/environmental-protection-information-over-feelings-3f7b65636457
