Thread by @steviedubyu

@keithalexander @LeeEnviron @tomhillonline @KevinClimate @ClimateBeard @MichaelEMann @penn_state @USATODAY Here's another take (from Nature Climate Change) on why personal behaviour change, particularly among elites, is crucial: "The lifestyles and consumption patterns of the super-rich strongly influence the globally growing middle classes..."
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nature.com/articles/s4155…

@keithalexander @LeeEnviron @tomhillonline @KevinClimate @ClimateBeard @MichaelEMann @penn_state @USATODAY "... who emulate upper-class consumption styles to distinguish themselves from lower classes. In addition, the super-rich have a great impact on technological innovation..." In other words, people copy the behaviour of those with high status.
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@keithalexander @LeeEnviron @tomhillonline @KevinClimate @ClimateBeard @MichaelEMann @penn_state @USATODAY Here's the killer: "Our results suggest that a typical super-rich household of two people produces a carbon footprint of 129.3 tCO2e per year... and 66.5 tCO2e per year generated by... air travel." Maybe these are the people resisting a focus on individual behaviour.
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@keithalexander @LeeEnviron @tomhillonline @KevinClimate @ClimateBeard @MichaelEMann @penn_state @USATODAY It goes on: "Importantly, in contrast to the poorest in the community, the richest have the agency and power needed to change their lifestyles to meet policy requirements without compromising quality of life." And...
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@keithalexander @LeeEnviron @tomhillonline @KevinClimate @ClimateBeard @MichaelEMann @penn_state @USATODAY "The leadership of the super-rich in adopting renewable energy technologies could generate positive knowledge and technology diffusion spillover effects, making such technologies more attractive and more affordable for other social groups."
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@keithalexander @LeeEnviron @tomhillonline @KevinClimate @ClimateBeard @MichaelEMann @penn_state @USATODAY A focus on individual action adds pressure: "The rich are over-represented in national governments and there are strong ties between the wealthy and the political elites. ... it is important to build social pressure on the super-rich and political elites all over the world." 6/

@keithalexander @LeeEnviron @tomhillonline @KevinClimate @ClimateBeard @MichaelEMann @penn_state @USATODAY So focusing on behaviour change can put pressure on elites to reduce their (vast) emissions, and lead to emulation from those who look to elites as an example.

Credits: Ilona M Otto, Kyoung Mi Kim, Nika Dubrovsky and Wolfgang Lucht. All quotes copyright Nature Climate Change. /

@keithalexander @LeeEnviron @tomhillonline @KevinClimate @ClimateBeard @MichaelEMann @penn_state @USATODAY And as @RBrulle and Jason Carmichael have found, "elite cues" are the main driver of US public opinion on climate change. So to say "don't focus on personal actions, focus on corporate/political change" is a false dichotomy IMO. It's all about people.
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tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10…