Climate Change and Individual Decision Making: An Examination of Knowledge, Risk Perception, Self-interest and Their Interplay

摘要: In this essay, three separate yet interconnected components of pro-environmental decision making are considered: knowledge, in the form basic scientific understanding and procedural risk perception, as it relates to an individual’s direct experience climate change self-interest, either monetary or status-driven. Drawing on a variety sources public policy, psychology, economics, I examine role these concepts inducing discouraging behavior. Past researches have often overemphasized weight just one those variables making. argue, instead, that none them alone is capable bringing about behavioral required by environmental crisis. Evidence shows increasing public’s knowledge cannot unilaterally bring strong change. The same can be noticed even when joined risk-perception: deep psychological mechanisms may steer people towards inaction apathy, despite their detrimental effects lives. Focusing self-interest similarly unable induce behavior, due host factors. Instead, all above cases important missing ingredient found providing with locally contextualized order translate its concern into action. importance kind practical has solid empirical theoretical underpinnings, overlooked climate-change debate tends focus more high-level issues. Yet, for essential simplicity, carry public-policy implications.