Monday, April 26, 2010 THE HERALD 69

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Don’tworry,behappyHunter research is giving insight into climate change denial and apathy, writes Linda Connor.

Professor Linda Connor is the chair,Department of Anthropology,University of Sydney. She is headinga research team, including membersfrom Newcastle University, that isstudying, among other things,reasons for climate changescepticism.

AS an anthropologist interested inhuman culture, I am studying thequestion of what climate changemeans to people, how our corevalues shape our understanding ofit, and the seemingly rapidreduction in community concernabout climate threat.

Surveys here and abroad tell usthat climate change scepticism,denial and apathy is on the rise.Climate change concern peaked insurveys in 2006-07, then began todecline. Local surveys by the HunterValley Research Foundation showthat the number of people whoagreed that climate change wouldhave a direct impact on their life inthe next 20 years dropped from80 per cent in 2006 to 60 per cent in2009.

At the same time, climatescientists continued to collectdiverse and compelling evidenceshowing that global warming is real,a position restated a few weeks agoby the Australian Bureau ofMeteorology and CSIRO. Recentreports about errors in the IPCC 4thReport, or suppression of counter-evidence and complexity byscientists at East Anglia University,worrying as they are, do not reallychallenge the overall picture.

While these two trends seem atodds, they are connected. It is notjust the power of the carbon lobbyand other vested interests that havestrengthened scepticism and denial.

Anthropologist Ernest Beckerargued that the denial of death andthe perpetuation of self and socialgroup (what he called “immortalityprojects”) is the defining aspect ofhuman cultures everywhere.

Religion is traditionally the mainsource of immortality ideas inhuman cultures, but non-religiousversions, especially consumerism,are also important in the modernworld. Consumer capitalism is notjust an economic system but also a

powerful cultural system thatpromotes the illusion of happinessand immortality through its valuesand practices of materialism,acquisition, affluence, endlessexploitation of nature, novelty, andperpetual renewal.

Negative messages about thefuture, such as those found in storiesof climate crisis, are a challenge toour yearning for immortality.

Negative messages connectedwith death and decline of the planet(and ourselves!), bring aboutconscious and unconscious defencereactions. We deny these messagesand find comfort instead in the‘‘happiness’’ messages of consumercapitalism.

On the other hand, deathmessages about climate changewere gaining pace recently with thealliance of the Prime Minister andformer Opposition leader MalcolmTurnbull confirming climate changereality, the saturation mediacoverage of the ETS, and theCopenhagen summit in 2009.

The crisis of climate change is notjust an environmental crisis. It isalso a cultural crisis and a crisis ofleadership. What system of culturalvalues in Australia today couldreplace the life-affirming messagesof consumer capitalism? Arguably itwon’t be the “no growth” scenariosof many environmental activists.“Growth” is a primary and absolute

cultural value that cannot be denied– children grow, plants grow,knowledge grows. The unconsciousdefences that mobilise against “nogrowth” ideas are very strong. Theremust be positive messagesaccompanying the shift to a carbon-neutral world.

Where will the wellsprings of newforms of meaning and action thatwill resolve the problems ofplanetary destruction come from?Our research in the Hunter suggeststhat the diversity of communitygroups will make importantcontributions to climate changesolutions. Co-operation betweenscientists and environmentalists canprovide knowledge and politicalstrategies that can become aresource for community groups ofmany persuasions.

The real potential of climatechange action at present resides notonly in political campaigns. Insurveys, our own and others’, only asmall minority of respondentsreport they are prepared to engagein any form of direct action in regardto environmental matters (such asattending public meetings ordemonstrations).

However, people will mobilisearound specific issues of concern. Inthe Hunter Valley, these mostnotably are threats to land (as asource of identity, indigenous andnon-indigenous), property valuesand livelihood, and health(especially of children). Successfulenvironmental and climate-relatedactions speak to these concerns.

swilliams@theherald.com.au

The Vegie PatchWhat to plant now

!! Artichoke, globe!! Beans, broad !! Beetroot!! Broccoli !! Cabbage !! Carrots !! Chinese cabbage !! Garlic!! Leeks !! Lentils!! Lettuce, winter !! Onion!! Parsnip !! Peas !! Radish!! Shallots !! Silverbeet!! Strawberries !! Swede !! Turnip

Source: Hunter Organic Growers Societyhunterorganicgrowerssociety.org.au

IN her book Fabulous food fromevery small garden (2009), MaryHorsfall lists 10 good reasons togrow some of your own food athome.

Because there are so manyreasons to garden, it is easy toforget one or two of them fromtime to time.

One of these reasons is physicalexercise and its part in stayinghealthy.

This was brought home to merecently when I had occasion to dosome communal gardening with adiverse group of people.

The most senior member of ourparty, now retired but not elderly,worked throughout the morningwith great stamina.

It was a warmish day and thework was quite physicallydemanding, mostly involvingpushing full wheelbarrows ofmulch around on very unevenground.

Filling the barrows with themulch was also a tough job andafter a couple of hours you knewyou had earned your morning tea.

I am reasonably fit throughcycling most days, although not inthe Tony Abbott sense of fitness.

I also do a fair bit of gardening,although not as much as I’d like.

Anyway, as I and many otherstout yeomen began to noticeablywilt towards lunchtime, theretired chap kept on keeping on,embarrassing me at one stage byoffering to take over my barrow!

Apparently I was lookingtuckered out.

The secret of this man’s fitness –apart from a healthy constitution –turns out to be his daily gardeningroutine.

He has a large sloping block ofland and has been self-sufficientin fruit and vegetables fordecades.

In fact, while working full-time,he kept a family of five suppliedwith his land’s produce.

The moral of this story?A lifetime of serious gardening

can keep you fit and spry well intoretirement.

FAST FACTS

Source:greenvehicleguide.gov.au

TOP TEN GREEN CARSMAKE ENGINE SIZE FUEL TYPE FUEL CONSUMPTION (L/100km) CO2 (g/km) RATING1. Toyota Prius 1.5L, 4cyl Petrol 91RON 4.4 106 ! ! ! ! !2. smart fortwo 1.0L, 3cyl Petrol 95RON 4.4 105 ! ! ! ! !3. Suzuki Alto 1.0L, 3cyl Petrol 95RON 4.8 113 ! ! ! ! !4. Fiat 500 1.2L, 4cyl Petrol 95RON 5 118 ! ! ! ! !5. Fiat Punto 1.4L, 4cyl Petrol 95RON 5.7 134 ! ! ! ! !6. Honda Jazz 1.3L, 4cyl Petrol 91RON 5.8 138 ! ! ! ! !7. Toyota Yaris 1.3L, 4cyl Petrol 91RON 6 141 ! ! ! ! !8. Toyota Camry Hybrid 2.4L, 4cyl Petrol 91RON 6 142 ! ! ! ! !9. Volkswagen Golf 1.4L, 4cyl Petrol 95RON 6.2 143 ! ! ! ! !10. Alfa Romeo MiTo 1.4L, 4cyl Petrol 95RON 6.1 145 ! ! ! ! !

Water storage

Grahamstown Dam 76.9%

Chichester Dam 100%

Tomago Sandbeds 73.8%

Anna Bay Sandbeds 64.5%

Total 77.3%