For a long time, climate change has been presented as a nearly insurmountable problem that would require a David-versus-Goliath campaign to win. To no one’s surprise, simply repeating scary predictions of an eventual climate doomsday ad nauseam has fallen short in steering people towards the right behaviors and policies. 

There is a huge cognitive and emotional barrier to fighting climate change, one that is defined spatially and temporally. Since we view climate change as something that affects future generations or other countries, there is less urgency and personal motivation to act now. We would rather focus on problems that are affecting us personally and locally than the polar bears out in the Arctic (sorry, polar bears). 

But according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the effects of climate change will be felt by all. A mere 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming—a threshold we passed in 2024—can lead to increased heatwaves, severe droughts and floods, rising sea levels and significant loss of coral reef systems. Altogether, this means greater risk to food, water and human health. 

The spectrum of public opinions on climate change is vast. On one end, you have the people who are most concerned and most likely to act to protect the climate. On the other end, there are those who are least likely to accept the existence of—or even care about—climate change. In between, there’s a mix of people who show concern for our planet’s future but either lack the guidance needed to translate the feelings into action or are simply overwhelmed by the complexity of the problem. 

James Oparinde, a senior majoring in biochemistry and molecular biology, reflected on his mindset towards climate change. 

“I’m concerned about climate change, but the scale of obstacles to progress has made me start to accept that irreversible damage will outpace any meaningful action,” he said.

Oparinde admitted that he is not always cognisant of how his daily actions affect the global climate.

“I feel like I have a good starting point with some small changes to my diet and energy use,” he said. “Still, I admit it is difficult to keep up with the science and know what the best choices really are.”

Indeed, many of us in the middle share the same sentiment. This collective confusion about each of our roles calls for changes in our approach to gathering a community of climate change advocates. 

Instead of fear-based messaging that induces a head-in-the-sand effect, we should focus on ways that individuals can affect the environment in positive ways. The intent behind climate change communication should be to promote the benefits of battling climate change, such as improving our standard of living, creating new jobs and strengthening the economy. We should also bring more awareness to the actions we can take right now that will help mitigate the effects of climate change: transitioning to more energy-efficient applications, curbing our consumption of meat and switching to electric vehicles. 

Another effective approach could be pointing out what people will lose from climate change. People tend to feel the pain of losses more strongly than the pleasure of equivalent gains, and may react more strongly to stories about communities already displaced by climate change, disruption of weather patterns we have taken for granted or even rising prices of consumer staples such as coffee. 

In addition to its historical reputation as one of the greatest emitters of greenhouse gas, the U.S. government is doing little to mitigate climate change—and under the current administration, climate change denial has secured a comfy perch in the political landscape. Carbon-emitting industries spent well over $2 billion from 2000 to 2016 to shape, weaken and ultimately block climate legislation. This trend shows no signs of stopping: In 2024, oil lobbyists spent over $38 million in California. 

At its very core, climate change is as much a problem of psychology as it is science, meaning that real progress depends on our ability to collectively shift how we think and act. As someone who is about to embark on a PhD in chemistry to advance energy and sustainability research, the psychological aspects of climate change have not escaped my mind. Addressing climate change will take more than scientific breakthroughs—it will require a concerted effort across policy-making, economics and mass media communications. The next time you’re walking around campus, challenge yourself: what can I do to mitigate climate change?