More than 90 percent of Tasmanians are genuinely concerned about climate change and want to do something about it (see the chart below). Yet the truth is, there is an enormous gap between our expressed concern and what we are actually doing.
So what stops us?
The public is being inundated with well-intentioned advice on how to save energy, but researchers have discovered that much of this effort is of little value because it has not taken into account the ‘triggers’ that motivate people to act on their concerns and the ‘barriers’ that prevent them. There are hundreds of everyday little things that block us from making the changes we would like to make in our lives.
The Waterworks Sustainable Community Group is undertaking a “Barriers project” to better understand these issues and so help Tasmanian householders convert their very real climate concern into action. This project is about finding those blocks and liberating our creative energy to help us forge saner, healthier, happier lives.
Would you like to assist with this project? With your invaluable help, the project aims to assist communities throughout Tasmania overcome barriers to shrinking their collective carbon footprint. One valuable way to do that is to simply fill in the online Climate Behaviour Survey.
• Take the Tasmanian Climate Survey
This will only take about half an hour and you may find it thought provoking!
To help you explore your own barriers (and the happy rewards that come with lifestyle change) download the newsletters from the tags.
• February 2010 Newsletter
• May 2010 Newsletter
• July 2010 Newsletter
• October 2010 Newsletter
It’s fascinating stuff. We will be providing insights and helpful advice on ‘what makes us tick’.
• The door-to-door survey illustrated in the chart on this page was undertaken in Hobart suburbs in August / Septmber 2009.
• The Waterworks Barriers Project is a Climate Connect project funded through the Tasmanian Climate Change Office.
