May 2008 Volume 13 Number 5

Where's the psychiatrist's couch?

Whilst working on this edition of WEM it became clear to me that climate change has as much to do with psychology as it does science. And there lies the crux of the problem. Science has identified both the causes and the solutions to climate change. The issue is that to cut carbon dioxide emissions to the extent required to avoid catastrophic climate change we are required to go against the survival instincts embedded in our DNA.

As Darwin identified, all living creatures have evolved through a series of adaptations based on the survival of the fittest. The Earth is a competitive place and life is only sustained through ruthless self-interest. In this game of winner takes all, Homo sapiens have come out tops. We are the first at the table, taking our share of water, food and resources, before we even consider the requirements of the rest of the life on the planet. But, as Ian McEwen identifies in 'Hot Breath of Our Civilisation' on page 11, to succeed in the face of climate change mankind must go against his very instincts of survival if he is to save future generations.

The game has changed. Survival is no longer assured by grabbing resources greedily and spawning the next generation. Rather, we need to learn to take less and breed less. The future is no longer simply about us and our children. Survival requires a new skill - selflessness. Going back to Darwin, our survival will be based on our ability to adapt and learn this new skill - a skill that has been pushed into the recesses of our psyche in favour of greed and selfishness. But can we adapt fast enough? Nick Reeves thinks not. On page 12 he explains why he thinks that catastrophic climate change is almost an inevitability. Dave Hampton is more optimistic on page 16 and calls for the rich nations to do their bit. Peter Stern describes the work being done by Christian engineers in the developing world on page 28 and Kate McKinley highlights the environmental improvements being made around Cambodia's hotels on page 22. Don't miss the first part in our serialisation of Cape Farewell's book Burning Ice on page four.

Please add to the debate by contacting me at wemeditor@ciwem.org. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Erika Yarrow, Editor, WEM (Water & Environment Magazine) wemeditor@ciwem.org This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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