Sarah Jacquet‐Ray

And so, you know, there's no point in ever doing it. Those are all things that are about the framing of the problem and the framing of our agency. And those things can be challenged.

And so, you know, there's no point in ever doing it. Those are all things that are about the framing of the problem and the framing of our agency. And those things can be challenged.

And so, you know, there's no point in ever doing it. Those are all things that are about the framing of the problem and the framing of our agency. And those things can be challenged.

Yeah, I'll never forget when that film came out. It was such a big deal. And for years later, even today, my students will tell me that what got them to care about stuff is that film. I mean, it's still resonating. But the rhetorical strategy of that film was very much to create this litany of problems. It's kind of overwhelmed to shock people into caring.

Yeah, I'll never forget when that film came out. It was such a big deal. And for years later, even today, my students will tell me that what got them to care about stuff is that film. I mean, it's still resonating. But the rhetorical strategy of that film was very much to create this litany of problems. It's kind of overwhelmed to shock people into caring.

Yeah, I'll never forget when that film came out. It was such a big deal. And for years later, even today, my students will tell me that what got them to care about stuff is that film. I mean, it's still resonating. But the rhetorical strategy of that film was very much to create this litany of problems. It's kind of overwhelmed to shock people into caring.

And really Al Gore was saying, nobody's caring, nobody's caring. Let's just give them more information. If they know more information and they have all the details of all the ways that it could cause disaster for everybody's lives, then maybe they'll do something about it. And I call that the scare to care technique. Right. That is really what most environmental educators use.

And really Al Gore was saying, nobody's caring, nobody's caring. Let's just give them more information. If they know more information and they have all the details of all the ways that it could cause disaster for everybody's lives, then maybe they'll do something about it. And I call that the scare to care technique. Right. That is really what most environmental educators use.

And really Al Gore was saying, nobody's caring, nobody's caring. Let's just give them more information. If they know more information and they have all the details of all the ways that it could cause disaster for everybody's lives, then maybe they'll do something about it. And I call that the scare to care technique. Right. That is really what most environmental educators use.

I mean, if we look at the brain and how fear activates people's reaction, Greta Thunberg famously said she wants people to act like their house is on fire. So that triggering of the fear in the amygdala to respond to such a crisis. That's what Al Gore was trying to do. What's the problem with the approach?

I mean, if we look at the brain and how fear activates people's reaction, Greta Thunberg famously said she wants people to act like their house is on fire. So that triggering of the fear in the amygdala to respond to such a crisis. That's what Al Gore was trying to do. What's the problem with the approach?

I mean, if we look at the brain and how fear activates people's reaction, Greta Thunberg famously said she wants people to act like their house is on fire. So that triggering of the fear in the amygdala to respond to such a crisis. That's what Al Gore was trying to do. What's the problem with the approach?

So there are certain types of people for whom the fear technique really will shake them into that reality. But what was happening, at least in my classes, which is where I was really thinking about, people are already coming in pretty scared. They're already coming in feeling really overwhelmed and powerless.

So there are certain types of people for whom the fear technique really will shake them into that reality. But what was happening, at least in my classes, which is where I was really thinking about, people are already coming in pretty scared. They're already coming in feeling really overwhelmed and powerless.

So there are certain types of people for whom the fear technique really will shake them into that reality. But what was happening, at least in my classes, which is where I was really thinking about, people are already coming in pretty scared. They're already coming in feeling really overwhelmed and powerless.

And so if I just give them more and more data about how bad things are, the effect is actually to amplify that inefficacy that they're feeling. Because I'm just presenting the problem as too big for them to solve.

And so if I just give them more and more data about how bad things are, the effect is actually to amplify that inefficacy that they're feeling. Because I'm just presenting the problem as too big for them to solve.

And so if I just give them more and more data about how bad things are, the effect is actually to amplify that inefficacy that they're feeling. Because I'm just presenting the problem as too big for them to solve.

Right. And we think that we're getting people more paying attention more if we present the problem as really, really big. That'll get their attention and maybe they'll finally stop doing what they're doing. But in fact, the scale of the problem being so big is what causes an efficacy, which then turns into less action.

Right. And we think that we're getting people more paying attention more if we present the problem as really, really big. That'll get their attention and maybe they'll finally stop doing what they're doing. But in fact, the scale of the problem being so big is what causes an efficacy, which then turns into less action.