We don’t always act consistently when it comes to our environmental behavior. We might only use public transport and our bikes in our daily lives, just to hop on an airplane to go on holiday. In psychology, this phenomenon is called moral licensing, which is one example of behavioral spillover in the environmental domain.
COVID-19 is currently very present in most people’s lives. Even though some psychological theories suggest that we can only worry about a finite number of things, surveys indicate that worries about the pandemic have not simply replaced worries about the climate crisis.
Coffee cups, plastic bags or cigarette butts – most people know that littering is bad for the environment. Yet, many people seem to mindlessly dispose of their trash by simply throwing it away on the streets or in nature. Here’s how social norms can help to explain littering behavior.
Climate change – for many people, it remains a distant issue, since they notice little or nothing of it in their everyday lives, or because they are occupied with other worries. Here’s how climate change communication can help to engage the public and go from knowledge to action.
Curbing the world’s increasing appetite for meat is essential to mitigate the devastating effects of anthropogenic climate change. Here’s how nudging can help to encourage people to reduce their meat intake – without them even realizing.
A new phone, a new jacket and new shoes to match the new jacket. Do you know the feeling of wanting to buy stuff that you actually don´t need? Here is why our brains always desire to buy more and more.
Why do we call some animals pets and others dinner? How do many people eat meat despite finding animal suffering disturbing? Here’s what the ‘meat paradox’ can tell us about moral decision making.
Many people try their best to live a green lifestyle. We cycle more, eat plant-richer diets and use energy-efficient lightbulbs. Can we as individuals really make a difference though? Aren’t the big fossil fuel companies the real issue?
COVID-19 is no worse than the flu, climate change is a hoax and vaccines cause autism – from time to time, scientifically well-established results are rejected by many people. Here’s the science of why some people don't believe in science and of how misinformation spreads.
Studies suggest that there is an eco gender gap. Compared to women, men tend to litter more, recycle less and have a larger carbon footprint. In line with this, eco-friendly products are often specifically marketed towards women only. Does this mean that climate change is literally a man-made disaster?
