What do the public think is fair?

[mikepepler]

Interesting report from JRF, from Dec last year. Title is "Climate change and sustainable consumption: What do the public think is fair?"

It seems to be saying that people will do the ‘right thing’ simply because it’s the ’right thing’, providing:
- They understand why it is needed.
- Everyone is forced to do it for the common good, and those with more money have to cut to the same level as those with little.

There's a 4-page summary and 94-page full report:
www.jrf.org.uk/publications/climate-cha ... onsumption

[Aurora]

It seems to be saying that people will do the ‘right thing’ simply because it’s the ’right thing’

Don't hold your breath Mike.

[emordnilap]

The twin issues of climate change and unsustainable consumption exist/persist/intensify because our chosen economic paradigm abhors fairness.

Inequality. Sort that, I'll vote for you.

[mikepepler]

Don't hold your breath Mike.

I won't! But there's some interesting quotes in there relating to people accepting things that they don't like, because they can see the need, e.g.

Moderator: [Explains how a personal carbon allowance would work] Just talking through a system like that, what do you think? Does that horrify you? Or does that seem a sensible response?
Female 1: I like it …
Moderator: You like the policy?
Female 1: Well, I wouldn’t like doing it. I would have to make changes that I wouldn’t like, but I feel that it’s necessary and it seems fair to me.

(from p48 of full report)

It's probably worth mentioning that they deliberately excluded climate sceptic and green enthusiasts from the groups - so these were 'normal' people (if there is such a thing).

[emordnilap]

Just downloading the report. Thanks for the link, Mike.

But 94 pages...if anyone wants to print it for reading at leisure, the text is huge (11 point), with quite large inter-paragraph spacing, but with lines that are too wide for comfort...

I reckon it could be brought down to 60-ish pages and be just as readable in printed format. Moan, moan, moan.

[RenewableCandy]

11 point text is not huge.

[emordnilap]

11 point Helvetica is big in body text; for some, it's huge.

I'm talking printing here: it doesn't matter on a screen as you can zoom in and out.