Political parties often take advantage of denial and fear in a moment of change. This is a well understood phenomenon that often leads to scapegoat-ism: blaming outsiders, such as immigrants, or racial and religious minorities. The phenomenon is behind Brexit and the violence in the political cycles in the US and EU.
Graciela ChichilniskyWhile denial leads to certainty, it is only the certainty of death. This is true for individuals and also for civilizations.
Graciela ChichilniskyWe know that the warming rising seas will swallow entire island nations that are about 25 percent of the UN vote and perhaps at the end, even our civilization. This realization is traumatic and the first reaction to trauma is denial. Since there is some remaining scientific uncertainty, a natural response is to deny that change is occurring. This is natural but it is very dangerous.
Graciela ChichilniskyTechnology is a many-headed monster and perhaps it would be better to regress to a safer past and avoid technological change; it is tempting to think like that.
Graciela Chichilnisky