Environment/Climate Change
From Opinion Polarization to Climate Action: A Socio-Climate Framework for Continuous Opinions Athira Satheesh Kumar* Athira Satheesh Kumar Krešimir Josić Chris T Bauch Madhur Anand
We developed a coupled socio-climate model with continuous opinions on climate change to investigate the interaction between public opinion and the climate system. Conventional models typically classify opinions into binary categories. However, human decision-making is much more intricate. We aim to explore the interactions between opinions in social networks and climate systems in shaping collective actions. Our analysis suggests that resistance to behavior change, elevated mitigation costs, and reduced response to climate events can result in irreversible climate outcomes due to warming beyond 2°C. Motivating at least 50% of the population to embrace mitigative practices, along with lowering the mitigation costs and improving social learning, could limit emissions and halt warming. Significantly, our model underscores how increased individual responses to climate events accelerate the adoption of mitigative practices. The socio-climate model indicates that frequent unexpected changes can slow mitigation. These insights emphasize the potential of targeted policies to leverage social influence, reduce mitigation barriers, and encourage lifestyle changes favorable to our climate goals. Our model offers a valuable framework for designing more inclusive and impactful climate mitigation strategies by integrating social dynamics and climate feedback.