Climate change is arguably the greatest threat facing humankind in the 21stcentury. Although many scientists have warned of the environmental dangers which lie ahead, few people have adapted their behaviour to be more ecologically friendly. In this essay I will explore the primary reason for this reluctance to change, and suggest two possible solutions.

Perhaps the main reason why most members of society have not listened to the warnings of the scientific community and changed their behaviour is because they have more immediate problems to worry about. When the average citizens wake up in the morning, their thoughts are about feeding their children, going to work, or cleaning their houses. Some vague threat of climate catastrophe which may or may not happen at some undetermined point in the future does not have enough immediate relevance to our daily lives, and so we ignore it. To solve this problem, governments and municipalities should create legislation to enforce a change in social behaviour. This legislation should be supported by strict and meaningful penalties. The effect of this would be to make the problem more immediate. If we know that we will be fined for not separating our recyclable rubbish, then we will give priority to this behaviour, because we know that it will affect us in the short term. Alternatively, the legislation could have a more positive sense to it, and the authorities could offer incentives and benefits to those who practise eco-friendly behaviour. To conclude, I feel that people continue to damage the environment, even though they know that they should, not because climate change is a long-term problem and the average citizen has more pressing issues to worry about. By enacting legislation which brings climate problems in their daily lives, whether through penalties or incentives, the authorities would ensure that people adopt a more eco-friendly lifestyle.