Last year, approximately 6,000 people participated in an Ecumenical Carbon Fast, organized by the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ. As a response to increasing threats of climate change, the purpose of this program was to inspire individuals to lessen their “Carbon Footprint” through daily activities (e.g. turning off lights or replacing light-bulbs with CF’s, hanging out clothes rather than using an electric drier, turning off car engines at stop lights instead of idling, etc.). Fred’s group, which has been studying effective approaches to helping people change their habits in regard to climate change, undertook a small project designed to identify the salient factors that made the Carbon Fast effective (or not effective) for participants in regard to lasting behavioral change. Their research consisted of questionnaires distributed to volunteers from the Fast and follow-up interviews and focus groups to identify important themes and concepts. Taylor’s presentation explains the Carbon Fast program, discusses the psychological change theories on which their research is based (including Di Clemente and Proschaska’s Stages of Change theory, and Miller’s use of Motivational Interviewing) and discusses research findings, including examples of how individuals’ commitments to sustainable practices were affected by this program. Taylor then discusses the importance of this research as a basis for further scientific investigation toward understanding the relationship between values and actions, the process by which individuals make changes and the possible role of psychological theories and religious groups in supporting the work of climate change activists.

Scott Brophy: Predictable Irrationality - Beyond Climate Change Communication