Invisible Threats: COVID-19 and Climate Change
Why does an invisible, life-threatening virus prompt a nationwide emergency, but invisible, life-threatening gases don’t? Experts have been emphasizing the dangers of unchecked climate change for years, underscoring the need for rapid, bold action early on to avoid the worst impacts. Now, health experts are pushing the same level of global mobilization to quell the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Why are humans wired to respond to some fears and emergencies more than others? Can the reaction to the coronavirus pandemic teach us anything about how humans respond to other invisible, worldwide threats?
Notes
This is an online program, presented free; donations are welcome and may be made during the registration process.
Peter Atwater
Adjunct Economics Lecturer, College of William & Mary
Susan Clayton
Psychology and Environmental Studies Professor, College of Wooster
Robert H. Frank
Author, Under the Influence: Putting Peer Pressure to Work; Economics and Management Professor, Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University
Greg Dalton
Founder and Host, Climate One
