Rather than designing a high-tech solution to try to combat climate change, a decision that would simply pollute the market with another idea that will not be adopted by individuals, I aim to solve the system in which information and these technologies are given to the public in an attempt to get them on board.

The constant barrage of bad news and statistics about our global consumption levels can disillusion some individuals. However, this information must be made available to the public as otherwise they mistrust government and again, their efforts are decreased.

There are hundreds of overwhelming intuitive solutions that if all used together, have a reasonably good chance of helping our struggle against climate change, ranging from technological products such as clear, film-like solar panels to low tech ideas like fertilizing crops with human excrement and urine.

However, whilst scientists, technologists and designers are producing a flourish of new and exciting approaches to our existing habits, the main problem is now not climate change but our own prevention of accepting these solutions with open arms, which if we would simply adopt, could potentially solve the global crisis.

After fully researching the causes for our current climate change crisis, I am now trying to understand why we as individuals, businesses and governments are not doing as much as we could to help combat the crisis. Is there a problem with the way in which information is received by the public, do the media need to change their approach, is legislation the answer? I will first find out why people are not adopting, and then try to solve it.

Governments and the public

Information exchange between governments and the public seems to be of great importance. It has been said that if the public feel that their government is not giving them all the facts, or the facts that were given were untrue, then mistrust would form and peoples effort to reduce carbon emissions would decrease.

However, it has also been said that if individuals are subject to a constant barrage of bad news and negativity, they will become disillusioned and feel they cannot simply help, which in turn decreases their effort.

So it seems that government's most important role, besides pushing for worldwide agreements to lower carbon emissions, is to keep its public in the loop, providing information in a way that feels we can fight climate change, and win.

Negativity breeds disillusionment, Positivity breeds enlightenment