Abstract
This paper explores the implications of digitally catalyzed expectations of immediacy - aka “digital dopamine” - on responses and action in support of the avoidance of slow onset disasters such as climate change related drought, ocean acidification, and environmental toxicity, through the lens of intertemporal choice. This framing highlights that many of the challenges in addressing slow onset disasters relate to both a lack of near-term rewards for foregoing current behaviors in favor of changes necessary for long term benefit, and a lack of evidence of impact, when changes are made. These are exacerbated by expectations of increased immediacy. The paper takes an interdisciplinary approach, and reviews the literature on technological compression of space and time (digital humanities) and intertemporal choice (economics and psychology), and then apply the findings to slow onset disasters (environmental humanities.) When considered together, the impact of intertemporal choice on slow onset disasters in a world of increased expectations of immediacy is acts as a barrier to necessary sacrifices today by effectively raising the discount(ing) rate, and lowering the relative cost of inaction. Since discount rates have a greater impact over longer terms, for slow onset issues the discounting of the future value of current sacrificial actions grows substantially. This has far-ranging implications for how to structure rhetoric/messaging, set policy, and select specific actions.
Presenters
David RochlinContinuing Lecturer and Executive Director, Haas School of Business, Goldman School of Public Policy, and Rausser College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley , California, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Climate, Immediacy, Intertemporal-Choice, Slow-Onset-Disaster, Environmental-Policy
