Page - 299 - in Biodiversity and Health in the Face of Climate Change

299 negotiating process has finally created a nascent global response. Nevertheless, few people are so optimistic as to believe this response will allow techno-industrial soci- ety to continue unchanged or for the planet to return to its preindustrial climate. Even if the improbable happens (i.e. greenhouse gas emissions are immediately and entirely eliminated) there is enough warming baked into the system to disrupt the climate well into the next century. Apparently, the best to expect is eventually to stabilize the disruption that industrialisation caused. Scenarios that keep atmo- spheric CO2 concentration levels below 450  ppm by 2100 (essential for keeping global temperature rise below a barely tolerable 2°C) all require quickly initiating and then indefinitely sustaining reductions in emissions (IPCC 2014). Achieving stabilisation at that level requires reductions that are frankly brutal: 40–70% lower global emission by 2050, with higher percentages required from techno-industrial countries and near zero global emission levels by 2100. Never before have we con- templated making such a massive reduction and then to maintain, if not deepen, that reduction forever. The bleak nature of this new biophysical context is not easily contemplated. Thus, persuasively establishing its inevitability should only be done when serving a worthy purpose. The reason for stating this premise is the expectation that we will soon, one way or another, be consuming far fewer resources. The greater purpose in this chapter is to focus our efforts on discovering the conditions necessary to help citizens to pre-familiarise and pre-adapt themselves to this new reality before being forced to do so by biophysical circumstances. 13.3 New Behavioural Context During a historically brief period of material affluence, it has been possible to ignore the biophysical foundation of civilisation. Behavioural scientists could focus on improving physical, mental and social well-being while remaining ignorant of resource constraints. During this time conservation psychology developed effective interventions for promoting environmental stewardship (Clayton 2012; Hamann et  al. 2016) and responding to global climate change (Clayton et  al. 2015). Recently, however, it has been questioned whether a consumer-focused, fossil-fueled techno- industrial society can ever be made sustainable (Bardi 2011; De Young 2014; Monbiot 2015; Princen 2014; Princen et  al. 2002; Turner 2008, 2012). 13.3.1 A Predicament, Not a  Problem This new behavioural context cannot be framed as a problem, at least not in the common definition of that word. It is a predicament, an unsolvable situation that will play out over many decades, perhaps through this century and into the next. If it were a problem, we would seek a solution and by applying that solution we would 13 Supporting Behavioural Entrepreneurs: Using the  Biodiversity-Health Relationship…