GLOBAL IMPACT OF THE UN IPCC REPORT "CLIMATE CHANGE 2007: THE PHYSICAL SCIENCE BASIS" ON PEOPLE'S STATE OF MIND
 

WORKING GROUP I OF T
HE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE (IPCC) ANNOUNCED IT ADOPTED THE SUMMARY FOR POLICYMAKERS OF VOLUME ONE OF "CLIMATE CHANGE 2007" IN PARIS ON 2-FEB-07.

WHAT WAS THE IMPACT OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT AND OTHER COMPETING EVENTS ON PEOPLE'S STATE OF MIND WORLDWIDE?

 

ANALYTICS

 

"Climates can change; many an inhabited land can become uninhabitable . . . from several causes. . . Our earth is probably an organic being; we creep about on this orange like small, scarcely noticeable insects, torment each other, and settle here and there . . . Certainly, the periods of nature are calculated with an eye to each other in regard to all species, so that when the earth can no longer warm and feed human beings, human beings will also have fulfilled their destiny on it."1

Johann Gottfried von Herder (1744-1803)

 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released four "Climate Change 2007" volumes: "The physical science basis" (February 07); "Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability" (April 07); "Mitigation of Climate Change" (May 07); and "The Synthesis Report" (November 07).2-3 The release of the first volume on 2-Feb-07 was not only a major scientific event, but also, a major political intervention.

On 12-Oct-07, the Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 to the IPCC and to Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Jr. "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change."4

This report enquires about the impact of the announcement on 2-Feb-07 of volume one of "Climate Change 2007" on people's state of mind around the world. Five Pre/Post time periods are considered: 2-Feb-07 (0:00 AM PT) ±1 day, ±7 days, ±30 days, ±90 days, and ±365 days.

People's State of Mind Immediately Prior to the Release of Volume One of "Climate Change"

The psychological state of mind of people during the 7-day time period prior to the release of volume one of "Climate Change 2007" was as follows:

The flawed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the subprime mortgage meltdown, the high concentration of wealth, the exorbitant wealth gap between the rich and the poor, the extreme volatility of markets, the super high economic uncertainty, the massive illegal migrations, the enormous government and personal debts, the large-scale bankruptcies and foreclosures, and the irrevocable evidence of global warming all conspired to produce GENERAL PAIN.

How could people be both in PAIN 100% of the time and HAPPY 25% of the time? The answer is simple:

  • People were IRRATIONALLY EXUBERANT 25.0% of the time.

How did people manage to remain IRRATIONALLY EXUBERANT 25% of the time. The answer again is simple:

  • "They were dazzled and overwhelmed by the false and deceptive buzz, glitter, sophistry, propaganda, and pleasures of the marketplace."5-6

People's State of Mind Pre/Post the Release of Volume One of "Climate Change"

During the 7 days Pre/Post the release of Volume One of "Climate Change 2007":

On the negative side:

The tables listed below summarize our key findings. Five Pre/Post periods are investigated: 2-Feb-07 (0:00 AM PT) ±1 day, ±7 days, ±30 days, ±90 days, and  ±365 days. The percent rank threshold for high awareness/high attention is set at 90%.

 

HIGH AWARENESS PRE/POST RELEASE OF "CLIMATE CHANGE"
-365 Days -90 Days -30 Days -7 Days -1 Day 2-Feb-07
(00:00 AM PT)
+1 Day +7 Days +30 Days +90 Days +365 Days
        100% Religion 0%        
      42.9%       71.4%      
    23.3%           53.3%    
  32.2%               55.6%  
51.2%                   60.3%
        100% Capitalism 0%        
42.9%       0%
        0% Money 100%        
0%       42.9%
20%           30%
31.1%               32.2%
34.8%                   31%
14.3%   Truth   42.9%
23.3%           30%
32.2%               31.1%
17%                   21.6%
23.3%     Justice     3.3%
25.6%               4.4%
18.9%                   7.4%

 

HIGH ATTENTION PRE/POST RELEASE OF "CLIMATE CHANGE"
-365 Days -90 Days -30 Days -7 Days -1 Day 2-Feb-07
(00:00 AM PT)
+1 Day +7 Days +30 Days +90 Days +365 Days
        100% Capitalism 100%        
42.9%       42.9%
        100% Technology 100%        
      42.9%       57.1%      
23.3%           30%
27.8%               18.9%
        100% Bankers 0%        
16.7%               14.4%
16.7%                   17.5%
13.3%     Money     23.3%
15.6%               22.2%
21.6%                   21.6%
40%     Arithmetic     23.3%
16.7%               21.1%
10.1%                   22.5%
0%   Truth   28.6%
23.3%           20%
23.3%               15.6%
28.6%   Law   0%
28.6%   Science   14.3%
23.3%     Justice     0%
22.2%               2.2%
16.7%     Deceit     23.3%
12.2%               12.2%
11.8%                   17.5%
20.5%         Free Trade         5.5%

 

EMOTIONS PRE/POST RELEASE OF "CLIMATE CHANGE"
-365 Days -90 Days -30 Days -7 Days -1 Day 2-Feb-07
(00:00 AM PT)
+1 Day +7 Days +30 Days +90 Days +365 Days
      25%   Happy   80%      
    39.1%           63.2%    
  63.8%               67.7%  
67.2%                   61%
0%   Hopeful   20%
21.7%               16.1%
11.8%                   8.7%
      75%   Unhappy   20%      
    60.9%           36.8%    
      50%   Angry   20%      
13%           21.1%
8.7%               12.9%
11.1%                   15.4%
30.4%     Confused     15.8%
17.4%               12.9%
25%   Troubled   0%
9.5%                   11.6%

 

FEELINGS PRE/POST RELEASE OF "CLIMATE CHANGE"
-365 Days -90 Days -30 Days -7 Days -1 Day 2-Feb-07
(00:00 AM PT)
+1 Day +7 Days +30 Days +90 Days +365 Days
      100%   Pain   55.6%      
    64.5%           66%    
  51.3%               54.1%  
50.3%                   57.5%
      87.5%   Entangled   33.3%      
    38.7%           31.9%    
  27.6%               27.6%  
26.3%                   28.1%
      12.5%   Hostile   22.2%      
    12.9%           21.3%    
  10.1%               14.3%  
13.9%                   18.6%
                     
      0%   Satisfied   33.3%      
    27.4%           31.9%    
  37%               39.8%  
40.5%                   36.9%
      0%   Optimistic   11.1%      
                     
  11.8%               6.1%  

 

IRRATIONAL EXUBERANCE/GLOOM PRE/POST RELEASE OF "CLIMATE CHANGE"
-365 Days -90 Days -30 Days -7 Days -1 Day 2-Feb-07
(00:00 AM PT)
+1 Day +7 Days +30 Days +90 Days +365 Days
      25%   Irrational Exuberance   35.6%      
    3.6%           29.1%    
  15.0%               21.8%  
17.4%                   18.5%
                     

 

Dr. Edward E. Ayoub
Toronto
March 3, 2008

 


1 Johann Gottfried von Herder (1744-1803). Philosophical Writings. Translated and Edited by Michael N. Forster. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Part V: Political Philosophy: Letters for the Advancement of Humanity (1793-7), at 419, http://www.macroknow.com/books/quotes/q-herder.htm.

2 IPCC adopts major assessment of climate change science. UN IPCC, Paris, France, 2-Feb-07, http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/press-releases/pr-02feburary2007.pdf.

3 Press conference for the release of the IPCC Synthesis Report. UN IPCC, Valencia, Spain, 17-Nov-07,  http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/press-releases/pr-17november2007.pdf.

4 The Nobel Peace Prize for 2007. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, Oslo, 12-Oct-07, http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2007/press.html.

5 Edward E. Ayoub. Bank-Induced Risks. Edward E. Ayoub, 1998. Toronto, ON: Macroknow Inc., 1998. See especially: Chapter 8: Supplementary Notes on the Overturning of Capitalism, http://brandnewlaw.com/bir/8.htm.

6 Edward E. Ayoub. World War III Against the Money Trust? Edward E. Ayoub, 1998. Toronto, ON: Macroknow Inc., 1998. See especially: Book II: The Dark Side of the Business Cycle, http://brandnewlaw.com/ww3/2-00-book-head.htm.