Hi Sarb, with regard to your comment about transformational change (and, yes, I did get the precipitate (or precipitation) pun) I think to an extent it depends on how directly it affects each individual. In my opinion, we often won't or don't make changes unless something directly affects us. As an example, with regard to flooding, I live on a hill that isn't particularly steep and the water from heavy rain runs off down the hill; it doesn't have a big impact on me. But if I was living at the bottom of the hill, I expect my view would be somewhat different.
I almost cut the pun, thinking it perhaps a little on the nose, but decided to keep it in. Yes, much of this is about personal impact. But in a country with one degree of separation, when such a large population base is affected, you'd hope that some impetus for action would be generated. Yet, even a short time after the Canterbury earthquakes, population preparedness to deal with the personal consequences of quakes fell back to longer-term norms after blipping up for a short period. It's going to take unpopular leadership to really move the dial on mitigation and force a wider cultural debate.
Hi Sarb, with regard to your comment about transformational change (and, yes, I did get the precipitate (or precipitation) pun) I think to an extent it depends on how directly it affects each individual. In my opinion, we often won't or don't make changes unless something directly affects us. As an example, with regard to flooding, I live on a hill that isn't particularly steep and the water from heavy rain runs off down the hill; it doesn't have a big impact on me. But if I was living at the bottom of the hill, I expect my view would be somewhat different.
I almost cut the pun, thinking it perhaps a little on the nose, but decided to keep it in. Yes, much of this is about personal impact. But in a country with one degree of separation, when such a large population base is affected, you'd hope that some impetus for action would be generated. Yet, even a short time after the Canterbury earthquakes, population preparedness to deal with the personal consequences of quakes fell back to longer-term norms after blipping up for a short period. It's going to take unpopular leadership to really move the dial on mitigation and force a wider cultural debate.