Climate change is one of the most serious global threats: the latest IPCC reports warn of „severe, widespread and irreversible“ impacts if we do not act immediately. As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stressed, Ki-Moon: „"Time is not on our side"“. Paradoxically, however, in many societies there is a lack of a sense of immediate urgency. Although surveys show that a large majority of people take climate change seriously (e.g. 85–88% of Europeans support ambitious emission reduction targets), we often act as if the problem does not concern us personally. In the following sections, we will therefore examine the psychological barriers, social and economic causes of this indifference, show what the consequences of today's passivity are for children and future generations, and finally offer concrete steps to overcome this indifference.

Psychological mechanisms of unpreparedness

There are strong psychological reasons why people do not „see“ climate as an imminent threat. These include cognitive defense mechanisms and distorted risk perceptions. Key phenomena include:

• Future risks (future discounting): People naturally prefer immediate benefits to delaying solutions. The tendency of so-called future discounting means that many underestimate events in the distant future and do not pay them due attention. Decisions that should protect the planet in 50 years are therefore postponed until later, while we prioritize short-term interests.

• Normalization of the threat: Long-term threats are becoming the "norm" for us. Psychologists talk about normalization of deviation – when risky behavior does not immediately lead to disaster, people gain a false sense of security. Extreme summer waves or catastrophic floods are then perceived as unexpected exceptions rather than the logical consequence of increasing emissions.

• Repression (willful ignorance): Climate information evokes anxiety, guilt, or helplessness. To avoid unpleasant emotions, many people consciously ignore or do not seek out news about climate change. Such displacement serves as psychological protection – „not knowing“ means not feeling more threatened.

• Cognitive distortions: Our brains react more strongly to immediate danger than to slowly developing threats. We also suffer from loss aversion (we value what we have now more than the promise of a distant benefit) and an optimistic bias, which leads us to subconsciously assume that negative consequences may not affect us until later, or not at all. Furthermore, we tend to confirm our pre-existing beliefs – if that is why we are not living environmentally flawlessly, we look for reasons to think less black and white, which helps to justify our current lifestyle.

Social and economic factors

Climate indifference is also conditioned by the social background – from culture to politics to the media:

• Consumer culture and corporations: In developed societies, there is a cult of „more consumption“ and constant growth. In campaigns, companies often shift responsibility for emissions onto individual consumers – they call on us to „vote with our wallets“ and emphasize simple ecological saving advice (recycle, cook with a lid on, etc.). At the same time, they present themselves as „eco-friendly“, while in reality the largest part of emissions is produced by large corporations (71 % of emissions over the past decades are attributable to just the 100 largest producers). Moreover, the popular „culture of new and cheap“ (subliminally promoted by the advertising industry and the planned morality of products) motivates people to spend more and more, instead of saving or repairing old ones.

• Political myopia: Political decisions are tied to election cycles and immediate social pressures. A leader prefers a decision that will bring profit during his term in office rather than bear the costs, the fruits of which will be felt only by future generations. A combination of political ambition and the natural inclination of society discount future leads to the postponement of demanding climate reforms. This is also facilitated by the mechanism of avoiding responsibility - politicians are reluctant to push through unpopular measures if they fear that this will weaken their support or position. Paradoxically, surveys show that the public would mostly support these measures (e.g. 78% of respondents worldwide agree with limiting emissions and 51% say they are already feeling the negative impacts of climate change).

• Media distortion and disinformation: Climate information is often lost in a lot of manipulation. Traditional media tends to create false balance – they give space to skeptics and conspiracies on an equal footing with scientists, thereby conditioning the public to believe that the scientific consensus is uncertain. Moreover, new media and social networks algorithmically promote content that arouses strong emotions (anger, fear), which allows climate disinformers to quickly spread false news and conspiracy theories. According to the Eurobarometer, this has led to 49% of Europeans finding it difficult to distinguish reliable climate information from fake news, and 52% of Europeans thinking that their domestic media do not provide clear enough information on climate.

• Lack of awareness: Climate education strategies are far from reaching all groups. For example, a recent survey by the European Investment Bank showed that in Slovakia, older generations (50+) have significantly more knowledge about the causes, consequences and solutions of climate change than younger generations. Overall, Slovaks – like other Europeans – are often unaware of simple measures (e.g. 87% of respondents did not know that reducing the maximum speed limit on roads helps reduce emissions). These gaps in basic knowledge also contribute to indecision and scepticism.

Impacts on children and future generations

Today's passivity will cost us and our children in the future. Climate models and studies remind us that without decisive action, the generation of today's children will face much harsher conditions than we do. Among the most serious consequences are:

• Extreme weather: The IPCC warns that a child born in 2020 (under 10 years of age) will experience almost four times as many extreme events (heat waves, floods, etc.) by 2100 at a warming of +1.5 °C and up to five times as many at +3 °C, compared to the normal variant. The risk of heat stress for residents (e.g. deterioration of health when working outdoors) will increase with increasing temperature: for Europe, at +3 °C this would mean a 2-3-fold increase in the number of people at risk compared to +1.5 °C. Already today, according to UNICEF, one in two European children faces 4-5 heat waves per year in the summer – this may increase as temperature extremes become more frequent. Changes in water will also increase: extensive flooding damages homes and schools, and in cities the risk of damaged infrastructure collapsing increases.

• Health and environment: Children are particularly vulnerable to climate change. High temperatures lead to a greater risk of dehydration, heatstroke or burnout (both physical and mental) and asthma problems. For example, in 2018, 52 children in Britain died from heat injuries. Increased temperatures and droughts also worsen air quality and reduce food yields, which leads to chronic malnutrition. According to the IPCC, climate impacts may cause hundreds of millions of new malnourished people in the poorest countries by 2050 (e.g. at +2.1 °C up to 1.4 million more children with severe stunting). Lack of nutrition, in turn, slows down a child's growth and mental development and reduces their ability to learn. Experts are already warning that extreme temperatures lead to a deterioration in the cognitive abilities of young children - children exposed to above-average warm days achieve lower results in reading and numeracy.

• Education and development: Worsened living conditions will affect school performance and future job prospects. Chronic heat and hunger erode the ability to concentrate, while frequent disasters interrupt the school year (floods and fires close schools). The IPCC directly states that climate change could „undermine children’s school performance and their chances of getting good jobs in the future.“ This means that today’s teenagers and children may have worse educations and lower earnings as adults simply because they are growing up in a warming world.

• Migration and conflicts: The increasing frequency of extremes is creating a new wave of displacement. By mid-century, tens of millions of people could be affected by flooding – the IPCC estimates that billions of people living in low-lying coastal areas will be at risk of flooding and will have to move by 2100. This is accompanied by demographic pressures and potential social conflict. As children leave their families to face hurricanes or droughts, they lose the stability of their homes and access to education. According to the IPCC, climate change is leading to an increased number of climate refugees, increasing poverty and deepening inequalities. Future generations may therefore face not only natural disasters, but also social consequences – mass migration and the breakdown of communities.

How to Break Indifference – Calls to Action

Change starts with us and the way we think and act about climate. The following steps can help break the current indifference:

• Education and media literacy: Let's strengthen climate education and recognition of disinformation. According to Eurobarometer, up to half of Europeans cannot easily distinguish reliable information from climate hoaxes on the internet. That is why it is important to spread verified knowledge - in families, schools and communities. Let's use factual sources (e.g. IPCC reports, EEA, WHO studies) and critically consider media sensationalism.

• Political and civic engagement: Demand stronger climate targets and longer-term solutions from leaders. Engage in elections and public debates – this signals that climate priorities are in the public interest. Break political myopia with voter pressure: if the largest part of citizens (e.g. 85% of Europeans) consider climate a serious problem, politicians will be forced to defend this agenda.

• Active participation and solidarity: Let's support environmental initiatives and movements (e.g. Fridays for Future, youth organizations, community events). The collective voice of the public can change moods. The IPCC reminds us that the wave of increasing awareness is mainly caused by youth and civil society movements. When we join their work, we show that our generation takes the issue seriously.

• Lifestyle change: Small everyday steps have a cumulative effect. Let's reduce energy consumption (energy-saving light bulbs, insulation), reduce food and plastic waste, transport more environmentally friendly (public transport, cycling, electromobility), enjoy more plant-based diets. While these measures alone will not achieve a climate revolution, in combination with the above steps they help create a new norm and reduce our own carbon footprint.

Finally, change of mind is key: each of us must take climate impacts into account when making decisions (whether we buy a car, choose our eating habits, or vote in local elections). The IPCC emphasizes that we can significantly mitigate the risks of climate change if now We will take decisive action – we have the knowledge and the tools to do so. Our generation faces a choice: either we ignore the warnings and jeopardize the future of our children, or we start making decisions with climate justice at the forefront. As the IPCC said, the opportunities are there – and it is up to us to seize them for a better future for all. JRi&CO2AI 

Sources: In the article, we drew on expert papers and reports (e.g. IPCC reports, EIB and EUROBAROMETER surveys, or climate psychology analyses). These sources confirm that even though the climate crisis is already "hurting us," we can avert its worst impacts - all we need to do is start acting together and decisively.