Irish Examiner view: Campaigns to change minds over matters

We must ensure that Covid and climate change and economic need don’t become jumbled together

German Health Minister Jens Spahn delivered the North-Rhine Westphalian version of “scaring the bejaysus” out of people when he warned darkly that his fellow countrymen and women would be

When the German health minister Jens Spahn warned darkly that his fellow countrymen and women would be
“vaccinated, cured, or dead” by the end of this winter, he was delivering the North-Rhine Westphalian version of “scaring the bejaysus” out of people.

Or to put it another, less brutal way, attempting to win hearts and minds to affect a change of behaviour.

There’s a lot of this going on at the moment in countries that are worried about the resurgence of Covid-19, or climate change, or economic stability. In other words, all of us. And for anyone who tends to favour the branch of behavioural psychology which holds that people ultimately only ever act in their own self-interest, then putting the frighteners on can be a useful starting point.

New research shows that 57% of Irish people say they will reduce the number of friends and acquaintances and wider family they meet between now and Christmas, while 45% will scrap plans altogether.

Covid compliance

Data, produced by Amárach and published by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet), also shows increased compliance with the digital Covid certificate, already high, but up a few more percentage points to 85%.

Nphet is due to meet again tomorrow, with briefings suggesting there may need to be a “fuller response” to support particular sectors of the economy.

That’s a shorthand warning for the catering and entertainment sectors.

But it’s not just in terms of Covid precautions that the mood music is increasing in volume to accompany very significant shifts in public behaviour and attitudes.

Solid fuel

The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) says the burning of solid fuel in villages, towns, and cities, particularly outside Dublin, is the biggest contributor to poor air quality which is responsible for an estimated 1,300 premature deaths per year. EPA monitoring systems showed four of Ireland’s five worst areas for air quality last week were in Munster.

The Centre for Research into Atmospheric Chemistry (CRAC) at University College Cork advises people to avoid evening walks in areas experiencing levels of pollution.

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John Sodeau, professor emeritus of chemistry at UCC, said such advice would apply if the smell and sight of smoke were obvious in localised areas.

He said: “Irish people have an emotional attachment to the cosy fire, it is deeply embedded in the culture. It will be a challenge to break that bond, but it must be done if the air quality in our towns and villages is to improve.”

Although many people now wear masks without a second thought, something which would have been regarded as gruesome and dehumanising two years ago, we are not yet at the stage where we have to don a filtration system for an autumnal stroll.

We will leave that to the plots of Star Wars, Blade Runner, and Dune for now.

Meat-heavy diets

Meanwhile, research from the University of Leeds in Yorkshire has concluded that the meat-heavy diets favoured by men cause 40% more climate emissions than those enjoyed by women and that 25% of diet-related emissions are from “optional” (their words) food and drinks, such as coffee, alcohol, and cake.

Earlier this week, our journalist Sean Murray speculated whether there is an underlying long-term move away from car ownership in Ireland despite car journey volumes reaching 90% of their pre-Covid levels while public transport bus and train have barely reached two-thirds of the number of passenger journeys before the pandemic.

While working from home may have had an impact on that, it is clear also that universal trust in sharing a community space with strangers for what may be prolonged periods has not been fully regained.

Car ownership

According to Eurostat, Ireland has 454 passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants. This compares to 482 in France, 519 in Spain, 574 in Germany, and 663 in Italy. But we can expect much more carrot and stick to encourage us to give up our cars in this decade.

Even in Kerry, locals are being told that they need to make a “cultural shift” to living in apartments after nearly four dozen offers of social housing have been turned down, with applicants opting instead to remain in the private rental market. Reasons cited include a lack of room for a pet, “feeling claustrophobic” in an apartment, or the absence of a garden.

In a time of volatility, we can expect sustained pressure to make alterations to the way we live. But we need also to ensure that Covid and climate change and economic need don’t become jumbled together in a portmanteau justification for change, as may already be happening.