Climate Change Warning Labels on Gas Pump Nozzles by Our Horizon
Please find below the
Semi-Finalist Evaluation
Judges'' comments
Judge 1: This is a well worked out proposal and is being implemented in Canada by what appears to be a zealous and committed group. It is based on social psychological theory, noting the role of personal responsibility, awareness of negative consequences both to people and the environment. The weak link is there is no evidence that these warnings on gas pumps change behavior. There are no pilot tests that show gasoline consumption declining in a test case where these are used. Frankly I would be quite surprised if a test showed positive effects on behavior because there is no clear behavioral information on the warning. What is the car owner with a nearly empty gas tank supposed to do when he sees the warning—quit filling the tank and walk away? The situation—I have a car, I am late for work, I am about out of gas drives behavior much much more than fear arousals of possible (note how most of the warnings say “may”) impacts in the future. Note how the evidence of effectiveness of the fear appeals was not a reduction in smoking, but that other countries have adopted. All this shows is that policy makers and the public think that scaring people changes behavior. As decades of research in social psychology shows—it doesn’t work that way. Fear arousal produces denial. It is possible that looking at these warnings on pumps every week when they are engaged in the “wrong” behavior will stimulate defensive denial. This is another appealing proposal that is not likely to achieve its objectives. Just is we need science to monitor changes in the climate we must use science to test intuitively proposals. The key word here is test.
Judge 2: This is a very interesting proposal. The team make the case based on existing consumer 'cognitive' preparedness due to tobacco warnings. Even more powerful would be for the team to present some data on how effective these tobacco warnings have been. Do consumers pay attention or do they become desensitised? Even so this is an interesting concept and warrants more research.
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