Professor Adam Aron argues that small personal actions are not enough to fight the climate crisis. Instead, we need strong local movements that push leaders to act. Research in psychology and social science should focus on what really helps people organize and take action. Climate change is only part of the problem—we are crossing many planetary limits. Still, the top priority is stopping global heating and preparing fairly for its effects.

About Adam Aron

Adam Aron is a professor of psychology at the University of California San Diego. He studies self-control and decision-making, and in recent years he has focused on the psychology of climate action. He is the author of The Climate Crisis: Science, Impacts, Policy, Psychology, Justice, Social Movements (Cambridge University Press, 2023) and is active in climate organizing in the U.S.