OPINION LETTERS

摘要

The loss aversion that dogs our ability to deal with climate change as George Marshall describes (16 August, p 24) is documented by Dan Ariely in the book Predictably Irrational. Ariely shows that students who are given free rein over when to submit work generally do worse than those given deadlines spaced throughout the semester, because they prioritise other work until the last minute. Approaching climate change in the same way will only end in disaster. Due to the inherently slow response of the climate system, mitigation strategies will take tens to hundreds of years to have any effect, something that is often overlooked. However, Ariely also shows that those given the opportunity to set their own deadlines are proactive in meeting them.