“We know that the warming rising seas will swallow entire island nations that are about 25 percent of the UN vote and perhaps at the end, even our civilization. This realization is traumatic and the first reaction to trauma is denial. Since there is some remaining scientific uncertainty, a natural response is to deny that change is occurring. This is natural but it is very dangerous.” KnowsFirstsEndsNationsNaturalSeaDangerousCivilizationPercentVoteResponseDenyTraumaReactionsRealizationDenialUncertaintyIslandsRising Author:Graciela Chichilnisky
“While denial leads to certainty, it is only the certainty of death. This is true for individuals and also for civilizations.” IndividualCivilizationCertaintyDenialCertainty Of Death Author:Graciela Chichilnisky
“Political parties often take advantage of denial and fear in a moment of change. This is a well understood phenomenon that often leads to scapegoat-ism: blaming outsiders, such as immigrants, or racial and religious minorities. The phenomenon is behind Brexit and the violence in the political cycles in the US and EU.” WellsMomentsPoliticalReligiousPartyBehindsViolenceUnderstoodAdvantageBlameDenialMinoritiesImmigrantsCyclesPhenomenonOutsidersPolitical PartiesIsmsScapegoat Author:Graciela Chichilnisky
“The first reaction to trauma is denial, then comes anger and finally, acceptance. I think the US is still between denial and anger, and I hope we will reach acceptance because almost perversely, right now, only the US has the technology that is needed for global economic change.” ThinkingFirstsStillsTechnologyEconomicAcceptanceNeededRight NowTraumaReactionsDenialEconomic Change Author:Graciela Chichilnisky
