Heat records, Forest fires. Lack of water. Climate change is making the extreme more extreme. But at the same time comes early spring, warm breezes and lovely summer days. Is it allowed to enjoy unusually nice weather? – This is definitely a debate that must be lifted, says Knut Ivar Karevold to NRK. He is one of three psychologists behind the Department of Climate Psychology. In the wake of another heat record, this time on Svalbard, the question arises: Is it okay to enjoy good weather, despite the fact that it comes from global warming? – Do you conjure? “Now it’s simply summery in Longyearbyen on Svalbard! The airport measures 12.7 degrees and it is warmer than it was at the airport last year. ⛱️?? »This is how the meteorologists conveyed the news about the warm temperatures in the north on Twitter: Not everyone agreed that this should be presented as good news. – Are there really meteorologists tweeting here? Do you conjure? squirt Torkil Vederhus, party secretary in the MDGs. To NRK, he elaborates on why he reacts. – It is probably most of all because I know what consequences it has on Svalbard that it is hot. Among other things, this has negative consequences in the form of the permafrost thawing. He responds that Meteorologists mark the record with parasols, glasses and ice. – As if it is something we should celebrate. I think many in Svalbard are worried about this development, and feel negative emotions when it is warmer than normal. In Norway, we are used to heat and sun being a positive thing, but Vederhus believes we, and the meteorologists, should reconsider how we reflect on summer heat. – It is not always a positive thing. We also see this in Oslo; we rejoice when it rains. I think meteorologists should adapt. Climate psychology should go up and down The Twitter thread related to the meteorologists’ “happy news” has been hot since the weekend. Many believe that the news about heat on Svalbard should not be presented as something positive. Psychologist Knut Ivar Karevold explains that the field of «climate psychology» has been researched in the last ten years, but that there is still much we do not know about how climate change affects how we think and react. For how should we relate to the fine days that may come as a result of climate change? Heat in the north allows you to wear sunglasses. But the polar bear probably does not rejoice as much. Photo: Adam Steer / Norwegian Polar Institute The answer to that is not simple. – For Svalbard, it is a two-part question; should they enjoy that it is hot summer days, or think that the polar bear is dying and that the ice is melting? – Elsewhere in the world, for example in parts of America where forests are burning down, it is easier to deal with thoughts about climate change. Karevold says there is not necessarily a simple answer to this question, but it is probably not wise to just feel ashamed. – Most people will probably feel better about themselves if they enjoy good days. The psychologist believes that we must learn to live with complex emotions around climate change. That is, we can feel different feelings about the same situation: – It will be common to feel joy over good weather, but at the same time sadness because the polar bear dies. GOOD TO FEEL MORE THINGS: Knut Ivar Karevold says we must accept that we can have both positive and negative feelings related to the same situation. Photo: CF Wesenberg He adds that we must also accept that others do not necessarily feel the same as us. – Some will think that it is going well, while others will experience it as negative. Torkil Vederhus in MDG agrees that there should be room for living in the present. – Those who live on Svalbard must live in the best way they can. But just cheering for heat records, I think they should drop there too. – Must treat them to ice cream Magne Velle is communications manager at the Meteorological Institute. He explains the background for the Twitter message: – On our Twitter account, we convey both weather and climate material. In this case, we provided a weather observation. It was a weather situation that caused hot air masses to be carried north from south and east of Scandinavia. We used the emojis, not to celebrate that it is getting warmer on Svalbard, but to illustrate a summery situation. Head of Communications Magne Velle at the Meteorological Institute. Photo: Iris Straume He adds that meteorologists are trying to have a light tone on Twitter. – Then the emojis are part of it. Then we understand that the use of emoijs is interpreted differently. – But we also see that people up there actually enjoy an ice cream when there are spring temperatures also on Svalbard. We have to treat them. But that does not mean that they do not take climate change seriously. Velle emphasizes that there is no doubt that the Norwegian Meteorological Institute is also concerned about climate change in the High North. – One of the most important research areas is precisely climate change there. We are often out in the media and inform about the large temperature increases in the Arctic, so I hope there is no doubt about what we think about the warming on Svalbard.
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Is it okay to enjoy hot summer days due to global warming? – NRK Nordland
