The Dangers of Carbon Reduction Tunnel Vision

"Tunnel vision" is a double-edged sword. It can be a positive force, focusing attention and creating momentum to act. Vice President Gore shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with the IPCC when he helped focus the world’s attention on climate change and the urgent need to bring people and resources to bear on addressing the crisis. Nearly a decade later, we struggle to make Gore’s message heard: the enormity and complexity of the climate challenges facing us — facing our planet, our cultural and political systems, our legal regimes, our moral constructs — demand attention and action now. However, there exists a tension between the pressing need for action and the importance of making well-considered choices. Tunnel vision is a dangerous lens through which to view potential solutions to climate change. It is a form of selective attention which can lead to inadequate problem-formulation, partial solutions to complex problems, and unintended side effects. Tunnel vision as an approach to the multifaceted problem of climate change limits our strategies for mitigating and adapting to the warming of the planet and, ultimately, fosters additional problems.This paper speaks to the need to identify and consider the co-benefits and co-detriments (the side effects) of the climate change policies and projects we consider, particularly given the magnified impact of climate change and climate change policies on vulnerable populations.