Project+Work

Since the initial outline for my 8802 Project, I have researched and revised the scope of the report, and changed the name to, I hope, more accurately reflect its content and general direction.

REVISED PROJECT STRUCTURE - 27 September 2012

 Working title:

**Climate change is dangerous to your health ** An examination of significant human health hazards and societal transition from ignorance to widespread acceptance and action.

Summary: Despite significant science suggesting otherwise, there remains fierce opposition to the proposition that human activity is altering our climate, resulting in increasingly dangerous conditions for human survival. Why does this opposition persist? What will it take for an overriding majority of humans to accept climate change is being propelled by anthropogenic activity? At what point will we collectively agree to take action to attempt to mitigate the damage caused?

This report attempts to understand the human process from ignorance to suspicion, research, evidence, denial and finally acceptance and action, by examining three other significant challenges to human health. Each was initially considered benign, before suspicion about ill effects lead to research and findings that demonstrated a clear connection between the cause and a negative effect on human health. While none of these examples challenge human survival on anywhere near the same scale as climate change, this analysis hopes to offer relevant insights into the journey we are currently taking on this most pressing human issue.

The three case studies will be:

Smoking Asbestos DDT

For each, I will: 
 * Briefly explore their history and interaction with human beings
 * Map the evolution of suspicion about its negative effects on human health/survival
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Map the evolution of science supporting this suspicion
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Consider opposition (and motivation for such opposition) to the acceptance of this science
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Observe the ‘tipping point’ - where widespread acceptance of its negative effects instigates action to prevent/reduce further negative impacts