The Psychology of Denial

My talk today is on the "Psychology of Denial". There's a lot of denial happening lately, especially as State and Commonwealth elections loom.
I begin by asking the question "Why do people deny the blindingly obvious? Why do we, our governments, corporations - large and small - avoid the hard decisions by resorting to denial. We all do it! I refer to Denial and the use of  conspiracy theories as lazy ways to face up to the realities of global warming, climate change and species extinction. It's easier to deny - to claim that the evidence is a lie or a conspiracy! We are counting the cost of Denial in unprecedented bushfires and flooding events and the consequential rise of zoonotic diseases as natural environmental systems break down due to human over-population and over-exploitation.
I also look to the causes of Denial by describing the phenomenon of Cognitive Dissonance. The term was first used in the classic 1957 study in Social Psychology by the American Psychologist, Leon Festinger - "When Prophecy Fails". If we're really honest with ourselves, we all have cognitive dissonance and denial. It's located somewhere near our "Achilles Heel" - wherever we are at our most vulnerable. Cognitive dissonance occurs when our beliefs and actions aren't supported by the evidence - and especially by the science.  I also despair over the loss of "One Vote - One Value" within the Commonwealth of Australia, one of the world's oldest democracies - now more accurately described as "The Corporate-wealth of Australia". Large corporations and land and property developers buy political favours with donations such as 'platinum memberships' and political donations. Governments are weakening - rather than strengthening ICAC protections against political corruption. I also refer to The Red Flag Act (1865-1896) of the Westminster Parliament to explain political procrastination and stone-walling on many urgent environmental issues where we've already reached the tipping point for species extinction. It will include Us! There is no Planet B!
If you decide not to listen to this, you may be in denial and will become part of the problem! Let's all be part of the solution!