Dr. Pete Lunn:

On the Senator's first question, which was on lived experience and messaging, she is completely right. What we know is that in any collective action problem, for people to along with it, to co-operate and to make some sacrifice for the public good, they have to not only believe that everyone else is doing it, they also have to see that the strategy that is being asked of them would work if everybody did it. People are living in apartment blocks where they have no other option to dry their clothes and their clothes are not going to dry indoors.

That kind of advice is not going to meet that requirement, so you are not going to get the collective action you need. This suggests a need for better, evidenced-based communication. It is important to understand that suggesting a strategy to people which they can see will not deliver the outcome asked for will backfire in terms of motivation. There is a load of behavioural science to show that. The Senator is right. We just have to improve the messaging and not do it, instead focusing on the things people can do and can see that if we all do, it makes a difference.