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Self-interest not the only reason people will protect the environment, researchers find

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TORONTO -

Selfishness is a major stumbling block when it comes to convincing people to take action to fight climate change.

If they don't think the danger will affect them, the thinking goes, why should they lift one finger to help?

However, when researchers asked landowners in Montana why they were securing their garbage against bear intrusions, they found that protecting personal property was not the most frequent response.

CTV News Science and Technology Specialist Dan Riskin explains what was motivating the landowners, and what that can teach us about collective action, in this week's Riskin Report.

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