What if everyone did something to slow climate change?

Make more beef-free meals. Compost food scraps. Replace a natural gas stove with an electric one.

These are all fairly simple ways people can help combat climate change in their own kitchens. Still, most Americans don't do it. Why?

Because it means changing lifelong habits. Because they believe it won't make a difference. Because they think their friends and neighbors aren't doing it.

Research shows that it is not easy to motivate people to curb their emissions, but some strategies do work, and experts are trying to identify the best ones.

Magnus Bergquist, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said widespread behavior transformation is difficult, as people often have contradictory goals. For example, changing habits or buying energy-efficient products, "can conflict with people's goals of seeking comfort, saving...