> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.opendemocracy.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# The dynamics of denial
- URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/18331/
- Published: 2005-04-19T17:04:26.000Z
- Updated: 2019-02-14T22:33:10.000Z
- Author: openDemocracy Supporters
- Tags: #en, #Migrated, #Import 2026-04-09 18:15

Tom Burke of E3G has spent years observing government, industry and others at close quarters. He defines "the dynamics of denial" like this:

*There isn’t a problem.*

*Well, there may be a problem, but we don’t know enough to do anything about it.*

*OK, there is a problem, but we still don’t know enough to do anything about it.*

*There is a problem, but it will cost too much to do anything about it.*

*There is a problem, but it will be cheaper to solve it later.*

*There is a problem, but someone else should do something about it first.*

*There is a problem, but the government should do something about it.*

*There is a problem, but we can’t do anything about it until everyone does something about it.*

*There is a problem but we need to form a partnership of government, business and the NGOs to do something about it.*

*There is a problem but it is too late to do anything about it.*

Caspar Henderson