Even though the
evidence points to an unprecedented rate of human induced planetary
warming, not everyone is convinced(Credit:
kwest/Depositphotos)
We've noticed something here at New Atlas. We often see some
of the liveliest comments on the site whenever we post an
article relating to climate change. Many of those comments
have to do with whether or not the concept of rapid, human
induced climate change is indeed real or not. This got us
wondering why the topic garners so many naysayers when other
research-based findings in different areas of science on which
we report do not.
So, as part of our regular One Big Question series, we got in
touch with Edward Maibach, the director of the Center for
Climate Change Communication at George Mason University in
Virginia and we put this question to him:
Despite the scientific evidence, why do some people
react so vehemently against the idea that rapid, human induced
climate change is an actual phenomenon?
Here's what he had to say from his perspective in the
American socio-political arena. And please feel free to let us
know what you think in the comments below. We wouldn't have it
any other way.
About seven in 10 Americans
currently say they are convinced that climate change is
happening, two in 10 say they "don't know," and one in 10 firmly
dismiss the possibility. My colleagues and I call this latter
group the "Dismissive," because they emphatically oppose the
reality of human-caused climate change. The question is: Why?
There are at least several answers to this important
question. In short, they are: money, politics, deeply held
tendencies of human psychology and sociology, and strategic
communication. I'll elaborate briefly here.
Two decades ago, Democrats and Republicans had largely
similar views of climate change – although few Americans, then
as now, knew much about it. Since then – as the scientific proof
of harmful climate change has steadily accumulated –
a profound polarization slowly took place: nearly all
Democrats have become convinced, while many Republicans changed
their minds and no longer accept the premise.
Many factors contributed to this politicization of
climate change, including – and perhaps especially –
strategic
disinformation campaigns funded by the fossil fuel industry
(akin to the strategic disinformation campaigns perpetrated on
Americans for so many decades by the tobacco industry).
Merchants of Doubt
The endlessly repeated messages of the "merchants of
doubt" were distributed directly through paid advertising, and
indirectly by
conservative think tanks, partisan news media outlets
(especially
Fox News and the
Wall Street Journal), and some Republican elected officials.
The liberal establishment and environmental organizations were
largely ineffective in countering these messages; indeed their
efforts may have been counterproductive, inadvertently
reinforcing the notion that climate change was more about
(liberal) politics than science or human wellbeing.
The actions of these motivated actors found fertile
ground in the minds of ordinary Americans.
People – all of us, but especially those of us who hold
strong, often partisan, views – have a tendency to engage in "motivated
reasoning." We tend to seek out (or at least pay more
attention to) and agree with information that is consistent with
our worldview, and dismiss information that conflicts with our
worldview.
As economic and political actors repeatedly made simple,
powerful (factually incorrect) arguments against the reality
and/or seriousness of climate change, these arguments resonated
with the free-market world views of many Americans. In short,
climate change became a victim of
tribal thinking that was enabled by effective (and highly
destructive) strategic communication: simple clear messages,
repeated often, by a variety of trusted voices.
Although thankfully most Americans are convinced of the
reality – and to a lesser degree the seriousness – of climate
change, many Republican members of Congress and governors remain
unconvinced (at least in their public statements). While it may
not matter much if a small proportion of ordinary Americans
remain unconvinced, it matters a lot that so many of our elected
representatives are unwilling to see that it's in our nation's –
and our world's – best interest to embrace the clean energy
revolution that is our best hedge against serious climate
disruption.
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