Why Do Americans Continue to Deny Climate Change?

[metta]

Why Do Americans Continue to Deny Climate Change?

 

[FPNY]

cuz we'll tell the climate when to change, the climate don't tell us.....mmmkay?

 

[Stardreamer]

The video is its own answer to the question, the tone right off is you Americans are greedy oil guzzlers who can't believe in science like us smart people. If you wish to win people over to changes that have to be made, you don't do it by preaching to them. Nothing is going to turn people away faster than telling them, you are stupid and that the world going to come to an end if you don't do what I say cause I'm smarter than you.

Some, not all but a good deal of it, of the Right Wing ideologues on 'global warming' developed in response to Left Wing ideologues who seized the issue (one of series of issues) to preach Americans about the evils of their standard of living and cries about doomsday if we didn't listen to them. I'm not talking about the average scientist here or moderate liberal, I'm talking about the folks who turned the issue into an almost religious dogma. The Right responded with an equal fervor. The result is an issue that is now hopelessly polarized.

 

[roadtripboy]

It's a north america thing...Stephen Harper in Canada doesn't believe in it either.

 

[Eagle653]

To say "Americans" anything is ludicrous and even he admits that it's only a minority of "Americans" who reject the science--science that is so clear. And, they are both wrong in the video--it's not just "America" who has segments of the population who reject this notion.

The whole video is about as dumb as are those with their head in the sand. Too bad you didn't post a more intelligent conversation about this.

 

[jackoroe]

It isn't science. Science doesn't rely on consensus. Global warming is scientifically a hypothesis and not even a theory.

 

[stevexxx]

personally, i'll be long gone before the environment is all fucked up so i really don't give a damn

 

[thermodynamics]

Because it doesn't hit them squarely in the face on a daily basis...yet.

Americans are good at dealing with concrete foes that you can actually see. Climate Change is a slow, abstract process.

 

[borg69unimatrix]

American's don't deny Global Warming... we're just not claiming responsibility for it. The earth has been around for longer then you can fathom... and during that time, it has been a giant ice ball, mostly deserts, humid and tropical, fiery masses of lava and ash...

... and it will be all those things again. Eventually.

Humans are so arrogant, they think they can control the world, and the weather. You're not that big, and you're not that important.

Don't believe me? Use Google Map, or Google Earth, in Satellite view. Go UP. How far up do you have to go before human existence doesn't even show at all?

Not far at all.

I'm not saying we couldn't do with more recycling, and cleaner air and water regulations. I'm saying if all humans disappeared, in less then 10,000 years (micro seconds in Earth Time) there would be nearly zero signs we were ever here.

Scientists also show that it's NOT JUST the Earth that is warming up... ALL the planets in our Solar System are! Do you really think our pollution is effecting those planets too?

 

[miken1999]

Human actually thinks they could change nature ??
Give me break.

 

[Ephemeral]

1) It's not like other problems. Climate change is like cancer. Other issues are like injuries. It's very easy to recognize when you have a cut or broken bone. Cancer is (usually) a slow process that can go easily unnoticed. People can overlook atypical weather as something that 'just happens' because weather can be unpredictable.

Like thermodynamics said, abnormal climate change isn't something you can show credible, concrete evidence of, like the economy or abortion rates. Someone can always say, "Well, that's normal." and possibly be right.

2) It's inconvenient and "inconvenient". Inconvenient because being green can be expensive. Solar panels are exorbinant and eco-cars are pricier. No one wants to give up their cars or change their lifestyle. To them they think, "If it's not broken, don't fix it."

It's "inconvenient" because it requires effort, however little. I've asked my roommate, friend, and father to all unplug electronics when they weren't using them and they all saw no point to it. Recycling is another load of trash to carry out. Being eco-friendly is another silly thing to worry about.

3) Even after evidence is shown and things are made convenient, people are apathetic. They don't care if recycling helps. They don't care if rainforests and potential medicines are being destroyed. They don't care that dramatic climate change can warp their lives. They all shrug or say, "I won't be affected by it." They simply do not care.

 

[JOHN B]

There is a difference between Climate Change, and global warming supposedly caused by one species. The Earths climate has gone thru many changes over it's eons. We occupy so little of the Earths surface in actuality, that there is no way we can really be affecting the climate of this gigantic planet in the long run.

 

[metta]

Floods, Droughts Are 'New Normal' Of Extreme U.S. Weather Fueled By Climate Change, Scientists Say


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/19/floods-droughts-extreme-weather-us_n_864046.html

 

[evanrick]

so the hottest recent years on record only happen to coincide with the earths natural "warming and cooling cycle"

talk about some serious denial.

 

[Sausy]

Climate change very likely is happening,and humans especially in industrial societies may very well have significantly contributed to it.But first thirty years ago it was global cooling being the rage doomsday scenario....then global warming of unprecented dimensions,followed by climate change,various extreme cycles of hot and cold weather,megastorms,etc.And the cure that the environmentalist left has pushed promises to make not even a noticeable dent in projected temperature raises,just tenths of a degree for trillions of dollars of investment by the end of the century.The problem is how if there is a serious,even critical threat to our planet what best do we move ahead to ameliorate it if we can't reverse it....the far left has the sky falling,the far right has their heads in the sand.When rational debate informs the public consciousness then maybe we'll get somewhere.But not now.

 

[tonyboy]

Holy Cow Metta.

No one denies climate change (Americans or other folk). Climate is always changing.
Back in the 70's I used to read news reports about the soon to be 'new ice age'.

Climate changes man.
But it's not mankind that causes the change.
Everyone knows that things are warming up in some parts of the world. Who could deny that? Who is trying to deny that?
Mankind is far too insignifiant to cause the great earth and the solar system to change its patterns.
Shit happens man. Simple as that.
Climate change is happening.. but it's not due to mankind.

 

[thermodynamics]

But it's not mankind that causes the change.
Mankind is far too insignifiant to cause the great earth and the solar system to change its patterns.
Climate change is happening.. but it's not due to mankind.

Oh, really?

Have a look... CO2 historical concentrations

Preindustrial concentrations were somewhere around 275ppm. 200 years later we're at 375ppm.

 

[MoltenRock III]

Because global warming denial is a religious idea, and given the USA is filled with bible beaters and other morons it makes perfect sense.

A Pew survey asked the following question: "Is there solid evidence the earth is warming?"

Unaffiliated with any church 58 %;
White mainline Protestants 48 %;
White, non-Hispanic Catholics 44 %;
Black Protestants 39 %;
White evangelical Protestants (Republicans) 34 %.

Also interesting was the result that 21 percent of all Americans, 18 percent of the unaffiliated, and 31 percent of white evangelicals said there was no global warming at all.

 

[barnbuddy]

it's like middle age cigarette smokers -

they like something a lot (cigarettes or cars, electric power)

and they don't feel any immediate dangers,

so they keep doing what makes them happy.



I think the phrase, "America's love affair with the automobile,"

is an accurate estimate of many americans' emotional investment with "the freedom of the open road."

and that emotion blinds many to the long term risk.

 

[Comrad]

.....The climents perfect here in California. Just because you guys have crappy weather--don't blame it on a climate change buddy. It is 72ish degrees with a very nice breeze and the world has yet to end today. Im happy.