Moving past climate denial
Deniers feel that the impacts of climate breakdown don't matter, but the solutions pose an imminent threat, new research shows.

http://theecologist.org/2019/may/20/moving-past-climate-denial
Date Written:  2019-05-20
Publisher:  The Ecologist
Year Published:  2019
Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX23674

Katharine Hayhoe, a climate researcher and political science professor argues that it's more productive to show climate change skeptics that solutions are beneficial to them rather than trying to make them believe in the science of climate change.

Abstract: 
--

Excerpt:

Katharine Hayhoe, a prominent Canadian climate researcher and political science professor, based in Texas, argues that the crux of winning people over on climate change is not so much about battling with climate science deniers as it is about overcoming a wide aversion to perceived solutions....

"We are told that tackling climate breakdown will allow China to destroy the United States' technological capacity and leadership, which frankly they are already doing in the clean energy sector.

"We are told these things and we are also told we can only fix climate breakdown if we stop having any children, if we never travel again, if we all go vegan, and a whole host of things which, for many people, are not acceptable.

"Our threat meter is unbalanced, we feel that the impacts don't matter, but the solutions pose an imminent threat. And that is what drives our rejection of the problem."