A new study in Nature Climate Change explores the division between those who accept the science of climate change (termed "believers" in the study) and those who deny it ("skeptics").
The authors find that climate change arguments have become interwoven with socio-political identities and that simply explaining the facts is unlikely to convince the "skeptics" of anything (which is why they're more accurately called deniers). Oddly, the authors don't seem to mention the campaigns of fossil fuel-funded front groups intended to introduce doubt and polarize their core constituents against the so-called corrupt science.
The authors describe their work at The Conversation, mentioning that the conflict between skeptics and believers is similar to other social movements, like civil rights. They're also quoted in The Washington Post comparing the situation to things like gender and marriage equality campaigns. But these comparisons appear rather odd when you consider the lead author's later comment that "believers" shouldn't ridicule "skeptics." Is the implication that "believers" of racial equality should have been nicer to segregationists?
Finally, the authors suggest we should move forward by focusing on policies that everyone can support, like clean air, renewables, and energy efficiency. Of course, those who talk to a "skeptics" knows that this line of argument doesn't convince them of anything, and often does the opposite: it provides them with evidence that climate change is just an excuse to enact the liberal policy wish list.
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