Climate Change
Misinformation and Denial
Arguing with Science
97 percent of climate scientists believe that climate change is occurring (Nuccitelli). All major science institutes and large scientific groups agree; humans are causing climate change (Lewandowsky). Yet even while science agrees, the public does not. Why then, if science has proven that humans are causing climate change, do so many people not believe that we are causing it? Even worse, some people still believe that climate change does not exist. Science says it exists, right? So why doesn't the public think the same?
Signs of Human-Caused Climate Change
Causes of Climate Change: Humans vs. Nature
Warming in Oceans vs. Land, Ice and Atmosphere
Why Would Someone Belive Climate Change doesn't Exist?
There are two main answers to this question. The first deals with why someone would't believe in climate change even if it is proven to exist. This is because people will reject an idea if it would negatively impact their life. Accepting that climate change is real could impact a person's life; if they didn't believe it existed, they wouldn't have to cut down on fuel emissions or such (Lewandowsky). An even bigger factor in this is that people's attitudes affect how they process information. If they are biased against it (highly likely, due to politics) they will often reject the idea.