Upstream | May 30, 2012 | 21 comments

Climate Change Doubt not due to ignorance of the science

source: http://www.enn.com/sustainability/article/44455?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_ca...

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coolplanet
A new study has dispelled the myth that the public are divided about climate change because they don't understand the science behind it.

And the Yale research published today reveals that if Americans knew more basic science and were more proficient in technical reasoning it would still result in a gap between public and scientific consensus.

Indeed, as members of the public become more science literate and numerate, the study found, individuals belonging to opposing cultural groups become even more divided on the risks that climate change poses.

Funded by the National Science Foundation, the study was conducted by researchers associated with the Cultural Cognition Project at Yale Law School and involved a nationally representative sample of 1500 U.S. adults.

"The aim of the study was to test two hypotheses," said Dan Kahan, Elizabeth K. Dollard Professor of Law and Professor of Psychology at Yale Law School and a member of the study team. "The first attributes political controversy over climate change to the public's limited ability to comprehend science, and the second, to opposing sets of cultural values.

The findings supported the second hypothesis and not the first," he said.

"Cultural cognition" is the term used to describe the process by which individuals' group values shape their perceptions of societal risks. It refers to the unconscious tendency of people to fit evidence of risk to positions that predominate in groups to which they belong.

The results of the study were consistent with previous studies that show that individuals with more egalitarian values disagree sharply with individuals who have more individualistic ones on the risks associated with nuclear power, gun possession, and the HPV vaccine for school girls.
  1. groups:
    Community,   News and Politics,   Green,   Culture,   7 more
  2. tags:
    Climate Change,  Denial,  National Science Foundation
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21 comments // Climate Change Doubt not due to ignorance of the science

  • Varex_Sythe
    • +5
      Varex_Sythe  

    • I want to make sure I understand this article so I am going to generalize what I think it is claiming in a potentially vulgar way.

      People who doubt climate science do not do so because they are ignorant to the science. They do so because they were raised driving pickups and cars that got shitty gas milage and had enough power to make them feel confident about their penis size, and as a result they are comfortable with things as they are and do not want there to be any change which would upset what they are use to.

      Is that essentially correct, or did I miss the point of the article completely?

    • 12 months ago
  • circlesquared
  • coolplanet
  • bailey78
  • bailey78
    • +5
      bailey78  

    • Things they are a changeing. What is the cause? Well thats a little bit of everything.Both Nature and Mankind are having a impact on the Planet. The real question is what if anything can be done. Has the damage already hit the point of fail and we have yet to see it?

    • 12 months ago
  • coolplanet
    • +1
      coolplanet  
    • bailey78:

      The scariest part is that the carbon we dump into the sky today takes about a decade to reach the upper atmosphere where it causes the problem. So we are just starting to feel the effects of our emissions from 2002.

    • 12 months ago
  • Incredulous
  • artemis6
  • circlesquared
  • MSII
  • fiberbundle
    • +5
      fiberbundle  

    • Climate change denial is like accepting pancreatic cancer. There's nothing you can do about it. Just make your final preparations. Its all part of God's plan.

      I wonder if the above sentiment isn't somehow embodied in the US tepid response to the data. Other countries seem more concerned.Is denial something cultural in the US?

    • 12 months ago
  • dugdog47
  • JanforGore
    • +7
      JanforGore  

    • As I've said before, political factions will be the downfall of our society. That is one reason why we have such a huge chasm in this country as well as economic, ideological and social. I truly believe there are also some of those denying this is happening or that man is part of this because globally its most pronounced effects are happening in developing countries with brownskinned/poor/indigenous people and they just don't want to help brownskinned people, or indigenous people, or poor people, or anyone who doesn't measure up to someone worthy of it. How many times I have seen comments on other venues regarding the extreme floods in Pakistan saying let the Muslims drown I couldn't even count. It is HATE not HUMANITY that rules this world now. So what else can we expect?

      They would rather see the climate system and all it supports collapse rather than admt this because they can't deal with their own prejudices and put them over the greater good for humanity as a whole. And as sea levels rise in Bangladesh and other places where people will need to move we will see more of this prejudice and hatred coming to the surface. Climate change will not only expose us for the arrogant people we are in thinking we do not affect the Earth but only have dominion over her, but it will also expose us for the truly inhumane creatures we have come to be.

    • 12 months ago
  • circlesquared
    • +3
      circlesquared  
    • JanforGore:

      I think the few discriminate against us all though Jan...we need to stop just participating for a check or because we fear a change in comfort. People need to be aware of what holds value...people and planet 2012 and beyond.

    • 12 months ago
  • Truthitswhatsfordinner
  • Incredulous
  • thedirtman
    • +5
      thedirtman  

    • I think I disagree with this interpretation of the study. Let's take this claim:

      'Indeed, as members of the public become more science literate and numerate, the study found, individuals belonging to opposing cultural groups become even more divided on the risks that climate change poses.'

      More educated conservatives were found to disagree more sharply with liberals. This was the basis for making the claim that more education does not change views on climate change. However, this interpretation of the study ignores that students who are more experienced in science tend to be liberals. Liberals tend to engage more frequently in experimentation and are more open to new views.

      So, while more education among conservatives would increase denialism initially, they will become more likely to adapt a liberal view of science in the longer course. Denialists with education tend to become skeptics - that is, they will admit to climate change but ignore the relative costs, or ignore the portion caused by mankind.

    • 12 months ago
  • coolplanet
    • +9
      coolplanet  

    • Perhaps not ignorance of science but definitely DENIAL of science.
      This is equally true for both the left and the right.
      We cite science only when it supports our agenda.

    • 12 months ago
  • coolplanet
  • coolplanet
  • MSII
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