This guest post comes from scientist rb137.
Many of us are disappointed about the results coming from COP15, and we’re concerned that the world isn’t addressing climate change fast enough. We’re afraid that by the time we get enough people on board it will be too late.
One of the problems we face is that climate change policy isn’t negotiable like other issues, where opposing interests meet at a negotiating table, and a compromise still works to the benefit of both. Climate change is a case were we need all of the forest, but sitting at a negotiating tables leaves us beholden to compromise — we are left with only some of the trees or none at all. We must return to the tables again and again. But we’re making progress, and if we keep fighting we will continue to move forward. Each baby step is a success that will take us to the next.
If we will continue toward the hard stuff like reducing carbon emission to 350ppm, we have to talk with people outside the blogosphere. This is our family, our friends, and our neighbors — particularly the ones who haven’t warmed up to climate change…
Civil conversation can go a long way toward breaking resistance to the reform we desperately need. Entrenched interests are fighting with no holds barred to spread a belief that global warming is a hoax — and one of our problems is that we don’t have media outlets that compare. But their belief system is nothing without masses supporting it, so we are well ahead of ourselves to talk nicely and respectfully about our reasons with people who disagree with us.
An aside about belief vs. science.
- In a belief system, nothing falsifiable is valid. If it can be proved wrong, we dismiss it as a false belief structure.
- For something to be scientific, it must be testable. We cannot test something unless it is possible to prove it wrong. In a scientific system, only that which is falsifiable is valid.
The above is the root to the intractible between science and belief. One holds the other to its own standard of verification — a standard that invalidates the other by definition.
It is not stupid to have a belief. It is simply incorrect to hold science to a standard of belief. We will get nowhere in conquering disbelief in climate change until we get a handle on the difference between the two.
We cannot simply repeat scientific facts and expect that to dissuade denial-leaning people. In their eyes, we are just blowing hot air with a lot of invalid information. We have to get denial followers to question the belief system itself. Most of the people who hold those beliefs are fully capable to figuring out that they’ve been duped once they begin to look.
I suggest you start by politely asking them direct questions about why they believe what they do.
Fox has its loyal viewers trained to ridicule on command. Like Pavlov’s dogs, they respond to what Rupert Murdock doesn’t like just as soon as Hannity or Beck ring the bell and start goading. “Liberal” is an epithet that means “anything I do not like” to the right wing. And media outlets like Fox News make sure that their discourse has a nasty, attacking edge to trigger the gut and get people responding viscerally. Folks feel powerful when they stand with a mob and excoriate an identifiable other. If people are using their energy ridiculing and laughing at liberals, they won’t spend much time thinking about substance.
In spite of the propoganda and the crazy base, the overwhelming majority of people who take in Fox memes are not stupid. Fox delivers information in a way that discourages people from thinking deeply when they hear it — and most take it at face value. People are overwrought with making ends meet, and are beside themselves with troubles. Their teenagers are in trouble. They just had a huge fight with their spouse, or their boss is threatening their job. Maybe someone they love is sick and there are too few resources to help. Many people are too overwhelmed to research the news. Some avoid news because they want to relax at the end of the day. MSM packages events and summarizes them quickly, and folks pick it up between fixing dinner and helping the kids with homework.
Such is how television stole the heads of a nation.
Most people are not information junkies …
They are not on board with understanding climate change and the need for action because they are misinformed or have only part of the story. Even if they’ve picked up some resistance to the idea of climate change, they will think about what you politely tell them if you are respectful. Most people do not want to be misinformed.
If every one of us patiently presents our ideas to friends and family over the holidays, we will make a significant impact.
And remember that we are asking a lot of people in terms of effort. It’s human nature to resist change until real discomfort kicks in, and we are asking people to change their behavior when most of them do not observe direct discomfort related to warming. And the right wing media is telling people what they desperately want to hear.
If we are polite about this and we are genuine about holding to fact — we have two key advantages over Fox News. The deniers have nothing if they don’t have public support.
A happy holiday season to all. May we have peace in the new year.