How to Change a Climate Skeptic’s Mind
The Nature Conservancy's Cool Green Science blog covers a new approach to talking with skeptics about the science of climate change. Author Evan Girvetz promotes SkepticalScience.com, a site which includes the top assertions made by skeptics on climate, matched with recommended rebuttals conveying the facts on climate. Smartphone and Twitter options are also available, enabling people to submit a climate-skeptical statement, then receive the appropriate rebuttal fact with links to additional supporting facts. While ecoAmerica research shows the importance of engaging Americans on values, moving beyond the debate, and avoiding scientific arguments, the straightforward approach to conveying climate facts by SkepticalScience and their use of new media is a communication model worth monitoring.
Posted on The Nature Conservancy's Cool Green Science blog
February 8, 2011
New Ways to Convince a Climate Skeptic's Mind
by Evan Girvetz
Having just ended the warmest year and warmest decade on record, where 97% of climate change scientists believe humans are causing this warming, it is perplexing that barely a majority of the U.S. public think humans are responsible for climate change.
The science is very strong and extensive in showing that carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping greenhouse gasses are warming our planet at an extremely fast rate. A National Academy of Sciences report by leading climate scientists states clearly that “climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities and poses significant risks for — and in many cases is already affecting — a broad range of human and natural systems.”
So, why does the public not see eye-to-eye with scientists about climate change? One reason is that there is a loud community of “climate change skeptics” who make arguments for why humans are not responsible for climate change. As a scientist, I appreciate skepticism to ensure we are getting the best science possible. However, much of the climate skepticism out there that the public hears seems to me to be rooted in misinformation and arguments to mislead and confuse the public about climate science.
There is a growing community of scientists who are trying to better communicate to the public to clearly explain why they are confident in climate change science. One website, SkepticalScience.com, has created great resources that explain in simple terms what the best science says about many of the climate skeptic arguments.
SkepticalScience.com provides one-line answers to 141 climate skeptic arguments as well as deeper examinations with different levels of scientific detail — basic, intermediate, advanced — depending on how far someone wants to dive into the science. Below are the top 5 climate skeptic arguments as outlined by the site, as well as what scientists say in response. You can click on the one-line answers to go deeper into the science.
|Skeptic Argument vs||What the Science Says|
|“It’s the sun”||In the last 35 years of global warming, sun and climate have been going in opposite directions|
|“Climate’s changed before”||Climate reacts to whatever forces it to change at the time; humans are now the dominant forcing.|
|“There is no consensus”||97% of climate experts agree humans are causing global warming.|
|“It’s cooling”||The last decade 2000-2009 was the hottest on record.|
|“Models are unreliable”||Models successfully reproduce temperatures since 1900 globally, by land, in the air and the ocean.|
Mobile phone applications are being developed that bring climate science to the hands of people all over the world. SkepticalScience.com has free mobile phone applications for iPhone, Android and other phones that allow you to quickly access what peer-reviewed science says about skeptic arguments, view climate change science maps and graphs, and report skeptic arguments you’ve encountered.
And Climate Central has reviewed 10 mobile phone applications that range from providing answers to climate science questions, to allowing you to analyze climate change data-on-the fly.
There are also some very informative and easy to read short books recently released that provide explanations of climate science that are understandable to the general public. Here are a few:
- Climate Central and Sally Ride Science recently produced a short book titled What You Need to Know: Twenty Questions and Answers About Climate Change that you can download or buy a hard copy of.
- Skeptical Science website recently released a short book titled The Scientific Guide to Global Warming Skepticism.
- For more science that is still accessible to the general public, the “Climate Change Compendium 2009” produced by the United Nations Environment Program provides a good overview of the state of climate change science.
- And to dive deeper into the science, see the America’s Climate Choices website (AmericasClimateChoices.org) and related publications produced by the United States National Academy of Science.
In just the past year or two a lot of good climate science has become much more accessible to the general public. I think the general public is smart enough to understand the basics of good climate science, and this is a good first step toward getting the public to see eye-to-eye with climate change scientists.
The bottom line is that scientists are very confident climate change is occurring, and feel strongly that action is needed immediately to limit the impact to people and nature. Before you know it, climate change could be impacting your backyard — and may already be. Let’s all get informed and help inform others about good climate science.