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I think you'd be surprised - I don't have any numbers off the top of my head, but at my work there are at least 1 or two people on my team who don't believe in

by vzidex 7y ago

I think you'd be surprised - I don't have any numbers off the top of my head, but at my work there are at least 1 or two people on my team who don't believe in climate change, don't believe it's caused by humans, or don't believe it'll do anything bad. And I work with fairly educated people! My team is all engineering, ranging from undergrad to Ph.Ds

etaioinshrdlu 7y ago
I too know a couple STEM PhD's who believe climate change is a hoax, possibly invented by the Chinese. To get the US to destroy their economy. Yes, these people are out there.
- Sharlin 7y ago
  It’s sad how often it’s STEM people specifically who equate ”I know a lot about my field” to ”I know a lot about unrelated fields as well”.
  - LiquidSky 7y ago
    It's the fuel on which Hacker News runs.
    - animalnewbie 7y ago
      Touche
cagenut 7y ago
There are also probably one or two people who believe in some religion. There are also probably one or two people who believe in healing energy or homeopathy. Or antivax or whatever, it doesn't matter. It is a false standard to hold climate change to that we have to wait until we've convinced everyone. The problem right now is not convincing the last 20 odd percent of people its real, the problem is getting the 50 - 70% of people who believe its real to act. We already have a "belief" majority, we need an "action" one. Continuing to point to the non-believers as an excuse to accept or assume the status quo is even dumber than pointing at smokers and saying "we can't ban it from restaurants because they'll never change their minds". Climate change "skeptics" and deniers do not get a veto on the future. "Centrists" who use them as an excuse are not fooling anyone anymore.
seibelj 7y ago
I’m not skeptical of climate change but I am skeptical that it 100% leads to disaster and the destruction of the earth / human race within 5 / 10 / 20 / 50 years. If the earth isn’t a hellscape within 15 years then scientists will lose whatever credibility they still have with the public - yet another institution that the public disregards. The shrill outrage and climate crisis news pounded at us week after week, month after month means that scientists better be right about this.
- IggleSniggle 7y ago
  But isn't the short term pessimistic-view "hellscape vision" on the order of a 100 years, even though the more chaotic and painful weather events are already obvious today? It's a human perspective problem. Those born in 2020 will not feel the climate as substantially worse in 2040, and even for those born in 1980, 20 years is a long time to adapt your expectations.
- spurgu 7y ago
  Australia has looked a bit like hell recently hasn't it. Artic ice is at record lows. Not sure about California droughts (I'm not American) but I'm under the impression that they've been quite out of the ordinary. Climate change deniers would just attribute that to randomness. How much "actual" proof would be needed to convince the public that we're there already? All of these things have set snowball effects into motion already.

by vzidex 7y ago

etaioinshrdlu 7y ago

I too know a couple STEM PhD's who believe climate change is a hoax, possibly invented by the Chinese. To get the US to destroy their economy. Yes, these people are out there.

Sharlin 7y ago
It’s sad how often it’s STEM people specifically who equate ”I know a lot about my field” to ”I know a lot about unrelated fields as well”.
- LiquidSky 7y ago
  It's the fuel on which Hacker News runs.
  - animalnewbie 7y ago
    Touche

cagenut 7y ago

There are also probably one or two people who believe in some religion. There are also probably one or two people who believe in healing energy or homeopathy. Or antivax or whatever, it doesn't matter. It is a false standard to hold climate change to that we have to wait until we've convinced everyone. The problem right now is not convincing the last 20 odd percent of people its real, the problem is getting the 50 - 70% of people who believe its real to act. We already have a "belief" majority, we need an "action" one. Continuing to point to the non-believers as an excuse to accept or assume the status quo is even dumber than pointing at smokers and saying "we can't ban it from restaurants because they'll never change their minds". Climate change "skeptics" and deniers do not get a veto on the future. "Centrists" who use them as an excuse are not fooling anyone anymore.

seibelj 7y ago

I’m not skeptical of climate change but I am skeptical that it 100% leads to disaster and the destruction of the earth / human race within 5 / 10 / 20 / 50 years. If the earth isn’t a hellscape within 15 years then scientists will lose whatever credibility they still have with the public - yet another institution that the public disregards. The shrill outrage and climate crisis news pounded at us week after week, month after month means that scientists better be right about this.

IggleSniggle 7y ago
But isn't the short term pessimistic-view "hellscape vision" on the order of a 100 years, even though the more chaotic and painful weather events are already obvious today? It's a human perspective problem. Those born in 2020 will not feel the climate as substantially worse in 2040, and even for those born in 1980, 20 years is a long time to adapt your expectations.
spurgu 7y ago
Australia has looked a bit like hell recently hasn't it. Artic ice is at record lows. Not sure about California droughts (I'm not American) but I'm under the impression that they've been quite out of the ordinary. Climate change deniers would just attribute that to randomness. How much "actual" proof would be needed to convince the public that we're there already? All of these things have set snowball effects into motion already.