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I think news/media has some of the blame too. Science reporting in general is atrocious, journalists and editors are constantly misrepresenting and exaggeratin
by liability 6y ago
I think news/media has some of the blame too. Science reporting in general is atrocious, journalists and editors are constantly misrepresenting and exaggerating the actual claims of scientists. I wish I had a nickel for every "Scientists invent new battery 10000x better than lithium" headline I've read. Eventually people become generally skeptical of these claims and skeptical of the scientists themselves even though the scientists never made the sensational claims misleadingly attributed to them by the media.
It's a horrible fusion of the 'telephone game' and the boy who cried wolf.
- InitialLastName 6y agoThis exactly. Climate change sits exactly at the intersection of "probabilistic deniability of real-world ramifications" and "science poorly reported" (because the effects are subtle based on our day-to-day experiences, and because people don't understand or trust science) with a hefty dose of "vested interests in the opposition camp".
- lotsofpulp 6y agoI think the very root cause is that the only way to tackle climate change is to reduce fossil fuel usage, which is reducing quality of life, which is against everyone’s vested interest. After that, all the various excuses can come out like denying scientific data and whatnot. You can show all the proof to a drunk person that the next drink is going to harm them in the long run, but all they’re going to see is how to keep the high going for a little while longer.