telegraph.co.uk: Most people in denial over climate change, according to psychologists

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/6253912/Most-people-in-denial-over-climate-change-according-to-psychologists.html

Most people in denial over climate change, according to psychologists

The majority of people in Britain are in denial about the risk of global warming in our lifetimes, according to a new study into the psychology of climate change.

By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Published: 12:01AM BST 03 Oct 2009

The Met Office has warned that if the world continues to burn fossil fuels at the current rate temperatures will rise above four degrees C in the next fifty years.

…

In a paper presented to an Oxford University conference this week, he said people react in three different ways to a frightening situation: denial, apathy or action.

In the case of climate change, he said a minority of people in Britain are in complete denial and refuse to believe man-made greenhouse gases are causing the temperatures to rise. He said a smaller minority are taking action by lobbying Government and adapting their lifestyles through driving less, not eating meat and generally living a low carbon lifestyle.

However, Prof Hamilton said the majority of people use "maladaptive coping strategies" such as ignoring the situation, blaming someone else or simply having a good time.

…

[pscot]

1. What about angry denial?

The professor left out angry denial. Very popular here in America.

[wuvuj]

2. Blame it on the poor?

http://www.alternet.org/story/142967/a_millionaire_with_a_super_yacht_is_a_larger_strain_on_resources_than_hundreds_of_peasant_families?page=entire


The Optimum Population Trust glosses over the fact that the world is going through demographic transition: population growth rates are slowing down almost everywhere and the number of people is likely, according to a paper in Nature, to peak this century, probably at around 10 billion. Most of the growth will take place among those who consume almost nothing.

But no one anticipates a consumption transition. People breed less as they become richer, but they don't consume less; they consume more. As the habits of the super-rich show, there are no limits to human extravagance. Consumption can be expected to rise with economic growth until the biosphere hits the buffers. Anyone who understands this and still considers that population, not consumption, is the big issue is, in Lovelock's words, "hiding from the truth." It is the worst kind of paternalism, blaming the poor for the excesses of the rich.

So where are the movements protesting about the stinking rich destroying our living systems? Where is the direct action against superyachts and private jets? Where's Class War when you need it?

It's time we had the guts to name the problem. It's not sex; it's money. It's not the poor; it's the rich.

...

CONSUMPTION is the issue....as in people in the US using 5Xs the energy as the world average? As in the increasing middle classes in China and India...etc?

[joshcryer]

3. Part of this is due to media propaganda, that is, the oil, fossil fuel industry.

Global warming denialism is worse than creationism in that respect, because it has a much larger following because it has a much much higher representative space. Although both are met with, on our media platforms, equal standing. A global warming denialist will sit right across from a global warming observer, and they will have a 1:1 speaking ratio. A stark contrast to the reality within the scientific, peer reviewed, community.

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. In large part, I think the media propaganda is simply an excuse, to help rationalize

Recently, I had someone say that since in surveys, Americans see "global warming" as a relatively low priority, then there must not be a good scientific case to support it.

My response, "Why do so many Americans smoke? Is it because the scientific case linking smoking to cancer isn't strong enough?" (I was talking to a rather intelligent smoker at the time.)

Global warming "Skeptics" who know full well that well publicized skeptics are in a distinct minority, will almost trumpet this as a reason to believe! "After all! All great advances in science start with a minority view! (What about Christopher Columbus!? What about Galileo!?)"

[joshcryer]

5. In a worldwide study done by Green Peace, Americans got 75% of their...

...knowledge from media outlets. Less than 60% believed that global warming was a big concern. I think the divide is clearly political (I know correlation does not imply causation, but it's a start).

We compare this to places like China where only 30% got their knowledge from media outlets yet more than 90% believe it is a big concern (unfortunately they continue building 1 GW of coal power a week).

I think there definitely is vast manipulation program being inacted by corporations in our country, even if it is not entirely explicit, it exists as a political paradigm.

We see this in the health care debate, and in many other fields. Fortunately evolution is still being taught in schools. And global warming awareness in our youngesters is much higher than older people.

[OKIsItJustMe]

6. I hear you… and I largely agree…

But (as with my smoking example) I think so long as those who choose (consciously or unconsciously) not to believe, have any straw to grasp, they will.

So, for example, if the IPCC say's they're 90% confident, people will respond, “Oh! So then you’re not certain!”

The reporting simply gives them a feeling that they are justified in their beliefs.