UK climate scepticism 'on the rise', BBC poll shows

[muriel_volestrangler]

There has been an increase in the number of British people who are sceptical about climate change, a poll commissioned by BBC News has suggested.

It showed that 25% of those questioned did not think global warming was happening, an increase of 10% since a similar poll was conducted in November.
...
During the intervening period between the two polls, there was a series of high profile climate-related stories, some of which made grim reading for climate scientists and policymakers.
...
However, 73% of the people who said that they were aware of the "science flaws" stories stated that the media coverage had not changed their views about the risks of climate change.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8500443.stm

Depressing. I think too much of the UK public wants to find any reason they can for ignoring the problems, so that they can carry on 'as normal' and forget about energy efficiency, renewable sources or other inconvenient things.

[Lorien]

1. Not surprising considering the massive fossil fuel corp disinformation campaigns

and the RW mania surrounding those "leaked" emails. Ostrich syndrome is everywhere-including here. They don't want to believe, they don't want to change the status quo, so we speed along merrily to an early and ugly demise.

[Viking12]

2. Certainly provides an excellent case study on the effects of propaganda

That's me, always looking for the silver lining O8)

[paulsby]

6. the criminal and unethical violation of open information standards

by climate scientists didn't help either.

people like that hurt the cause. scientists who are such ideological warriors, they would break ethical codes in order to keep data out of the "wrong hands"

sunshine is the best disinfectant

[Viking12]

7. Concern duly noted

http://rabett.blogspot.com/2010/02/betroffenheitstroll.html

[paulsby]

8. ethics matter

i believe in open govt.

not open govt. only when it's republican politicians, but open government PERIOD.

some people, otoh, are perfectly fine with unethical govt. practices as long as it's done to further a good cause.

i note your sympathy for that idea.

;p

[Viking12]

11. See, the propaganda works.

They've suckered you into believing that nonsense.

[paulsby]

13. see, your cognitive dissonance works

even frigging george monbiot of the GUARDIAN (about as leftwing as one can get) is calling for the firing of these 'scientists'

i already posted that link.

open govt. matters. it's not acceptable for climate scientists to thwart the law and hide from the disinfectant of sunshine

but as long as useful idiots will pimp for their unethical and illegal behavior, i guess people like that , who are enemies to the cause of open inquiry, open govt. and true scientific discovery will continue to thrive

[kristopher]

9. Thank you.

Now if we could only fumigate...

[Systematic Chaos]

3. Between November, 2009 and February, 2010 they had a historic cold snap.

No wonder the sheeple are starting to doubt Climate Change.

:eyes:

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. But 'historic' is overdoing it - coldest Dec since 1995, coldest Jan since 1987

Mean temperatures were well above the 1971-2000 normal for November, typically by between 1.5 and 2.5 °C over England and Wales and between 0.5 and 1.5 °C over Scotland and Northern Ireland. For the UK, provisionally November was the warmest since 2003 and ranks seventh in a series starting in 1914. There were very few days with air frost.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/2009/november.html

The month was mostly changeable, the first 10 days being mild but it then turned colder with snowfalls after mid-month. Overall, it was a very cold month with mean temperatures 1.5 to 2.0 °C below the 1971-2000 normal over England and Wales, 2.0 to 2.5 °C below over Northern Ireland and 2.5 to 3.5 °C below over Scotland. Provisionally, it was the coldest December over the UK since 1995.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/2009/december.html

The month was mostly unsettled, the first half being very cold with widespread snowfalls and some sharp frosts. After mid-month, temperatures rose to around normal before a return to colder conditions at month end. Overall, it was a very cold month with mean temperatures 2.5 to 3.0 °C below the 1971-2000 normal over England and Wales, 2.5 °C below over most of Scotland and 2.0 to 2.5 °C below over Northern Ireland. Provisionally, it was the coldest January over the UK since 1987 and equal eighth coldest in a series from 1914.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/2010/january.html

23 years isn't what I'd call 'historic'.

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Not really suprising, given the timing

The UK's been hammered by the Arctic oscillation: Global temperature isn't that much of a consideration when you've got a 6-ft snowdrift in front of the garage.

[joshcryer]

10. They also believe heavily in astrology and some of the buy homeopathy.

This is not surprising in the least.

[hatrack]

12. Fine - it's official: like their American cousins, Brits are officially too stupid to survive

So be it.

[Nihil]

14. Bugger ...

It would be so nice for *intelligence* to spread like wildfire
instead of *ignorance* ...
:-(