The Ongoing Debate About Global Warming
The Mystery of Why Some People Don’t Believe Climate Change is Real
Sep 20, 2009
Disputes regarding the reality of global warming are at last finished– scientifically, anyway. The only remaining question is cause, and that answer appears to be human-produced greenhouse gases (mostly carbon dioxide and methane). Much of society, however, adamantly refuses to believe in global warming. The interesting question is why?
Religious Reasons?
Climate change is fiercely debated among people today, creating much confusion, argument, and stunning denial. This unusual phenomenon of disbelief verses belief (on such a non-controversial subject as weather!) is highly intriguing, since the public rarely questions science unless it strongly conflicts with their ethics and/or religion.
But global warming is ethically and religiously neutral and goes against no known religious creed (such as evolution does). What is it that drives this technological denunciation?
Political Reasons?
Disbelievers of global warming perhaps suspect a hidden political agenda, since the word conspiracy theory pops up so often with this touchy topic. It is usually considered left-wing propaganda for a greener environment or the thought product of (variously named) corporations in order to sell their ideas (such as non-fossil fuel based automobiles) to the general public. It is not unrealistic to think various groups will indeed capitalize on global warming, even if the fact of global warming itself doesn’t change.
Then there are the (non-partisan) Al Gore haters, who eternally associate his name with An Inconvenient Truth, a film on global warming. Because these people don’t believe in this particular film and dislike Al Gore, they refuse to believe in global warming – as if Al Gore made the first official pronouncement that global warming exists! He didn’t.
Fear?
Are disbelievers too frightened of the unknown, or simply tired of hearing about a doomsday that never dawns? Fortunately, most people took the AIDS threat seriously. On the other hand, the USA rushed to war against Saddam Hussein out of pure fear to destroy weapons of mass destruction he never had.
Are People Sick of Feeling Fooled?
Apparently people still love to be fooled and seem more worried about the Mayan/Aztec calendar ending and the prophecies of Nostradamus (both regarding the year 2012) than over any valid scientific predictions.
Are people scientifically illiterate?
Or are they more intelligent than NASA scientists and will they ultimately prove them wrong.
Obviously, the answer is not in yet.
The Half-Decided
There are subgroups of people who sincerely believe in climate change, but not in global warming; others insist global warming will be a pleasant experience (who doesn’t love the tropics?) and so refuse to worry about it. Others say carbon dioxide and global warming will prove very beneficial to vegetation. Then there are believers who insist global warming is a natural process and humans had nothing to do with it. None of these claims hold up to any serious scientific discussion. The amount of misinformation regarding global warming is staggering.
Skeptics?
Does disbelief in global warming mean that people, Americans in particular, feel less inclined to trust their media, or NASA, or government than before? Again, no. Global warming is under-reported, and the number of disbelievers verses believers in global warming remains about the same, regardless of whether a Democrat or Republican is president.
When NASA landed a man on the moon in 1969 (an idea infinitely more far-fetched than global warming), people (including moon-landing nonbelievers) applauded mankind for trusting in what would come true. On the other hand, who didn’t fall for the over-reported, sensationalized reports of a possible computer meltdown in the oncoming new millennium (2000) – yet nothing at all happened. Are people just rightly confused about what is being reported? Or do they need to apply less emotion, and more logic, toward deciphering the news?
When the World Trade Towers collapsed and 19 suspects were almost instantly named, very few people questioned the possible recklessness of such a rapid verdict and war. Yet – in an event totally unprecedented in all of human history – both the North and South Poles are presently melting while the polar bear faces possible extinction; Santa Claus is losing his turf and there are still those who remain unconvinced of global warming.
It’s Only the Weather
But, after all, who sees the world on fire? Some people never believe in what they don’t see, but global warming does not mean the world is going to burn up.
Global warming means there will be, and already is, acute climate change (severe floods, storms, etc.) happening in different areas of the planet although scientists don’t know to what degree it will impact life. Some parts of earth will actually experience a cooler climate due to global warming, but there will still be a generalized warming.
Can fact be wrong?
A fact does not need anyone's belief to exist, it merely is. Likewise, belief does not always rely on fact. In the final analysis, to speak of believers, or disbelievers, in global warming is a misnomer. Fact and belief are two very different things and cannot hold equal value.
Can a fact ever be wrong? No, but as long as the Poles continue to melt, when in doubt, it’s still best to err on the side of safety and reason.
Not only does NASA proclaim global warming as a fact on their website (earthobservatory.NASA.gov.), major physical proof already exists in the disappearing Arctic and Antarctica. What more does the public want or need?
Indeed, mankind has believed in far more spectacular things before than in global warming (such as the earth being flat). Why intelligent people passionately refuse to accept global warming and/or climate change as an actuality of our times is still a hot mystery.
 |
