America's Miasma of Misinformation on Climate Change

[xchrom]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2012/09/23




Since 1950, humans have manufactured more goods than have ever existed in history. Our consumption of those goods – a highly inefficient use of our natural capital – has wrought a long list of environmental consequences. Staggering deforestation, check. Increasing greenhouse gas emissions, check. Rising heat, sea level, and incidence of extreme weather events – check, check and check.

To environmental experts, such evidence is the proverbial writing on the wall: we must transition to a low-carbon economy, stat, in order to avoid irrevocable damage. As President Obama affirmed, upon accepting his party's nomination for president, no less:

"Climate change is not a hoax. More droughts and floods and wildfires are not a joke. They're a threat to our children's future."
The president's choice of words seemed a pointed response to Republican Senator James Inhofe, author of The Greatest Hoax and, it's worth noting, recipient of $1.3m in campaign contributions from the oil and gas lobby.


Political maneuvering aside, why are Americans so disengaged from climate change – arguably, one of the most critical problems of our time?

[pscot]

1. They dowannathinkaboudit?

What you don't know can't hurt you. And besides, how serious can it be, really? The NFL is playing a full slate of games. Nascar is stil going around in circles. None of the politicians seem concerned. It's just a few scientists, and those guys are cranks anyway. No worries, right?

[luv_mykatz]

2. What pscott said.

[limpyhobbler]

3. To expected when oil companies sponsor the news. Even on MSNBC. It's all pipeline ads.

That's why they hardly spend any time covering the issue. Certainly they don't cover it like something urgent.

They cover it just enough to be able to say they covered it. The minimum. The liberal and conservative news channels are all paid off by this industry.


Easy solution: Ban fossil fuel industry from advertising. It is a public health issue, similar to banning cigarette ads.

Bonus solution: Nationalize the fossil fuel industries to help take the profit motive out of the equation.