U.S.
Climate Denial Will Not Die Quietly
Those engaged in efforts to enlighten climate deniers can learn a great deal from the long
history of the anti-evolution movement. Almost one hundred years ago this
month, a young high school teacher by the name of John Thomas Scopes went
on trial for teaching Darwinian evolution. To this day, the
science of evolution has been under siege.
Climate denial
is like resistance to evolution in that it is an irrational
position rooted in faith rather than facts. Although those
who resist evolution and those who deny climate change are
often intellectually vacuous, the web of lies they weave is
surprisingly pernicious.
It took 44 years to get the highest
U.S. court to rule in favor of evolution (in 1968 the U.S. Supreme Court
overturned an Arkansas statute outlawing the teaching of evolution). Despite
this ruling and the wealth of scientific evidence, resistance to evolution
persists.
Incognizance endures in the face
of an overwhelming body of evidence. We should not underestimate the
obstinacy and determination of those
who belligerently ignore the facts. These people are steeped in
an aggressive form of ignorance that forms a world view which is not
easily undone. Some climate deniers revel in their opposition to
science and spitefully go out of their way to be environmentally destructive.
Coal
rollers
The reflexive and irrational
opposition to climate science is illustrated by a small fringe group known
as “coal rollers.” As a means of protesting U.S. clean air
regulations, these people are modifying their diesel trucks so
that they spew thick plumes of black smoke.
Owners of these trucks not
only despise President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency, they also
hate people who drive fuel efficient vehicles. As one of the coal
rollers explained, “that’s my way of giving them the finger.” Adding
angrily, “you want clean air and a tiny carbon footprint? Well, screw you.”
Republican
denial
While coal rollers may be a fringe
element, there are a number of elected officials in the
U.S. that are also passionate supporters of climate denial. It is no
secret that the legislative deadlock on climate change and clean energy is
largely attributable to the denial of Congressional Republicans.
As revealed in a Think Progress article, almost
60 percent of Republicans in Congress are climate deniers. Over 56 percent
(133 members) of the Republican caucus in the House of Representatives deny the
basic tenets of climate science and 65 percent (30 members) of the Senate
Republican caucus deny man-made climate change.
Even more alarming is the fact that 90
percent of the leading Republican decision makers in both the House and
the Senate are climate deniers. The majority of Republicans on the
House Committee on Science, Space and Technology are climate deniers, as
are most of those on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
All of the Republicans on the Senate Environment and Public Works
Committee have said climate change is not happening or that humans are not the
cause.
Economy
and jobs
While most Republicans are reflexively
obstructionist, others acknowledge that combating climate
change is an engine for growth that enhances the
nation’s global competitiveness and provides jobs. The
tremendous economic and employment opportunities associated with climate
change mitigation and adaptation are evident in the growing levels of
investment. Annual investments in the global clean energy market
alone could reach $230 billion a year in 2020 and as much as $424 billion
in 2030.
Dollar for dollar, studies show that
cleantech investments provide four times the jobs of fossil fuels.
Currently, cleantech is seeing job growth which is two and a half times that
of traditional jobs. With people clamoring
for economic growth and hungry for jobs, deniers who seek public
office risk alienating voters.
Conservatives
want solar too
Many conservatives support greener
energy and in red states across America, the demand for renewable energy
is growing. To illustrate the point, Republicans in the Peach state recently voted in favor of an
ambitious solar energy plan.
The new law requires
that Atlanta-based Georgia Power Co. increase its solar power
capacity by 525 megawatts within two and a half years. What makes
this decision noteworthy is the fact that it was supported by an
unprecedented coalition of conservative lawmakers and the Tea Party.
Support for rooftop solar is another green initiative that is
getting support from red states like Arizona and Idaho.
Failure
to find fault
Climate deniers are quick to
point to even the smallest errors in climate
science. Deniers are not moved by scientific consensus,
they prefer to side with outliers. However, it is getting harder to
find sane scientists capable of any sort of cogent rebuttal. Even
scientists who were previously deniers are being forced to recant under the
weight of the evidence.
Let
them go
If only the weight of the
evidence were enough to break the back of climate denial. In
the Scopes trial, the prosecuting attorney William Jennings
Bryan was humiliated and ridiculed for his foolish beliefs. Five
days after the judge ruled, Bryan lay down and died. While climate
deniers are highly susceptible to ridicule, they are unlikely
to die as quickly or as conveniently as Bryan.
Eighty nine years after
the Scopes trial there are still more than a hundred million
Americans who oppose evolution. There are also a similar number of
Americans who dismiss climate science. Many are unreachable as their
attitudes are articles of faith that are not easily uprooted.
While there are many parallels that
can be drawn between those who are opposed to evolution and those who deny
the existence of climate change, there are also some salient
differences. The chief difference is that questioning the validity of
evolution does not threaten life on a planetary
scale. With atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide surpassing
400 ppm, we are on track for a 9 degree temperature increase by the
end of the century.
We may never be able to convert
deniers and we simply do not have the time. The long history of the
anti-evolution movement forces us to concede that there will always
be Luddites who support profoundly irrational positions. Rather than
waste energy trying to enlighten climate deniers, we should relegate
climate them to their rightful place on the lunatic fringe.
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Richard Matthews is a consultant, eco-entrepreneur, green investor and author of numerous articles on sustainable positioning, eco-economics and enviro-politics. He is the owner of The Green Market Oracle, a leading sustainable business site and one of the Web’s most comprehensive resources on the business of the environment. Find The Green Market on Facebook and follow The Green Market’s twitter feed.