Climate Change Denial

Climate denial is not merely a defense mechanism to deal with climate change, but the intentful movement to sway opinion of those around you to deny the existence and effect of climate change.  In some ways, it is a therapeutic mechanism to deal with uncertainties, with the dichotomy of living for today while being cognizant of the future and the common good.  Also at play is the sense of helplessness, inability to action.  It really creates a sense of dissonance that is not easily resolve, one of Appoggiatura, but that is not answered.  Because of this lack of resolution, maintaining the status quo and closing an eye is the most palatable. 

I see similarities in the emergence of active climate denial to the war against child vaccinations and the threat of autism (at least up until the controversy came to a head a few years ago).  I have two sons aged 3 and 5 right now, and certainly early on my wife and I were confronted with the idea that vaccinations in children were linked to increased incidents of autism is children.  We certainly didn't want that for our boys, and so were reconsidering having them vaccinated.   And yet on some level we need to place faith in facts, of the precautionary principle, in science, and so we went through with the vaccinations. 

Denial-supported individuals have the advantage that if they see an external advantage to believing in anthropogenic climate change, they will tend to move toward that camp.  They see it as yet another opportunity for advancement.  If there is a buck to be made in mitigation efforts, we’d all be all over it!  And if we can advance economically and scientifically, we become better as people.  [personal note] and we may even be able to make the world a better place along the way

So – how does one combat climate change denial?  I have been trying to answer this for a number of years.  It seems that the easiest and most functional point of attack those in the denial camp have is in the uncertainty of science.  As an example, a former climatologist with Environment Canada came and spoke with my class. He let on that his new function was with a  Heartland Institute funded organization.  He proceeded to state that the world could use a little warming; it was cold in Alberta at that time.  He focused on the uncertainty of the statistics of the anthropogenic climate change camp.  He zeroed in on the range of temperature increased the IPCC was now predicting… 2 – 4 degrees this century.  He was focused on this range; which was it; 2 degrees or 4 degrees?  Why not 6 degrees?  Why not 0 degrees? It is when you focus on the uncertainties that you drive uncertainty into the minds of your audience.  With uncertainty, how can one logically join the camp that purports great changes to come? 

I did not invite him to return, but spoke to my class about how it was an excellent opportunity to see the denial movement in full action.  “From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renewed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king” – Tolkien

I have not come up with a definitive set of tools to combat denial.  It is really an experiential and contextual thing, rising up and speaking to greater societal problems and the emotions tied to them.  It stems form uncertainty, of hopelessness, and inability to have impact through agency.  Once the greater population can see what the truth is, I’d hope that action would be significantly more swift and effectual than it has.  Like other psychoanalytic responses, there is no magic button to press to gain resolution.