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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #600 on: April 04, 2015, 12:24:58 AM »
"Corporate America's position on the EPA's clean power act
The Guardian asked 50 companies for their position on the EPA’s clean power act. Here’s how they responded
Why isn’t corporate America stepping up to fight climate change?"
http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/apr/02/corporate-america-climate-change-position-epa
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #601 on: April 04, 2015, 01:33:10 AM »
Video:

@ClimateReality: 35 years ago today, Walter Cronkite introduced many Americans to the idea of climate change
http://t.co/S1pJUwqU1D  #BlastFromThePast

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Shared Humanity

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #602 on: April 04, 2015, 03:43:06 PM »
Berkeley California Energy Commission wants to put climate change warning labels on gasoline pumps.
Quote
The Bay Area’s pioneering interest in climate branding is reflected in a January recommendation from Berkeley’s Energy Commission, saying it has the “potential for long-term behavior change” and is in line with the city’s long-term goal of reducing emissions 80 percent by 2050. Wrote the commission:

"Although the link between motorized vehicle use and GHG emissions is widely known, making this information available at the point of purchase of motor vehicle fuel is intended to contribute to behavioral changes to reduce motorized vehicle use, thus contributing helping to accomplish the Berkeley Climate Action Plan (CAP) goals and helping to mitigate impacts on climate. These labels are analogous to the health warnings placed on cigarettes."
http://grist.org/climate-energy/climate-warning-labels-could-be-coming-to-a-gas-pump-near-you/

Useless really....introduce a nationwide gasoline tax that increases the tax in clear stepped increases for  the  next 10 years. This  predictable  stepped  increase  will allow everyone,companies,  consumers to make  adjustments to reflect  the expected costs of, say, $12 per gallon in 2025.

OldLeatherneck

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #603 on: April 05, 2015, 07:41:12 PM »
What do conservative policy intellectuals think about climate change?


                    *****"Exploding-With-Ideas"*****

Article by Ben Adler in Grist on April 2nd, 2015:
http://grist.org/politics/what-do-conservative-policy-intellectuals-think-about-climate-change/

Selected Quotes:
Quote
The Republican presidential field consists of people who refuse to accept the science of climate change and people who just don’t want to do anything about it. This is partly because the most popular right-wing pundits on Fox News and talk radio, like Rush Limbaugh, attack Republican politicians who do trust the overwhelming scientific consensus. No surprise there, since anti-intellectualism is intrinsic to the appeal of right-wing talk radio.

But what about conservative intellectuals? Do they have anything more to offer? In an attempt to find out, I looked through their op-eds, opinion magazines, and policy journals. my editI found that most of them fall into three broad categories:
those who argue for adaptation instead of trying to stop climate change (the Adapters),
the anguished advocates of a carbon tax (the Handwringers),
and those who simply deny climate science (the Deans of Denialism).

The American brand of conservatism doesn't know how to deal with the threat of Climate Change because all Conservative Solutions must use one or more of the following policies:
     Reduced Federal Control
     Fewer Regulations
     Lower Taxes on the Wealthy and Corporations

Those ideologies coupled with the conservative's inherent distrust of any level of international cooperation make it impossible for the Republican Party to play a meaningful role in addressing Global Climate Change in either terms of adaptation or mitigation.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2015, 12:03:29 AM by OldLeatherneck »
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #604 on: April 06, 2015, 07:14:01 PM »
The tide is turning against ALEC, after years of it pushing anti-climate-change legislation in many states.
Quote
Facing a loss of high-profile corporate sponsors, a conservative state-level policy group — the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) — threatened action in recent weeks against activist groups that accuse it of denying climate change.
...
The legal demands from ALEC follow an exodus of some of its best known corporate members, including Google, British Petroleum, Facebook, Yahoo and Northrop Grumman. Activist groups had pressured these corporate sponsors in recent years to abandon their support for organizations that they believe oppose action to stem climate change. Google publicly connected its decision to stop funding ALEC to the climate change issue.

The legal spat is an escalation of the conflict and suggests ALEC is feeling the heat of the activist groups’ efforts. It also suggests a new risk to organizations that rely on the donations from companies that do not want to be associated with organizations accused of denying that human activity is warming the atmosphere at an alarming rate.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/04/05/this-conservative-group-is-tired-of-being-accused-of-climate-denial-and-is-fighting-back/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #605 on: April 06, 2015, 07:18:52 PM »
Poll: Americans Starting to Worry About Climate Change Now That It Affects Their Lawns.

Satire by Andy Borowitz

http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/poll-americans-starting-to-worry-about-climate-change-now-that-it-affects-their-lawns
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #606 on: April 06, 2015, 10:14:57 PM »
Poll: Americans Starting to Worry About Climate Change Now That It Affects Their Lawns.

Satire by Andy Borowitz

http://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/poll-americans-starting-to-worry-about-climate-change-now-that-it-affects-their-lawns

Here is a link to an article about another poll that confirms the same trend (of Americans becoming increasingly concerned about climate change):

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/these-states-are-least-concerned-about-global-warming/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #607 on: April 07, 2015, 01:25:49 AM »
The 2016 U.S. elections will be huge for the climate.
Quote
Tom Steyer's climate-focused political group is already gearing up for the 2016 presidential race, announcing on Monday a new effort that will focus on putting Republican candidates on the defense when it comes to global warming.

NextGen Climate's chief strategist, Chris Lehane, said in a call with reporters that the group's mission heading into 2016 is to "disqualify" candidates who deny that climate change is real or caused by human activity by proving that "they don't have what it takes to be president." The effort will be called Hot Seat, and NextGen Climate says it will involve media and on-the-ground campaigns in key electoral states aimed at linking Republican deniers to the Koch brothers and other interests that seek to undermine climate science.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/06/steyer-climate-2016_n_7012828.html
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #608 on: April 08, 2015, 06:55:40 PM »
Everyone approaches the climate crisis in their own, personal way.
Quote
Climate is everything, which means everyone touches only a tiny piece of it. Let people care about their birds or their pipelines or their mountains or their tech startups or their research clusters or their permaculture farms. Everybody needs a Climate Thing, a close-by proxy through which they can express their climate concern in a way that has local effects and tangible rewards. It is these proxies, these rich anchors in our lived experience of nature and culture, that inspire us. The important thing is that we’re all moving our pieces in the right direction.
http://grist.org/climate-energy/everybody-needs-a-climate-thing/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #609 on: April 08, 2015, 07:04:01 PM »
And what could be more personal than your health?
Quote
Debates on climate change can break down fairly fast. There are those who believe that mankind's activities are changing the planet's climate, and those who don't.

But a new way to talk about climate change is emerging, which shifts focus from impersonal discussions about greenhouse gas emissions and power plants to a very personal one: your health.
...
President Barack Obama joined U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy for a roundtable discussion on the topic as part of National Public Health Week.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/08/health/obama-climate-change-public-health/index.html
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OldLeatherneck

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #610 on: April 08, 2015, 07:50:02 PM »

And what could be more personal than your health?
........[SNIP]......



Unfortunately too many people have this attitude; "Nothing is more personal than MY WEALTH"
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #611 on: April 08, 2015, 07:53:13 PM »
Plus, if you don't speak its name, it can't hurt you:
Quote
Discussing climate change is out of bounds for workers at a state agency in Wisconsin. So is any work related to climate change—even responding to e-mails about the topic.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-08/for-some-wisconsin-state-workers-climate-change-isn-t-something-you-can-talk-about
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #612 on: April 09, 2015, 02:01:03 AM »
Quote
You may think, “One person isn’t going to make a big difference; it’s not going to be a big deal.” But taking responsibility for how your life affects the environment is a huge deal.
http://climate.nasa.gov/blog/2268
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Laurent

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #613 on: April 09, 2015, 10:33:42 AM »
I want that article here, thought it is not about denying...the opposite.

I Confess: I Am a Climate Change Hypocrite
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peterson-toscano/i-confess-i-am-a-climate-change-hypocrite_b_7020206.html?utm_hp_ref=green&ir=Green

Even a drop is useful...we are star's dust blowing in the wind. But off course he is right the system has to change. The way you are paying your bills, the money you are investing is critical, etc...

Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #614 on: April 09, 2015, 07:05:32 PM »
STUDY: U.S. Media Largely Ignored Climate Change in Coverage Of Winter Snowstorms
Quote
Most of the largest newspapers in the Northeast corridor did not publish a single piece covering this winter's major snowstorms in the context of global warming, despite strong scientific evidence that climate change creates the conditions for heavier snowstorms. The major broadcast networks and cable news channels also provided scant mention of climate change in their discussions of the snowstorms, with the notable exception of MSNBC, which provided extensive coverage of the topic. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Fox News, the Boston Herald and the Providence Journal featured content that used the snowstorms to deny climate science.
http://mediamatters.org/research/2015/04/08/study-media-largely-ignored-climate-change-in-c/203167
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BornFromTheVoid

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #615 on: April 10, 2015, 01:54:05 PM »
I'm not sure if this is the right thread, but I'm sure some will find it interesting.

Another climate change related AMA on reddit.com/r/science today.

Science AMA Series: We are a group of researchers from Yale and Utah State, who created a tool to visualize public opinion on climate change, Ask Us Anything!

Hello - we are three researchers from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and one from Utah State University’s Department of Environment & Society. We are excited to answer your questions about how Americans in different parts of the country compare in their climate change beliefs, attitudes, and policy support.
This week, we released a new interactive mapping tool called “Yale Climate Opinion Maps” (YCOM) and an accompanying peer-reviewed paper in the journal Nature Climate Change. This tool allows users to visualize and explore differences in public opinion about global warming in the United States in unprecedented geographic detail. Nationally, 52% of Americans are worried about global warming. But this national number glosses over the enormous geographic diversity in public opinion across the country – diversity that is revealed for the first time in these maps. Explore the maps at: http://environment.yale.edu/poe/v2014/[1] .
We undertook this project because most of the action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for climate impacts is happening at the state and local levels of American society. Yet most know little about public climate change opinion at these sub-national levels. State and local surveys are costly and time intensive, and as a result most public opinion polling is only done at the national level.
The estimates contained in the tool are based on a geographic and statistical model developed by our research team at Yale and Utah State University. The model uses the large quantity of national survey data that we have collected over the years — over 13,000 individual survey responses since 2008 — to estimate differences in opinion between geographic and demographic groupings. As a result, we are able to provide high-resolution estimates of public climate change understanding, risk perceptions, and policy support in all 50 states, 435 Congressional districts, and 3,000+ counties across the United States.
We're excited your questions about U.S. climate change public opinion on Friday, April 10 starting 1PM EST!


  • Dr. Peter Howe (/u/Dr_Peter_Howe [2] )– Assistant Professor at Utah State University’s Department of Environment & Society and lead author of the paper
  • Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz (/u/Tony_Leiserowitz [3] )– Director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication
  • Matto Mildenberger (/u/Matto_Mildenberger [4] )– Doctoral candidate at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and Research Affiliate at the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication
  • Dr. Jennifer Marlon (/u/Dr_Jennifer_Marlon [5] )– Research Scientist at the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication

https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/323yk3/science_ama_series_we_are_a_group_of_researchers/
I recently joined the twitter thing, where I post more analysis, pics and animations: @Icy_Samuel

Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #616 on: April 14, 2015, 09:01:28 PM »
What's Behind ALEC's Denial That It Denies Climate Change?
Critics say the organization is doing one thing while now saying another, to stop the exit of high-profile members.
Quote
Members worked to craft a model bill there that called for abolishing the Environmental Protection Agency and replacing it with a council of state representatives. But they decided eventually to table the discussion after a representative from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer said such a move would make the group appear extreme, according to an ALEC member who was present at the discussion and asked not to be identifed for fear his membership would be revoked.
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/14042015/whats-behind-alecs-denial-it-denies-climate-change
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #617 on: April 15, 2015, 01:37:08 AM »
@SustainableSong: #Climatechange is hard, but we have to face it anyway.

The 5 psychological barriers to climate action
What we think about when we try not to think about global warming, and what to do about it.
http://boingboing.net/2015/04/03/the-5-psychological-barriers-t.html

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sidd

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #618 on: April 15, 2015, 04:54:35 AM »
"... Pfizer said such a move would make the group appear extreme ..."

And this is not The Onion.

Let me see, Pfizer, one of the companies fighting release of lifesaving drugs under patent in Brazil and India. Pfizer, who spends tens of billions in yearly marketing and at least ten times less in research. Pfizer, who championed draconian eminent domain in Kelo vs New London. Pfizer , who killed and deformed a hundred or so children with an experimental drug in Nigeria.

And they say that ALEC might appear extreme.

It is to laugh, so that I may not cry.

sidd

Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #619 on: April 15, 2015, 04:50:34 PM »
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

AbruptSLR

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #620 on: April 16, 2015, 03:53:40 PM »
The linked article indicates that the US Republican Controlled Congress has started its attacked on the Obama Administration's climate change plan.

http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2015/04/daily-briefing-obama-climate-plan-comes-under-fire-in-capitol-hearing/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #621 on: April 16, 2015, 06:37:15 PM »
Quote
The environment — and especially the subject of climate change — is one of the most polarizing topics in American politics. This fact is obvious and indisputable — but what is the root reason behind it?

Psychologists are beginning to probe that question using the tools of their trade — surveys, questionnaires and correlations. For instance, a study that we reported on here in January found that the personality trait “Openness to Experience” — wanting to try out new things and new experiences in life — was linked to green tendencies. And now, another paper has found another emotional and personality-based driver of environmental attitudes: namely, a heightened sensitivity to the suffering of other people.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/03/19/the-surprising-reason-why-some-people-become-environmentalists-and-others-dont/
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Neven

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #622 on: April 16, 2015, 11:36:37 PM »
And now, another paper has found another emotional and personality-based driver of environmental attitudes: namely, a heightened sensitivity to the suffering of other people.

That's interesting, I think this driver applies to me. I cannot bear the thought that someone suffers because of my lifestyle. Not so much that I will start living in a cave, but enough for me to continuously try to improve my actions. I often say to people that the most f***ed-up aspect of this system is that we are victims as well as accomplices. It'd be better if it's just one of both. In fact, I'd rather be the victim - although it sucks big time - than be the perpetrator, and it always amazes how many people just don't understand that. My brother-in-law actually maintained it'd be better to be a perpetrator.  ??? :'(

It helps to watch documentaries that deal with the consequences of our current system. The other day my wife and daughter watched the Trashed documentary and they were almost crying, with my wife saying how we have to stop buying stuff packed in plastic as soon as we can.
The enemy is within
Don't confuse me with him

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #623 on: April 17, 2015, 06:33:58 AM »
My brother-in-law actually maintained it'd be better to be a perpetrator.  ??? :'(

The winner takes it all. A minor issue with that mentality is that we won't see a mitigation (worth it's name) and everyone falls in the end.



Unfortunately the same mentality is embedded in a lot of our companies as well. You must separate business decisions from everything else and you must love your company. I resigned fourteen years ago from one of the largest greenest BAU companies we have, thanks to such a demand behind closed doors. It came as a total surprise to me and I made a split second decision that affected my entire life.
But after a while, it became the best decision I've ever made. And it still is.

Oh, when writing and listening to the above video, SOS started, even better if you share some love for this planet and it's future. ;)  Funny though, I didn't like ABBA back then...

icefest

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #624 on: April 17, 2015, 07:51:49 AM »
Rest assured that there will always be a fool happy to be parted from their money: the Australian government is giving the dearest  Professor (economics) Bjorn  Lomborg
Abbott government gives $4m to help rebuild his defunded danish  'consensus centre'.

http://gu.com/p/47htq
Open other end.

Neven

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #625 on: April 17, 2015, 11:02:00 AM »
My brother-in-law actually maintained it'd be better to be a perpetrator.  ??? :'(

The winner takes it all. A minor issue with that mentality is that we won't see a mitigation (worth it's name) and everyone falls in the end.

This is the problem. Something that seems to be self-interest is actually against self-interest. I really urge everyone to be truly selfish, because if you are truly selfish, you make sure that your community and environment is healthy.
The enemy is within
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #626 on: April 18, 2015, 01:00:45 AM »
Joe Romm:  How To Tell If The Article About Climate You Are Reading Is B.S., In Four Easy Steps
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/17/3647947/climate-change-bs-guide/
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #627 on: April 19, 2015, 02:45:21 AM »
The President heads to Florida for Earth Day.

Obama set to utter term 'climate change' in Florida on Earth Day trip.
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/18/florida-obama-climate-sceptics-earth-day
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #628 on: April 19, 2015, 04:46:45 PM »
Neil deGrasse Tyson: Politicians Denying Science Is ‘Beginning Of The End Of An Informed Democracy’
Quote
One objective reality is that our government doesn’t work, not because we have dysfunctional politicians, but because we have dysfunctional voters. As a scientist and educator, my goal, then, is not to become President and lead a dysfunctional electorate, but to enlighten the electorate so they might choose the right leaders in the first place.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/18/3647978/neil-degrasse-tysons-new-show-will-blow-your-mind-on-4-20/
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Laurent

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #629 on: April 21, 2015, 01:56:36 PM »

Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #630 on: April 29, 2015, 04:17:43 PM »
More Than 10,000 Enroll In Free University Course To Debunk Climate Science Denial
http://www.desmogblog.com/2015/04/28/more-10000-enroll-free-university-course-debunk-climate-science-denial
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #631 on: April 30, 2015, 02:19:05 PM »
Staff writer at Salon:  I’m going to climate denial school: My first week inside the science of anti-science
Quote
In his lecture, Cook emphasizes that those attacks don’t just impact public perceptions and hurt scientists’ feelings — they have an effect on how the scientific community presents its research. Consensus agreements like those from the U.N. IPCC, for instance, likely underestimate the impacts of climate change. I’ve written before about how the IPCC is underselling its message, but Cook ties that phenomenon back to the corrosive influence of climate deniers: “Predictions of alarming climate impacts are vigorously pounced upon by critics,” he argues, “whereas harmless predictions are met without hostility. The result is a tendency to underestimate the impacts of climate change, in order to avoid a hostile response.”
http://www.salon.com/2015/04/29/im_going_to_climate_denial_school_my_first_week_inside_the_science_of_anti_science/
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #632 on: May 01, 2015, 12:39:16 AM »
The linked article indicates that:

"Republicans on the House Committee for Science, Space, and Technology passed a nakedly partisan budget authorization bill for NASA that drastically and brutally slashes hundreds of millions of dollars from NASA's Earth Science Division, which studies how climate change is affecting our planet."

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2015/04/30/charles_bolden_nasa_chief_statement_on_house_cutting_earth_sciences.html

So obviously some people deny CC, and block CC research, in order to play politics.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #633 on: May 01, 2015, 02:21:04 AM »
U.S. Senators Approve Bill To Stop EPA From Using ‘Secret Science’
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/04/29/3652747/epa-secret-science-bill-passes-senate-committee/
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #634 on: May 04, 2015, 01:58:00 AM »
Not only has the Republican congress slashed NASA's budget for Earth Sciences but also NSF's geoscience budget:

http://www.themarketbusiness.com/2015-05-03-nasas-budget-slashed-by-house-science-committee

Extract: "Republicans have voted to slash NASA’s  budget for the Earth Science division. With this cut, there was an approved budget authorization for this agency to use funding to see Orion and the Space Launch System continue.  This was voted on after an earlier decision to to cut NSF’s geoscience budget.  This budget will cover the 2016 and 2017 budget.  The Orion capsule and the Space Launch System rocket will benefit by adding millions of dollars, with planetary sciences seeing a $150 million boost as well.  Earth sciences will be cut from $1.947 billion to $1.45 billion and will eventually drop down to $1.2 billion under a budget restraint. Charles Bolden, NASA administrator is not pleased with the budget cuts, stating that this cut will threaten to cut back generations worth of progress that was made to understand the Earth’s changing climate.  This progress has made it easier for us to understand earthquakes, droughts and storm events and to prepare for them."
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #635 on: May 08, 2015, 12:28:12 AM »
Weather Forecasters Used To Be Among The Country’s Staunchest Climate Deniers. Why That’s Changing Fast.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/05/07/3653307/where-have-all-the-climate-denying-weather-forecasters-gone/
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Clare

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #636 on: May 08, 2015, 08:16:26 AM »
OMG where do they find these people??? He's an advisor to the PM Tony Abbott!

"A top Australian government business adviser has said climate change is a hoax by the United Nations.
Most climate models were wrong and there was little evidence of climate change, said Maurice Newman.
He said the UN had used climate change as a "hook" to establish and control a new world order."

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-32639813

Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #637 on: May 08, 2015, 01:21:58 PM »
The University of Western Australia (UWA) has decided to hand back $4m in federal government funding awarded for a "consensus centre" headed by climate change denier Bjorn Lomborg.

Quote
UWA handed back the funding and dropped its connection with Lomborg, saying that lack of support among its academics made the centre untenable.
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/may/08/climate-contrarian-bjrn-lomborgs-centre-dropped-by-wa-university
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #638 on: May 08, 2015, 03:12:28 PM »
Canada's new backsliding emissions policies is making it something of a climate change pariah:

http://www.rtcc.org/2015/05/08/why-canadas-provinces-are-fighting-the-feds-on-climate/
« Last Edit: May 08, 2015, 08:47:02 PM by AbruptSLR »
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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #639 on: May 08, 2015, 08:33:44 PM »
Elizabeth Kolbert on the NASA budget cuts.

The G.O.P.’s War on Science Gets Worse
http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/gop-war-on-science-gets-worse
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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #640 on: May 12, 2015, 09:06:42 PM »
And now, another paper has found another emotional and personality-based driver of environmental attitudes: namely, a heightened sensitivity to the suffering of other people.

That's interesting, I think this driver applies to me. I cannot bear the thought that someone suffers because of my lifestyle. [...]
Very interesting finding!
But methinks it is less about empathy and more about right-left brain hemisphere balance: Empathy sits in the right hemisphere, the one more directly connected to the outside world.
Cold blooded calculation and abstraction sits in the left hemisphere, a "hall of mirrors" (McGilchrist) in which we got increasingly trapped during recent cultural evolution of brain useage. "Earth's silence" (Heidegger) methinks is a symptom of a gradual shift of balance towards the left hemisphere.

I wish I had read Ian McGilchrist's highly recommended and widely acclaimed book while discussing with JimD in this thread (1-2 pages back).
  • Ian McGilchrist: The Master and his Emissary - The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, Yale University Press 2009


McGilchrist speaks my mind, so to say, except that methinks the left-shift was already decisive during the axial age (ca. 500BC) and not only in Europe, and methinks is most paradigmatic in religion (which is usually attributed to the right hemisphere). The paradigmatic declaration of victory of the left hemisphere is perhaps found in the christian new testament:
Quote
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. --John 1:1
Or, the Logos, or, the Numbers, or some other reified left-hemisphere abstraction...

That's perhaps why climate denialists characteristically vacillate between demanding exact numbers and doubting numbers, while a more sane and balanced brain (empathy being an indicator for such) would find:
Quote
Climate science is settled enough to provide the policy guidance that matters most, namely that there is an urgent need for halting, and eventually reversing, the worldwide growth in carbon dioxide emissions. At a time when essentially nothing effective is being done, it is pointless to fret, as Koonin (*) does, about exactly how much reduction is optimal—the clear answer from climate science is: “The more the better, the sooner the better, and whatever we actually do is apt to be less than what is really needed, though worth doing nonetheless.”
-- Ray Pierrehumbert
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2014/10/the_wall_street_journal_and_steve_koonin_the_new_face_of_climate_change.2.html
((+) Steven Koonin is a classic example of denialist eminent nuclear physicist hopelessly trapped in his left hall of mirrors, not shying away from grotesque public Dunning-Krüger stunts to defend his world detached castle.)

There is a diagram in an elderly famous book by Popper and Eccles, "The Self and its Brain" (1980ies. Not mentioned by McGilchrist) where the left hemisphere is sub-titled "dominant". So, here we are. There's our problem.

In sane reality, both hemisphere's work together, and neither has the last word. Contrary to common perception, science also needs a balance of both hemispheres. First time I got aware of this was a book by eminent Russian differential geometers, where the first section is titled "Algebra and Geometry - the Duality of the Intellect" where algebra is attributed to the left, and geometry attributed to the right brain hemisphere. And pure mathematics progresses when both sides interact. Like the electric and the magnetic fields are seperately static, but when interacting they form a dynamic electromagnetic wave.

Arctic sea ice (gasp) is perhaps a very obvious example where right brain activity is very important for science. No wonder it took a Neven to start the ASI blog :) (Here we come back to empathy: I recall it took Neven some effort to let go of the poor helpless loonies at the WUWT blog, to forget about showing them the light, and better roll his own blog.)

sidd

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #641 on: May 13, 2015, 06:41:28 AM »
Re: right and left brain function

You may, of course, already be familiar with "The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind" by Julian Jaynes. If not, it might be worth a glance. I think it is very insightful.

sidd

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #642 on: May 13, 2015, 04:55:52 PM »
Per the following linked article: "Republicans use mockery to reallocate science budgets" (see extract below).

http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060018361

I believe that the portion of the US public who encourage such politicians to mock legitimate science in this manner (e.g. large portions of Florida, Louisiana, etc.); will likely be the portion of US society most strongly impacted by future climate change consequences.  So even if they feel self-righteous now about their mocking behavior: "The road to hell is paved with good intensions."

Extract: "Other Republican-led committees have targeted NASA's earth science program, which tracks planetary changes from space. Political science, a field that can get policy moving on climate change, is also being targeted. Very few political scientists today study climate change in part because of the lack of funds, said David Victor, professor of international relations at the University of California, San Diego.

"Here we have one of the world's most pressing problems, and the entire field of political science has basically ignored it," Victor said."

For evidence that the impacts of climate change will be highest among those who can least afford it, see the following linked article:

http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060018385
« Last Edit: May 13, 2015, 05:09:22 PM by AbruptSLR »
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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #643 on: May 13, 2015, 06:39:09 PM »
The linked SkepticalScience article discusses the 5 stages of denial that climate skeptics are going through, and are currently in the 3rd Stage of denying that climate change is a problem (e.g. Lukewarmers insisting the equilibrium climate sensitivity, ECS, is lower than currently accepted by the scientific consensus):

https://www.skepticalscience.com/lukewarmers-third-stage-of-climate-denial.html

Extract: "It’s the hottest trend in climate denial. Long gone are the days when people can publicly deny that the planet is warming or that humans are responsible without facing widespread mockery. Those who oppose taking serious action to curb global warming have mostly shifted to Stage 3 in the 5 stages of climate denial.

•   Stage 1: Deny the problem exists
•   Stage 2: Deny we’re the cause
•   Stage 3: Deny it’s a problem
•   Stage 4: Deny we can solve it
•   Stage 5: It’s too late"
“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #644 on: May 15, 2015, 12:39:28 AM »
Re: right and left brain function

You may, of course, already be familiar with "The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind" by Julian Jaynes. If not, it might be worth a glance. I think it is very insightful.
Haven't heard of it before reading McGilchrist's criticism: Jaynes' theory is the opposite to McGilchrist's.

Actually I haven't been much interested in (neuro)psychology until recently. (E.g. the Popper/Eccles book I've actually thrown away and only kept 2 pages put into that geometry book. I'm an obsessive information condenser..) While I found psychopathology interesting (and had made friends with some weird inmates of the local asylum) I found the literature too vague, ambiguous, boring, lengthy... (I enjoyed reading some Sigmund Freud in his original German - but because it was excellent literary German, often subtly funny and self-critical about his fabulations.)

But these are different times now. The most important question in climate science is: Why is Earth silent about this destruction? There is of course still much interesting and important detail to research and understand in climate physics. -- But the biggest problem meanwhile is climate psychology!

I have some Frankensteinian fascination with the current flaw in the earth-mankind system. I even have a sinister plan to save the planet! (The plan is totally tautological. Connect the dots and your brain halves.) But I need to study some more psycho and philosopho stuff before I try to let the monster loose, parasitize Buddhism and churn out 1 billion carbon negative Earth bhikkhu. (And hopefully someone more competent will soon do this inevitable job instead.) I'm not really joking :)

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #645 on: May 15, 2015, 07:01:14 AM »
I am not fortunate enuf to read German, but i have read some Freud in translation, and some of his skill with language did come through. Jaynes is, I think, worth reading, even if you do not agree.

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #646 on: May 15, 2015, 07:33:06 AM »
" Why is Earth silent about this destruction?"

???

The earth isn't silent.

We just aren't listening particularly well.
"A force de chercher de bonnes raisons, on en trouve; on les dit; et après on y tient, non pas tant parce qu'elles sont bonnes que pour ne pas se démentir." Choderlos de Laclos "You struggle to come up with some valid reasons, then cling to them, not because they're good, but just to not back down."

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #647 on: May 15, 2015, 02:20:53 PM »
" Why is Earth silent about this destruction?"

???

The earth isn't silent.

We just aren't listening particularly well.
Of course. That's the problem. We've lost contact.

McGilchrist (cf. above) confims my "diagnosis" from the neuro side: The left brain hemisphere (our "abstract", conceptualizing half) has taken primacy over the right, world-grounded half. The left half also has difficulty with holistic reasoning, like circular causality, a hallmark of life.

Maybe I should have elaborated this more. A nice illustration just came to my mind.
According to the famous Zeno paradox, motion is logically not possible: Achilles will never catch up with the turtle. A similar argument has also been made in India by Nagarjuna (MMK Ch.2, better than Zeno).

Zeno paradoxa are typical left hemisphere: Making a thing out of the abstract concept of "now", then colliding with reality.

We have made a thing out of Earth and Life, a machine characterized by linear causality, reducible to parts and characterizable by numbers. This is often attributed to Descartes and the scientific revolution - but methinks the numbing by numbers started already with the wide adoption of money, around the axial age ca. 500BCE, as some anthropologists say. (Heck, how I hate that phrase: "some scientists say" :) ) This explains why "economists" (not only freaks like Richard Tol or Bjorn Lomborg) insist in numbers before considering any action - and the action they can imagine, if any, is just continuing BAU in different clothes (Craig Dilworth's "vicious circle principle").
« Last Edit: May 15, 2015, 02:37:44 PM by Martin Gisser »

wili

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #648 on: May 15, 2015, 08:21:57 PM »
I personally find Nagarjuna to be a bit deeper than Zeno, but then we only have fairly fragmentary writings from the latter. Perhaps further philosophical discussion should be in a new thread??

You don't need formal money for numbers to become a crucial part of the evaluative paradigm of a culture, just countable (and usually also movable) property. This probably goes back to the very origins of private property, which goes back, depending on whom you ask, to the domestication of dogs, to the herding of livestock, or to the enslavement of, particularly, women.

There are lots of crucial turning points along the way, and it can be hard to pinpoint which are the most crucial. I personally think Fibonacci's introduction of Arabic (really Indian) numerals, with the essential concept of the usefulness of 'nothing' that is zero, to Europe as particularly crucial to the development of these mentalities in the West.
"A force de chercher de bonnes raisons, on en trouve; on les dit; et après on y tient, non pas tant parce qu'elles sont bonnes que pour ne pas se démentir." Choderlos de Laclos "You struggle to come up with some valid reasons, then cling to them, not because they're good, but just to not back down."

Sigmetnow

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Re: Why some still "DENY" and others "FAIL TO ACT"
« Reply #649 on: May 17, 2015, 09:23:26 PM »
Examining the growing gap between models for a 2°C warming, and real life.

The awful truth about climate change no one wants to admit.
http://www.vox.com/2015/5/15/8612113/truth-climate-change
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