+- Scivillage.com Casual Discussion Science Forum (https://www.scivillage.com)
+-- Forum: Science (https://www.scivillage.com/forum-61.html)
+--- Forum: Anthropology & Psychology (https://www.scivillage.com/forum-86.html)
+--- Thread: Article Climate scepticism isn’t really about the climate, says researcher (sociology) (/thread-19057.html)
Climate scepticism isn’t really about the climate, says researcher (sociology) - C C - Oct 26, 2025
https://www.sciencenorway.no/climate-climate-change/climate-scepticism-isnt-really-about-the-climate-says-researcher/2567191
EXCERPTS: . . . Some get angry when politicians say people should fly less or eat less meat. "They perceive it as criticism of who they are," says Wilhelmsen.
Suddenly someone tells you to stop cooking the dishes you’ve always loved, or that oil rig workers should find another job. It can feel like a personal attack. "That's why climate issues so easily become tied to identity, to who we feel we are," she says.
Wilhelmsen adds that many sceptics also feel alone in their opinions. "Several have said they don't dare talk openly about climate at work because they're afraid of being laughed at or called stupid," she says.
Wilhelmsen says that some climate sceptics believe in conspiracies. For instance, some think the UN’s climate panel invents information about climate change, or that money from climate taxes ends up in the pockets of politicians and researchers.
There's no evidence for these claims. Still, Wilhelmsen believes it's important to listen to what these people have to say. "Because when you really listen to them, you realise there's often a lot behind their criticism. Criticism that's also completely understandable," she says.
Science Norway has written about carbon footprints before. The idea was to make you and me feel responsible for our emissions. But that idea came from an oil company that wanted people to focus on their own emissions rather than the company's. That kind of thing can make people lose trust in climate policies.
Wilhelmsen believes things could improve if we became better at tolerating disagreement. "We tend to surround ourselves with people who agree with us, so we're not used to being challenged," she explains.
The same thing happens on social media, where algorithms mostly show us what we already like and believe. "It almost makes us think that people who disagree with us are terrible," she says.
But disagreement can lead to valuable and necessary conversations. [...] Knut Ivar Karevold is a climate psychologist. He says that many of Wilhelmsen's findings match what he sees in his own work. "It's important to understand why people react differently to the climate problem, so we can find good solutions together," he says... (MORE - missing details)
RE: Climate scepticism isn’t really about the climate, says researcher (sociology) - Syne - Oct 26, 2025
Is The Climate Cult Losing? A New Poll Shows It Might Be.
The vast majority of Americans are no longer willing to pay a $1 monthly fee to supposedly help combat climate change, signaling a major shift in attitude from just years ago.
A poll released on Thursday from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) found that only 38% of Americans are on board with paying a $1 monthly carbon fee.
Back in 2021, 52% of Americans were willing to pay the supposed climate-fighting fee.
Unsurprisingly, as the hypothetical fee goes up from $1 monthly to $10 or $20, only 3 in 10 Americans are okay with paying up. And only 2 in 10 said they would pay $75 or $100 monthly.
Climate activism has become a key issue for Democrats in recent years. High-profile politicians like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NYC), for example, famously said back in 2019 that the world would end in 12 years if we don’t drastically address climate change.
...
Old-school environmental activism, like protecting conservation lands and wildlife, was, however, supported by a vast majority of Americans, at 70%.
RE: Climate scepticism isn’t really about the climate, says researcher (sociology) - confused2 - Oct 26, 2025
^^ This is a story about people .. it has nothing to do with science or 'global warming'.
Let's say a meteor is detected, likely to hit the US in 5 years with a 95% probability of wiping out all life in North America.
The same people..
I think the scientists are wrong .. clearly .. 95% .. they don't even know themselves.
I don't see why I should pay anything to stop it.
Meteors have been hitting the Earth for billions of years and we're still here.
Our glorious leader says it's a hoax.
Our glorious leader is better at forecasting meteorite impacts than any scientist.
I'll wait and see what happens on the day.
They just want to control us.
If I had a bottle of JB for every time I heard a story about the end of the world..
Just folks being folks.
RE: Climate scepticism isn’t really about the climate, says researcher (sociology) - Syne - Oct 26, 2025
^^ Typical leftist ideologue making up bullshit hypotheticals to bolster their own climate hysteria.
All stories about what people should do to avert supposed climate catastrophe are about people. Few people have any problem with the science. They have a problem with the proposed solutions, and their partisan political bent.
RE: Climate scepticism isn’t really about the climate, says researcher (sociology) - confused2 - Oct 26, 2025
Quote:^^ Typical leftist ideologue making up bullshit hypotheticals to bolster their own climate hysteria.Typical nonsense in an attempt to discredit anyone revealing truths that might make some people appear .. whatever..
Quote:.. They have a problem with the proposed solutions, and their partisan political bent.
So people have a problem with 'other people' .. "I'd do X if it wasn't for the 'other people'" .. wow .. real insight happening here.
RE: Climate scepticism isn’t really about the climate, says researcher (sociology) - Syne - Oct 26, 2025
(Oct 26, 2025 07:57 PM)confused2 Wrote:Making up bullshit about meteors isn't "revealing truths." Although the language of "revealed truth" is certainly telling of a quasi-religious ideology.Quote:^^ Typical leftist ideologue making up bullshit hypotheticals to bolster their own climate hysteria.Typical nonsense in an attempt to discredit anyone revealing truths that might make some people appear .. whatever..
Quote:Quote:.. They have a problem with the proposed solutions, and their partisan political bent.
So people have a problem with 'other people' .. "I'd do X if it wasn't for the 'other people'" .. wow .. real insight happening here.
No, no ones is saying they'd go along with leftist solutions, if not for the leftists. Their supposed solutions are inherently leftist. That's why leftists like/push them.
Impractical, overly idealistic, and damaging schemes are such, no matter who touts them.
RE: Climate scepticism isn’t really about the climate, says researcher (sociology) - confused2 - Oct 26, 2025
Unfortunately you see..
[quote]Making up bullshit about meteors[quote]
as a leftist action and are unable to see that the same people would respond in the same way regardless of threat or origin of threat. Make the threat 'communism' and the responses would be entirely different .. but that's another story.
As usual I value your opinion and the insights it gives into the US psyche.
RE: Climate scepticism isn’t really about the climate, says researcher (sociology) - Syne - Oct 26, 2025
Yes, you literally making up a hypothetical about a meteor, is bullshit when compared to real responses to leftist solutions for climate change.
No, the response wouldn't be the same, but you seem too busy making broad stereotypes to care about that. You're obviously not making any valuable insights.