Convincing Climate Change Deniers?

One of the issues I have been mulling over in my mind since Troy’s discussions is the feasibility of convincing those who do not yet accept climate change. Much of Troy’s scientific presentation was review for me, and the basics of global climatic heating have been around for thirty years and more. Given all of this time that has been spent trying to convince recalcitrant climate change deniers, with denial still fairly strong in the United States, does it make sense to continually try to persuade these deniers?

My answer is no. At this point, from my perspective, climate change deniers have reasons that logical argument and scientific facts will not overcome. From where I stand, the two major reasons for continuing climate change denial are ideological and economic. Those with an ideological bias against recognizing ACC have a problem with the solutions, which include government intervention in energy and renewables markets, carbon taxes, etc. As they find any government intervention in economics abhorrent, they will deny up and down that there is any need for increased regulations. From the economic side, there are people whose incomes, some of them very high, are dependent on the fossil fuels industry. When it means literally taking food out of their mouths, even for the benefit of the many, or the greater good, it is exceedingly unlikely that these deniers will come around.

So, this means that continually investing in public education of adult ideological/economic climate change deniers is probably a waste of money and time. All of the preceding does not include children in schools, who may not have the ideological and economic biases that act as barriers to accepting science. In my view, it seems more effective to go directly to educated, responsible policymakers and lobby them for implementation of effective policies. These policies include carbon taxes, increased public investment in renewable energy, and changes in government subsidy structures to favor renewable energy industries instead of fossil fuels as well as increased individual tax incentives and subsidies to convert homes, businesses and the automobile fleet into renewable energy consumers.