Articles by David Roberts

There aren’t that many skeptics left, and they aren’t the problem

Coby Beck has an entertaining and informative series of posts called "How to Talk to a Global Warming Skeptic," if you're into that sort of thing.

But let me hazard an assertion: Maybe it doesn't matter all that much how to convince a global warming skeptic. Why? Because there aren't that many.

Head over to ES&T and read about a series of surveys done in four countries -- the U.S., U.K., Sweden, and Japan -- on climate change and related subjects. The way it's written up is a bit opaque, to say the least, but there are a few clear results (FYI: I've also got a copy of the original paper, which is behind a subscription wall).

Acceptance that global warming is a real problem is above 90% in all four countries.

The U.S. does have a small, hard core of skeptics -- around 7%, compared to 3% max for other countries. But I don't see why that 7% should be the focus of so much attention.

Here's a more important finding:

Global warming was ranked as the one of the top two environmental problems facing their country by 55% in the Swedish survey and 49% in the British survey, far ahead of any other environmental problems. In the U.S., however, global warming was only ranked fifth at 21% after water pollution, ecosystem destruction, overpopulation, and toxic waste.

Now, one way to react to this might be to say: Sure, Americans accept that global warming is a problem, but they don't understand how bad a problem it is. So the solution is ... more facts!

I disagree.

Human beings are not rational creatures. We make decisions, set priorities, establish habits based on a whole range of factors: personal history, peer groups, identity, taste, serotonin levels, whatever.

Priorities

The Bush administration spent more than $1.6 billion over a 30-month period on public relations and advertising contracts to promote its policies and programs, according to a report released yesterday by the nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress.

By way of comparison, Bush's much-heralded Advanced Energy Initiative pledges a total of $996 million to alternative energy research.

Bleg

Does anyone know, off the top of their head, of a company that's making money by working with poor people to improve their environmental and economic conditions?

(Random question, I know.)

(Definition of "bleg" here.)

The future

This makes me want to cry.