The Deniers

If the experts agree on the existence and causes of climate change, why do some public opinion polls find that only about half or less than half of the American public is convinced that emissions from human activities bear responsibility?1,2

A small but vocal group has aggressively spread misinformation about the science, aiming to cast doubt on well-established findings and conclusions. Their goal is to create confusion and uncertainty, thereby preventing meaningful action to remedy the problem. The same strategy was used cynically for decades by the tobacco industry after research showed that cigarettes caused cancer. In fact, some of the same individuals who have spoken out against climate science also claimed that cigarettes were safe. The term “denialism”3 has been coined to describe them.

Description: gallup poll.gif
Response to the survey question "Do you think human activity is a significant contributing factor in changing mean global temperatures?" (Doran 2009)General public data come from a 2008 Gallup poll.

Many of the deniers share some traits:

  • Many have little or no expertise in climate science. While some have some science background, their training often is unrelated to climate science and they have not published “peer-reviewed” scientific work in climate or atmospheric science.
  • Many receive funding for their efforts from industries with a financial interest in ignoring climate change. Oil companies, coal-burning electric utilities, and other companies that make their profits from burning fossil fuels have funded denier organizations and scientists, just as tobacco companies funded people who claimed that second-hand smoke was safe.

A famous tobacco industry document from the late 1960s said, "Doubt is our product, since it is the best means of competing with the 'body of fact' that exists in the minds of the general public."4 It is a strategy that has worked, at least for awhile, in the past, and it is being repeated today. Because of the serious impacts of climate change, the delay and obfuscation tactics of the deniers are particularly concerning, which is why we present some responses to the denier arguments on this website.

References

1: Gallup. In U.S., Concerns about Global Warming Stable at Lower Levels. March 14, 2011.

2: Pika, Cara and Meredith Harr. American Climate Attitudes. May, 2011.

3: For more information on denialism, see Diethelm and McKee (2009). Denialism: what is it and how should scientists respond? European Journal of Public Health. 19(1): p. 2-4.

4: Brown and Williamson Tobacco Company. “Smoking and Health Proposal.” 1969. p. 4.