Exaggeration in the debate over climate change is commonplace, and public figures on both sides, including former Vice President Al Gore and conservative columnist George Will, are guilty of stretching the facts, according to a New York Times article.
Social scientists say those who hope to convince the public of the need for climage change action have an uphill battle to fight, as many Americans are confused about climate change or are relatively unconcerned.
A paper to be published in the March-April edition of the journal Environment, suggests that heightened language of crisis and catastrophe, could actually be turning people away from the issue of climate change.
Read the full article at the link below.
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The famous Canadian scientist David Suzuki was widely quoted for saying this about the environment: “We’re in a giant car heading towards a brick wall and everyones arguing over where they’re going to sit”. Dr. Suzuki was widely ridiculed by the press as being overly alarmist. I believe Dr. Suzuki lost a little bit of credibility with the general public as a result. It’s difficult to pitch the right note. Too extreme and your viewed as an alarmist while too understated leads to understating the timeframe and risk. Best to coach statements in terms of facts and trends based on good science. Perhaps Dr. Suzuki should have said “We’re still debating whether there’s going to be serious environmental problems while little is being done about it”. Of course, Dr. Suzuki would have never been quoted had he uttered a less dramatic statement.