The United States of Denial
The United States of Denial
There's a big debate -- and it's one worth having -- over whether people spend too much time worrying about Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and company. As some have pointed out, the most popular primetime host on the Fox News Channel, Bill O'Reilly, draws just a fraction of the ratings that the supposedly dying network nightly newscasts receive. That's true, but the cumulative exposure to these right-wing gabbers -- especially Limbaugh, who even critics admit gets about 13 million daily "Dittohead" listeners -- is huge; they tend to control the conversation at places like the Thanksgiving dinner table, and they can influence the millions of folks mostly watching "American Idol" instead of American politics.
Case in point: Global warming. These conservative voices have been out on a limb these last few years, disputing what most of the world's top scientists report, which is that manmade pollution from greenhouse gases is warming the planet, with serious likely consequences. Are folks getting the conservative message? You bet.
There has been a sharp decline over the past year in the percentage of Americans who say there is solid evidence that global temperatures are rising. And fewer also see global warming as a very serious problem – 35% say that today, down from 44% in April 2008.
The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Sept. 30-Oct. 4 among 1,500 adults reached on cell phones and landlines, finds that 57% think there is solid evidence that the average temperature on earth has been getting warmer over the past few decades. In April 2008, 71% said there was solid evidence of rising global temperatures.
Over the same period, there has been a comparable decline in the proportion of Americans who say global temperatures are rising as a result of human activity, such as burning fossil fuels. Just 36% say that currently, down from 47% last year.
I wouldn't put this all on talk radio and Fox News Channel alone. While the mercury remains above average where it counts most, at the polar extremes, it's been more often cooler than normal in the United States, and the fact that stricter anti-pollution measures would have an impact on the not-recovering-so-much economy has a lot of people wishing that the whole notion of climate change would go away. Also, as many have noted, misinformation about climate change is heavily funded by industry groups -- but average citizens wouldn't know about their work were it not for the likes of Rush and Glenn.
The U.S. has long been the outlier around the world when it comes to public opinion about global warming -- but the fact that belief in the body of scientific evidence has declined even more is pretty astounding. Here's the latest news from the reality-based world:
Air temperatures over the Arctic Ocean reached an unprecedented 7 degrees Fahrenheit (4 Celsius) above normal in October-December of 2008.
_There is evidence that the higher air temperatures are causing changes in the air circulation in both the Arctic and northern mid-latitudes.
_The area covered by sea ice this summer was 25 percent below the average from 1979 to 2000...
But the forecast for any U.S. action is pretty cloudy, and I do think we can thank the folks on the right side of your radio for that. I'm sure they're very proud. Meanwhile, people can get worked up about Limbaugh and the bogus tale of the Obama thesis, but a saga like that is pure comedy gold, nothing more. What El Rushbo and his ilk have to say about the science of climate is deadly serious.
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Someone has a lot time on their hands...— camtheman- I think we have bigger fish to fry - how about the children that are murdered everyday? How about the deficit that our children and their children will be paying off for decades to come?? Also, stop blaming the conservatives. Everyone is to blame for the mess we are in. You are an idiot!— msvndy
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- Global warming is real and the observation of decreased polar and mountain ice volume proves it. However, because the weather in the US has been cooler than average the past couple of years, less Americans believe it. There is a difference between local, short-term weather and global climate change that most people don't appreciate because they don't travel or read information from outside of their local area.— M-star
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- More proof of global warming: Sarah Palin used to be able to walk to Russia from her house, now she has to swim.— M-star
TPS just because you beleive certain scientists , and sneer at any others that dont fit your little world doesnt make them wrong . There is growing eveidence that many scientists now beleive global warming/climate change isnt man made but wont release their findings because their grants are then suspended this is especially true in Europe , there to get government grants you have to agree in global warming/climate change or you lose out , now answer why would European governments not want more research done ? couldnt be because global warming/climate change is a liberal spin myth and a blatant attempt to 1 take more power from the citizenry and 2 raise yet more taxes under the 'green tax' banner ? hmm since thats exactly what they are doing there and its exactly what the present government here is trying to do I guess anything you post is pointless and more liberal spin . snippety snip snip— PAEnglish- Comment removed.
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I thought the American people voted FOR change in 2008? Now we are against change? Can you get your story straight? Climate change bad, hopenchange good, sex change great, spare change please, oil change, pitching change, keep the change.— Mr. Smith- Comment removed.
- Junk science at its best.— fcs25
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