Blowing hot and cold: U.S. belief in climate change shifts with weather

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/2013/02/05/blowing-hot-and-cold-u-s-belief-in-climate-change-shifts-with-weather/

[font face=Serif]Media Release | Feb. 5, 2013

[font size=5]Blowing hot and cold: U.S. belief in climate change shifts with weather[/font]

[font size=3]A University of British Columbia study of American attitudes toward climate change finds that local weather – temperature, in particular – is a major influence on public and media opinions on the reality of global warming.

The study, published today by the journal Climatic Change, finds a strong connection between U.S. weather trends and public and media attitudes towards climate science over the past 20 years – with skepticism about global warming increasing during cold snaps and concern about climate change growing during hot spells.

…

While many factors affect climate change attitudes – political views, media coverage, personal experience and values – the researchers suggest that headline-making weather can strongly influence climate beliefs, especially for individuals without strong convictions for or against climate change.

“Our study demonstrates just how much local weather can influence people’s opinions on global warming,” says Donner. “We find that, unfortunately, a cold winter is enough to make some people, including many newspaper editors and opinion leaders, doubt the overwhelming scientific consensus on the issue.”[/font][/font]

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10584-012-0690-3

(See also: http://www.democraticunderground.com/112734239 )

[Lionessa]

1. I think the fact that it was initially and still generally called global "warming" that has

much to do with current weather effecting opinions. That meme "warming" should have been nixed right away. Additionally, look at local news, there's 10 minutes of news for 20 minutes of weather, local forecasting of current and near future weather. We are forced to focus on the here and now daily when it comes to weather, and with a lot of dedication. And yet even more, we all see the weather with all it's 20 minutes of explanations as to how it is being forecast not doing as forecasters tell us it will. Even tomorrow's forecast has a potential to be wrong, and a 10 day forecast will change many times before day 10 becomes day 1. I think there are many reason that this phenomenon occurs and they are not altogether illogical, even if they're wrong.

[truebluegreen]

2. And if that isn't an indictment of Americans'

"I only know what I can see" attitude, I don't know what is.

Where the eff is critical thinking? The ability to add 2 and 2, or Dog Forbid, extrapolate from the evidence?