This makes it very odd that a significant percentage of the American population doubts that global climate change is occurring at all -- especially since we are a nation that claims to believe in and be supportive of science and scientists. In fact, a larger percentage of Americans deny the existence of global climate change than in any other developed nation (and most of the undeveloped nations).
I can understand why many Americans deny evolutionary science. That denial has a basis in fundamental religious beliefs. But environmental science is a different matter. It has nothing to do with the the fundamental beliefs of any religion -- whether you believe it is happening or not. All I can figure is that there is a basic distrust of science in general that is growing in this country, and people are becoming more willing to put not only their religion, but also their political ideology above the rational findings of scientists. Either that or many people are extremely ignorant of what scientists have discovered and are reporting.
I don't know what else could account for the results of this poll (and many others that have discovered similar feelings). The poll was done by the Yale University Project on Climate Change Communication and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. They surveyed 1,010 adults nationwide between the dates of April 23rd to May 12th (and the survey has a margin of error of 3 points). Her are some of their almost unbelievable findings:
PERCENTAGE WHO FEEL THEY ARE VERY/FAIRLY WELL INFORMED ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING.
National average...............65%
Democrats...............59%
Independents...............64%
Republicans...............67%
Teabaggers...............85%
PERCENTAGE WHO BELIEVE GLOBAL WARMING IS REAL.
National average...............65%
Democrats...............78%
Independents...............71%
Republicans...............53%
Teabaggers...............34%
Isn't it amazing that the same people who claim to be the best informed about global climate change (the teabaggers) are the same people who deny its existence the most? Obviously they are not getting their information from real scientists. It's probably coming from America's right-wing propaganda network -- Fox News. Here are some other interesting poll results:
GLOBAL WARMING IS CAUSED MAINLY BY HUMAN ACTIVITIES.
National average...............46%
Democrats...............62%
Independents...............43%
Republicans...............36%
Teabaggers...............19%
MOST SCIENTISTS THINK GLOBAL WARMING IS HAPPENING.
National average...............41%
Democrats...............55%
Independents...............46%
Republicans...............29%
Teabaggers...............10%
THERE IS A LOT OF DISAGREEMENT AMONG SCIENTISTS ABOUT WHETHER GLOBAL WARMING IS HAPPENING.
National average...............41%
Democrats...............24%
Independents...............40%
Republicans...............56%
Teabaggers...............69%
PERCENTAGE OF THOSE WORRIED ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING.
National Average...............54%
Democrats...............72%
Independents...............53%
Republicans...............38%
Teabaggers...............24%
WHEN THERE IS A CONFLICT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BEFORE ECONOMIC GROWTH.
National average...............64%
Democrats...............78%
Independents...............66%
Republicans...............51%
Teabaggers...............44%
And one more question -- on a different topic. While this has nothing to do with global warming, it does show just how out of touch with reality some people, especially the teabaggers, really are.
PERCENTAGE WHO SAY DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MINORITIES IS STILL A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN OUR SOCIETY.
National average...............62%
Democrats...............79%
Independents...............67%
Republicans...............46%
Teabaggers...............31%
Democrats have done more to hurt race relations in this country than anyone. Democrats need to keep everyone segregated and in their tidy little minority groups so that they can be victims. It's nothing more than white guilt. I can still hear Obama saying, "and did I mention I was black"? Conservatives don't really care what color you are as long as you are a productive, law abiding member of society. If you want people to read your blog and respectfully debate with you, you might want to drop terms like "teabagger". Tea bagging is slang for putting testicles into someone's mouth. When I hear someone using a term like that mixed in with what appears to be intelligent conversation, I immediately dismiss them as angry. Why can't liberals accept that we don't all think the same. Aren't you guys supposed to be the open minded ones? Or does open minded mean that I am free to think what I want as long as I agree with you and if I don't you'll have a nasty name waiting for me?
ReplyDeleteP.S. - In regard to one of the Laws of Thermodynamics, the conservation of energy, in that matter cannot be created or destroyed, it can only change form, please explain to me in scientific terms where all of the matter in the universe came from.
P.S.S. - I will debate evolution with you in scientific terms any day of the week. There is no fossil evidence of "macro" evolution, only "micro" evolution. Even Steve Gould one of the worlds leading evolutionary scientists admitted that the lack of a transitional fossil for any species was the achilles heel to the theory. Where is the fossil of a fish with partially form legs that don't quite fully function yet? Where is the fossil of a land animal with little wing buds on their way to forming fully functional wings.
You see, we all believe different things and we all put a great deal of faith into the areas that we can't fully explain. But that doesn't make me or you a bad person. Your blog would be a lot better without all of your negative attacks on those you disagree with. It's easy to say things like, "Libtard" or "Liberalism is a mental disorder". It's just not very nice.
1. I use the term teabagger because that's what the members called themselves -- until they figured out what it meant. I will continue to use it. This is my blog -- not yours and I will decide what I write.
ReplyDelete2. Neither of us knows where matter or energy comes from. You have chosen to believe a myth and I have chosen not to.
3. Evolution is a fact. I see no reason to debate it with a myth-believer. It's pointless.
4. I never called you a bad person.
1. Wrong. Also, yes, it is your blog and you can decide what to write. I'm pretty sure that was understand. I'll repeat it for clarity, it's easier to dismiss someone like yourself who resorts to name calling than to take you seriously.
ReplyDelete2. If you don't know where it comes from, how do you know my belief is a myth?
3. It's interesting that you won't debate it yet Phd evolutionary scientists will. You won't debate it because it's not something you have spent a lot of time studying. I'd like to discuss carbon dating, radio isotope dating, probability, closed systems such as the circulatory system in the human body. If you are a person of science, you would more than gladly and readily have answers for all of my questions.
4. You didn't specifically call me a bad person, it's inferred by your over tone.
5. The difference between me and you is that I don't pretend to be open minded. You are as rigid in your ideology as anyone else.