In America, Global Warming Doesn't Even Register.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 04.24.06
gratuitous picture of cute animal affected by global warming. suck on that, Cuteoverload!
Click on the amazing graph from yesterday's New York Times article on American opinion about global warming.(below the fold) It doesn't even register as a serious issue. Even when asked about environmental issues, it rates near the bottom, above acid rain and below the ozone hole. We think that Green is going mainstream in America as we read our Vanity Fair, Elle, Time and even Wallpaper this month, but we may be wrong. We are not even on the radar.
From the Times article: "I wish I were more optimistic of our ability to get a broad slice of the public to understand this and be motivated to act," said David G. Hawkins, who directs the climate program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, a private group. In an e-mail message, he wrote: "We are sensory organisms; we understand diesel soot because we can smell it and see it. Getting global warming is too much of an intellectual process. Perhaps pictures of drowning polar bears (which we are trying to find) will move people but even there, people will need to believe that those drownings are due to our failure to build cleaner power plants and cars." ::New York Times
If you read the full poll the subject of environment is framed badly, as if you can not have conservation without loss of economic growth for example; and "environment" is inferred to be "epa regs",. The results are just what one would expect from a bad design. Sadly, this is what will inform our leaders.
i focus on the positive news, for example to read that their is an gasoline/hydrogen car built by mazda ( http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/02/mazda_begins_le.html
), possibly this car could be enhanced with flex-fuel gadget, so i would be a hybrid ethanol/petrol-gasoline/hydrogen car, giving the consumer the optimum of choice
i believe it is the good feeling of acting environmently-friendly, which helps consumers to choose bright green products ... more than the bad feeling of behaving in a heavy pollutional way
reading an article in bbc s green room at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4856106.stm
strengthens the focus on empowering consumer by letting them experiencing joy with being eco-friendly, in this case, a group of sustainable energy consultants is giving the britain governement advise how to support the installation of micropower devices at people s home
I wouldn't worry about it. I agree with JL that the framing is part of the problem.
In any case, note that political leverage has little to do with these kinds of polls, which only reflect the most immediate worries of the "average joe".
Consider that Moral and Family Values got the same 2% as Environment. Does anyone believe for a second that the Christian Right has political clout anywhere so low as that number would suggest? I wish we had the same leverage as the Christian Right. Perhaps we do, and if so we should try to improve our ability to make it count.
I wouldn't worry about it. I agree with JL that the framing is part of the problem.
In any case, note that political leverage has little to do with these kinds of polls, which only reflect the most immediate worries of the "average joe".
Consider that Moral and Family Values got the same 2% as Environment. Does anyone believe for a second that the Christian Right has political clout anywhere so low as that number would suggest? I wish we had the same leverage as the Christian Right. Perhaps we do, and if so we should try to improve our ability to make it count.
Maybe it's time for a new name for global warming. While I hate the idea of having to "brand it," as if it were toothpaste, it's clear that most people hear 'global warming' and think, what's so bad about that? (more days wearing shorts and T-shirts!). Of course, Republicans don't help at all, with their ridiculous denials of the scientific evidence, but until this country has decent leadership maybe we need to come up with new ways to get those 60 million people who voted for W to understand how serious this problem is. Then again, maybe they'll think, 'Oh, goody, all those liberals in New York and LA will be underwater, and we'll still be safe and dry, reading our Bibles and talking about family values.' Sigh.
I read a blog a few weeks ago that made a very good point about "Global Warming" not being a good phrase in terms of public relations. As CA pointed out, what sounds bad about "global warming"
We need to start using terminology like "planetary oven effect" or "global sizzle".
LA: you should read Seth Godin on "Atmosphere cancer" in an earlier treehugger post
Renaming 'global warming' won't help if it comes with the same old FUD. What needs to happen is that politics needs to be pulled out of the equation, and the unadulterated facts need to be communicated. Unfortunately, most treehuggers are no better at spotting good science than most Republican (and Democrat) lawmakers. The result is that people continue to be marginallized by extremists on both sides of the issue.
Not to mention the recent PBS show about Sunlight Dimming...
I think there are factors from all over the globe of IMBALANCE that we can't elect or buy our way out of. All indicators from global warming to peak oil to civil unrest spell worsening times ahead PARTICULARLY if those with their heads in the sand and their feet on the SUV pedal refuse to face facts. We are looking at those very people's grand kids having a life of $20 gal gas, drastic food shortages, crimewaves of have-nots targeting the haves (read their grand kids)...
I think that our kid's and grand kid's generations are going to live at far lower standards than we plunderously enjoy, and perhaps there is a good word for that:
GRANDCHILDOCIDE
The good news is that we have choices and options and the global technology and ingenuity to reverse this trend. I for one promote and practice petals-to-petals ecomomics:
Drive less, bike more, and get healtier at the save time.
http://pedaleconomics.blogspot.com
If you want video on dead polar bears, CNN did a spot on their decline.
View it here
Renaming 'global warming' won't help if it comes with the same old FUD. What needs to happen is that politics needs to be pulled out of the equation, and the unadulterated facts need to be communicated. Unfortunately, most treehuggers are no better at spotting good science than most Republican (and Democrat) lawmakers. The result is that people continue to be marginallized by extremists on both sides of the issue.
I Hate you Liberal Tree Huggin' Bed Wetters!!!