Globe keeps warming, but public perception is cooling

Nature is doing a pretty good job all on its own, or at least with decided help from humans, but despite that the public perception of global warming is cooling.

Frankl Luntz.

A recent story published in Britain’s “The Independent” newspaper headed: “World cools on global warming as green fatigue sets in” explains how worldwide concerns about climate change have dropped dramatically since 2009.

Climate change, on a human time scale, is a long range affair and most people, conditioned by our instant world in which gratification needs to be immediate to be of any consequence, seem unable to equate personally, or in any other way, with something that is not concrete or maybe several years off.

Climate change, despite what the vocal skeptics or doubters tell us, is here now and to see it were simply need to open our eyes and beyond that, allow the scientists of the world, who are traditionally poor at using metaphor to help us understand the apocalyptic shape the world is taking on.

Those of us convinced of the reality of climate change should take advice from the American Republican Party’s master wordmeister, Frank Luntz, who said: "There’s a simple rule: You say it again, and you say it again, and you say it again, and you say it again, and you say it again, and then again and again and again and again, and about the time that you absolutely sick of saying it is about the that time your target audience has heard it for the first time.”

People will not be convinced by scientific facts that explain and detail the realities of climate change, rather the persuasive use of the language using metaphor and simile to illustrate the implications of the damage humans have done to the atmosphere.