Reconciling differences can be doubly difficult when climate change is the subject

Reconciling differences in views about anything is often difficult in the extreme, but such a task becomes doubly so when the conversation shifts to climate change.

Exploring this challenge on The Conversation are a Lecturer in Behavioural Studies and Politics at Monash University, Ana-Maria Bliuc, and a Professor at University of Western Sydney, Craig McGarty.

Their story: “Overcoming the social barriers to climate consensus” argues that simply telling people that they are stupid is unlikely to convince them of the merit of your own view.

They say it is tempting to think that people who disagree with you are mad, bad or simply stupid, but point out that not only are such judgements usually wrong, but do little to advance your argument.

“Despite there being a near consensus in the scientific community that the primary driver of climate change is anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions, and that we need to cut those emissions if we’re to keep global warming to a minimum, the public remains divided on the issue,” they write.