On Climate Change, a Disconnect Between Attitudes and Behavior

[Frodo]

Do any of you find this applies to your own experiences?

On Climate Change, a Disconnect Between Attitudes and Behavior
A new study finds climate change skeptics are more likely to behave in eco-friendly ways than those who are highly concerned about the issue.

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[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

This is surprising. Of course many who pretend to give a sh**t about climate change are actually making it worse, see Justin Trudeau.

[136or142]

I don't think there is anywhere near enough information presented to draw any broad conclusions and I don't think the researchers should be drawing any broad conclusions either.  First, the study was of only 400 people, and second, it didn't mention any stratification of the people in the study.

There can be all sorts of reasons why the people studied correlated into these groups, but that concerns about global warming was not the causation.  Those who professed to be concerned about climate change may have been wealthier, so they didn't have to take public transit or use reusable bags as much as the professed deniers.  

In regards to the outlier there, their use of eco-friendly products,  It could be that the beliefs in Alex Jones' conspiracy theories are even more prevalent with climate deniers than even I might think.  There are a lot of Jones' loony conspiracy theories that line up with environmental practices, even though he is not an environmentalist.  In this case it could be that their use of eco friendly products was caused by fears of GMOs or chem trails, and nothing to do with their views on global warming.

Certainly drawing large conclusions from a small study and mistaking correlation with causation are frequent valid criticisms of social scientists, even though these social scientists really should know better than to make these mistakes.

[dead0man]

This is not suprising at all.  Just because you don't drink the kool aid when it comes to climate change doesn't mean you straight up don't give a sh**t about the environment.  Hunters do a lot for the environment for example, way more than the average person that "worries about climate change".  How many people that care about it drink case after case of bottled water?  How many of them are anti-GMO?

[136or142]

This is not suprising at all.  Just because you don't drink the kool aid when it comes to climate change doesn't mean you straight up don't give a sh**t about the environment.  Hunters do a lot for the environment for example, way more than the average person that "worries about climate change".  How many people that care about it drink case after case of bottled water?  How many of them are anti-GMO?

This is the usual propaganda that hunters put out.  There is no real evidence that they collectively give a rat's ass about the environment.

[dead0man]

drink a lot of bottled water heh?

[KingSweden]

Anecdotally I’ve seen this be the case.

[Mr. Smith]

Probably because those worried about it feel guilty they aren't doing enough and/or live in a dense place where simple actions carry a lot more weight compared to deniers who mostly do these environmentally friendly actions because they are common sense to them and thus see no shame in reportin' it.

I didn't look at the study myself, but taking a guess between the article and reactions here, that's what I can surmise.


Still doesn't mean overall even close to what's implied.

[dead0man]

Probably because those worried about it feel guilty they aren't doing enough and/or live in a dense place where simple actions carry a lot more weight compared to deniers who mostly do these environmentally friendly actions because they are common sense to them and thus see no shame in reportin' it.

so, you're calling BS on this because city folk are too ashamed to report the good things they do for the environment and deniers feel no shame (because they don't live in a dense place?) and have a common sense that the urban dwellers don't have.  That's goofy and insulting to everybody.

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oh, well now your comments makes sense!

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you sure?

[Torie]

Well, Al Gore flew around a lot in a private jet as I recall. And he lives alone in a mansion. Very energy inefficient. Yeah, hypocrisy here is rampant in my opinion.

Meanwhile I accidentally am planet friendly in one instance: I don't like the A/C on (yeah NY is suddenly hot after being an ice box), and I keep telling my partner Dan to turn it off and use the ceiling fan, and if he is too hot, just run around near naked.

On the other hand, I am an enemy of the planet because Dan and I really enjoy "wasting" gas tooling around to dog parks and other places in the glorious area in which I live. A few days ago, it was a 120 mile drive to North Adams, Mass and back, to visit the dog part there next to the massive MOCA museum.

[mvd10]

Who would have thought that #woke 'it's not the destination, it's the journey' latte liberals book much more flights to far-flung destinations such as Angkor Wat than rural Americans.

[AtorBoltox]

Even if true the actions of governments have way more impact than individuals so being a climate denier means you’re worse for the environment, even if in your personal life you are more eco friendly

[dead0man]

Even if true the actions of governments have way more impact than individuals so being a climate denier means you’re worse for the environment, even if in your personal life you are more eco friendly

does feeling that way make you feel better when you throw yet another watter bottle in the trash?  Does it wash away the guilt?


It shouldn't.

[Strudelcutie4427]

Accurate. I don’t believe in climate change but I recycle and don’t take my car everywhere. I have a friend who’s a hard core liberal climate change belieber who takes his car down the street to get coffee (on a warm day). Also Leonardo DiCaprio/George Clooney/etc take their private jets everywhere

[136or142]

Well, Al Gore flew around a lot in a private jet as I recall. And he lives alone in a mansion. Very energy inefficient. Yeah, hypocrisy here is rampant in my opinion.

Al Gore's mansion is completely powered with solar energy.  If you are using Republican smears, you should be aware they're lies.

For those critiquing George Clooney and Leonardo diCaprio here (and maybe deservedly so) I think it's safe to say neither the Koch Brothers nor Rupert Murdoch weren't part of the 400 people in the study. They would have completely skewed this small sample the other way.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Meanwhile I accidentally am planet friendly in one instance: I don't like the A/C on (yeah NY is suddenly hot after being an ice box), and I keep telling my partner Dan to turn it off and use the ceiling fan, and if he is too hot, just run around near naked.

Why do I doubt that is for environmental reasons? 

[Burke Bro]

I'm a climate change "believer", and I try my best to reduce my carbon footprint (although there are still things I can improve upon). I recycle more than I throw in the trash, avoid drinking out of disposable plastic water bottles, walk to most places instead of drive, and I don't turn on the lights when it's sunny outside and I can just open the blinds.

[AtorBoltox]

The idea that confronting the climate crisis in a meaningful way involves Everyone Strapping Their Belts as opposed to radically altering our inherently expansionist (and, consequentially, unsustainable) economic system is as counter-intuitive as interpreting the phenomenon of climate change denial as a matter of correcting common ignorance as opposed to taking on the entrenched interests who spend billions on misinformation campaigns in order to shore up their right to make Bank on destroying the Planet.

Prescisely. This is a very foolish thread based an a foolish study

[Progressive Pessimist]

I'm a climate change "believer", and I try my best to reduce my carbon footprint (although there are still things I can improve upon). I recycle more than I throw in the trash, avoid drinking out of disposable plastic water bottles, walk to most places instead of drive, and I don't turn on the lights when it's sunny outside and I can just open the blinds.

I do all the same things you do. I wish I could say the same for my family. They complain whenever I tell them to do something as simple as sorting our refuse. Of course if we, as Americans, really want to reduce our carbon footprint we need to vote for politicians who will support such policies and initiatives, that is to say, not the Republicans.