Evaluating arguments about climate change

Abstract

Despite the overwhelming body of evidence showing that human activity is altering the global climate, debates about climate change are characterised by an enormous amount of uncertainty. Some of this uncertainty stems from the science itself: important questions about the extent and impact of climatic changes remain unanswered. More uncertainty arises from policy debates about what constitutes 'dangerous' climate change and what mitigation and adaptation measures will be required to prevent it. However, among ordinary members of the public, a substantial amount of uncertainty remains about the reality of human-caused climate change. Why is it that a significant proportion of international public opinion has not been persuaded by arguments about climate change? In this chapter, I will outline some possible answers to this question. With reference to analyses of popular climate change media narratives, empirical data on climate change argument evaluation and the first-hand experiences of climate change communication experts, I will examine the way that people evaluate arguments about climate change.