Increased knowledge about global warming leads to apathy, study shows

[Mugu]

Texas A&M University, Kelli Levey

COLLEGE STATION – The more you know the less you care – at least that seems to be the case with global warming. A telephone survey of 1,093 Americans by two Texas A&M University political scientists and a former colleague indicates that trend, as explained in their recent article in the peer-reviewed journal Risk Analysis.

“More informed respondents both feel less personally responsible for global warming, and also show less concern for global warming,” states the article, titled “Personal Efficacy, the Information Environment, and Attitudes toward Global Warming and Climate Change in the USA.”

The study showed high levels of confidence in scientists among Americans led to a decreased sense of responsibility for global warming.

The diminished concern and sense of responsibility flies in the face of awareness campaigns about climate change, such as in the movies An Inconvenient Truth and Ice Age: The Meltdown and in the mainstream media’s escalating emphasis on the trend.


Complete article at:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-03/tau-ika032708.php

[Uncle Joe]

1. Well this paragraph caught my eye

The research was conducted by Paul M. Kellstedt, a political science associate professor at Texas A&M; Arnold Vedlitz, Bob Bullock Chair in Government and Public Policy at Texas A&M’s George Bush School of Government and Public Service; and Sammy Zahran, formerly of Texas A&M and now an assistant professor of sociology at Colorado State University.

This seems to fly in the face of common sense unless it's sort of like the so many stages of death, where the final one is acceptance, maybe the people most knowledgeable have accepted our demise?

One thing is for sure, the Europeans don't seem so apathetic.

"Climate change 'a major threat to business', firms tell survey"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3243680

"Martin Caddick , leader of the business continuity management team at insurance and risk advisory firm Marsh, said while most firms had accurately identified climate change and energy risk among the biggest challenges, fewer had been successful in tackling them head on.

"A lack of preparedness continues to be a major issue for European firms in today's turbulent times," he said.

The survey also showed shortcomings and risks of outsourcing and offshoring practices as another top concern.

More than half (65%) those surveyed said they were worried that they had underestimated and poorly understood the associated risks, 61% were concerned about the failure of suppliers, and 46% said they were not prepared for interruptions to services."