Climate change is one of the biggest challenges the world is presently facing. The awareness of its threats associated with global temperature rises has led to the need to limit the emission of greenhouse gases. Arguments have been raised on the adequacy of the agreed targets for greenhouse gases reduction under the Kyoto protocol (and more recently, the UN’s 2030 SDGs) towards preventing detrimental climate change. The adequacy of these targets is however not much of a barrier as climate change skepticism has proven to be for a decade or more. When discussing skepticism among the general republic, it is expedient to note that skepticism has multiple meanings due to the many-sided nature of the climate change debate. A study by Rahmstorf in 2004 gave a clear and useful distinction on the kinds of skeptics that exist:
- Trend Skeptics: They do not believe there is an upward trend in global temperatures.
- Attribution Skeptics: They believe in climate change but do not believe it is as a result of human/anthropogenic activity. They believe it is more of a natural phenomenom.
- Impact Skeptics: They believe in climate change and its anthropogenic source but do not believe the impacts are as detrimental as they have been projected.
Whitemarsh, in his research in 2011, found that the proportion of the public that express some level of skepticism about climate change is larger than the proportion that do not believe in anthropogenic climate change. In other words, from his research, trend skeptics are more than attribution skeptics.
A survey (Eurobarometer, 2009) showed that 55% of the European public dissented that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have a marginal effect on climate change, while 30% agreed. A percentage higher than 44% also agree with this statement in the UK, whereas in the US, one in three believe that global warming is as a result of nature while only half believe it is due to anthropogenic activities.
It has indeed been a challenging task to convince people to make certain sacrifices as touching their lifestyle and partake in or support sustainable actions and developments in their community if they do not believe in climate change or/and its impact on their lives. Also, several papers have questioned the assumption that public belief or unbelief in climate change is greatly determined by the presence or absence of information about the issue.
These findings emphasize the fact that climate change skepticism is a major stumbling block to the development of a sustainable society and it is therefore expedient to properly comprehend the extent and causes of the existing kinds of climate change skepticism or uncertainty.
Causes or Factors of Climate Change Skepticism
- Presumed Lack of Personal Connection
This is for the Impact Skeptics. Findings from different studies (Whitmarsh 2009 and Weber 2010) show that most people do not believe the impacts of climate change pose a personal threat. This has resulted in the low ranking of climate change as a pressing concern and is seen as a spatially and temporally remote risk.
- Environmental Values and Political Affiliation
A research in the UK showed that people with low environmental values and a conservative voting had/have a tendency to be most doubtful of the reality and danger of climate change.
- Other Important Concerns
Financial concerns in the current economy of certain countries have been found to overshadow concerns about the environment.
- Age and Education
Surveys that have been conducted in Europe and the US have shown that older respondents lacking formal education had/have a tendency to the most skeptical about climate change.
- General Distrust in Environmental Science, Expertise and Communication
Some have argued, as seen in the documentary The Great Global Warming Swindle that aired in the UK in 2007, that anthropogenic climate change is a scam manufactured by anti-industrial environmentalists, journalists, politicians and scientists underpinned by unreliable scientific evidence.
- Individualistic Cultural Worldviews
The same information on climate change and its impacts may be processed differently according to or filtered through individual prior knowledge, cognitive abilities, values and worldviews and wider institutional and social factors.
Recommendation
From all that has been found and said on climate change skepticism, it is clear that mere provision and circulation of climate change information is unlikely to be effective. However, skeptics have been found to not hold onto their views very strongly and may therefore be convinced with properly tailored communication and engagement. A lot of surveys have been conducted in countries like the US and England and the opposite is the case for Nigeria. More surveys concerning climate change skepticism and its factors or causes need to be conducted in Nigeria so as to ascertain the types of skeptics in the country. This would greatly help in tailoring risk communications (and solutions) of climate change to different/specific audiences and their personal values as each audience requires a unique approach to inspire the desired behavioral change for a sustainable world.