Climate Science

The debate over climate change has always puzzled me personally. Its consequences threaten humanity’s ability to survive on this planet and this fact alone seems significant enough to transcend any partisan or political divisions. The unique challenge of climate change and the pervasiveness of its causes throughout our economy may explain why it meets so much resistance. Some may seem threatened by policy prescriptions to fight climate change that ask society to fundamentally change the way it functions. Any challenge to an economic mindset of growth, expansion, and increased consumption can understandably be viewed with skepticism as it contrasts with free market orthodoxy. As a result, a false choice has been created between investing in our economy and protecting our environment leading many who are hard hit by the recession to question measures aimed at curbing greenhouse emissions.

Both websites are interesting. While I am biased towards the Grist perspective, I think the very existence of the Friends of Science website speaks to the difficulty surrounding dealing with climate change. With so many interests so invested in maintaining the lucrative status quo, any challenge to the current economic structure and addressing climate change, any debate between climate skeptics and advocates provides effective fuel for their misinformation. The politicization of science is extraordinarily unfortunate especially considering the ‘climategate’ controversy and other episodes of the climate debate. I hope that skeptics and advocates can resolve their differences in time to make the changes necessary to confront climate change and forge a more sustainable future.