Climate Change Denial Comes In Varied Forms

Dear Partners in Green,

There are countless reasons why I was, to put it mildly, upset by the results of the recent election. But the fact that this new administration denies the reality of Climate Change is, in my estimation, criminal. And climate change denial, I am learning, comes in varied forms. In addition to explicit denial, there is implicit denial, also termed soft climate change denial, which involves accepting scientific facts but not translating that acceptance into action. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

But I have also learned that there are devious and insidious forces at work thwarting efforts to control Climate Change. These include convincing the public that wind and solar energy don’t work, that rising sea levels help coral reefs flourish, and that climate scientists are corrupt. And the means to disseminate this false information is none other than YouTube! :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

From a recent CNN report:

Researchers gathered transcripts from more than 12,000 videos posted between 2018 and 2023 across 96 YouTube channels that have promoted climate denial and misinformation. Transcripts were analyzed by artificial intelligence to categorize the climate denial narratives used as either “old denial” or “new denial.” “New denial” content — attacks on solutions, the science, and the climate movement — now makes up about 70% of all climate denial claims posted on YouTube, up from 35% in 2018. “Old denial” claims — such as asserting that “global warming is not happening” — have declined, but attacks that climate solutions won’t work have surged. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Imran Ahmed, chief executive officer and founder of CCDH (Center for Countering Digital Hate), told CNN that the climate movement has won the argument that climate change is real and hurting our planet’s ecosystems. But he warned that “new denial” — focused on undermining solutions — could hold enormous influence over public opinion on climate action for decades to come. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Implicit Denial

I invite you to gauge yourself. Do you perhaps find yourself in that category of implicit denial, also termed soft climate change denial, which involves accepting scientific facts but not translating that acceptance into action?

Please, let us not be there, but rather let us translate our acceptance of the reality of global warming into action — into life changes. Counterintuitive though it may be, some distraught voters have headed to stores for solace rather than taking meaningful action. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

We cannot give up. There is too much at stake: the lives of our children and grandchildren, and the very future of our beautiful Earth.

Please:

• Curb your carbon footprint, your traveling, your shopping, and your consumption of meat. Learn where your bank invests, and if necessary, divest.
• Donate to environmental causes.
• Speak out.
• Write OP‒ED pieces for your local paper.
• Be on the correct side of history, as a legacy for your descendants.

Lyrics — “A Wall of Denial” by Stevie Ray Vaughan

A wall of denial, is falling down
Oh it’s fallin’ so hard, down to the ground
… (lyrics continue)

Thank you for being on this journey.

Wishing peace and health to you and your loved ones.

Keep hope alive.

Till next time,
Beth