Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Translations Of Climate Change: Perspectives From A Florida Suburb, Christopher Noel Metzger

Suburban Sustainability

A disconnect exists between the scientific knowledge of global climate change, arguably the most important issue of our time, and the publics’ interpretations and acceptance of that knowledge. Without broad-based public support for mitigation policies and adaption strategies, irreversible climate “tipping points” could be breached, according to some of the most prominent climate scientists, over the course of the next few decades. This study examines why the preponderance of scientific evidence surrounding climate change has not produced a sea change in public perceptions of the climate change problem consistent with the dire projections of climate science. This cognitive disjuncture is …