The first stage of climate change denial is the insistence that Earth’s climate is not changing. Over the past three decades, oil companies and other interest groups that depend on fossil fuels have attempted to convince the public that climate change is not taking place. Internal emails from 1981 show that Exxon Mobil knew that burning fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas, contributes to climate change, but they funded research and lobbying that denied the existence of climate change. As a result, Exxon is facing investigation by the New York attorney general for lying about climate change to shareholders and to the public.

The second stage of climate change denial is marked by acceptance that climate change is happening, but failure to admit this change is caused by humans. This view is popular among Republicans in Congress. For example, 49 Republican senators voted against the Schatz amendment to the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act. The amendment stated that “climate change is real; and human activity significantly contributes to climate change.” Sen. Richard Burr from North Carolina, who is up for reelection in November, voted against the Schatz amendment even though he voted for a resolution that stated “climate change is real and not a hoax.”

Eventually, the ever growing mountain of evidence will make it difficult to deny that human actions are the primary cause of recent climate change. In June 2016, 31 of the most prominent U.S. science societies sent a letter to Congress stating that “observations throughout the world make it clear that climate change is occurring, and rigorous scientific research concludes that the greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the primary driver.”  

Non-scientists already notice the effects of climate change. Without swift international action to end the use of fossil fuels and to mitigate the effects of climate change, millions of people will be displaced by coastal flooding. Many others will be harmed by the increased frequency of heatwaves and droughts. Ecosystems that humans depend on may be critically damaged and many species will face extinction.   

The final stage of climate change denial involves begrudging acceptance that climate change is real, dangerous and human caused, combined with a paradoxical refusal to change our behavior even when our survival and wellbeing depends on it. Already some scientists have proposed drastic measures such as seeding the ocean with iron to promote carbon sequestration by encouraging algae growth. Attempts at geoengineering may sound promising, but they pose considerable dangers to ecosystems that humans depend on.   

While our climate’s future may look bleak, there is still a lot that we can do. I urge students who are concerned about the future of our planet’s climate to vote for Deborah Ross for U.S. Senate this November. Ross is endorsed by the League of Conservation Voters and by the Sierra Club. I also suggest that students join Climate Reality Project in their efforts to hold NC State to its promise to cut carbon emissions.

Carl Hintz is a junior studying mathematics and chemistry.