Although we at Climate Reality Project Campus Corps at NC State hold a general consensus that climate change exists, not everyone has come to the same conclusion. As the New York Times points out, the messaging regarding climate change can be part of the reason for this.
According to Brad Plumer, the author of that New York Times article, some of Donald Trump’s tweets blatantly mock climate change and make it clear to climate change deniers that our nation’s leader is in agreement with them. For example, Trump has tweeted: “What the hell is going on with Global Waming [sic]? Please come back fast, we need you!” Even with the poor spelling, it is clear that he doesn’t take climate change seriously. While climate change deniers turn to tweets from Trump and climate change believers look to research scientific powerhouses like NASA and the World Wildlife Fund, those in the middle might not have a clear direction to form their beliefs on.
The article by the New York Times points out that people are quick to draw conclusions between their immediate environments and their beliefs in climate change. Because the gradual changes in the climate are not easily distinguished, people turn to the extreme weather changes to determine their stances on climate change.
Scientists have been able to more diligently demonstrate that climate change exists. However, ultimately, people trust their own experiences. Basically, those who are not polarized on either side of the “debate” would likely turn to their own experiences with climate change by looking at the immediate weather around them to determine what they believe.
As a climate change believer and a supporter of immediate action to reverse the effects of climate change, I find this alarming. According to a recent IPCC report, we only have 12 years to slow the effects of climate change. I personally think the effects of climate change are clear given the increase in extreme weather we have been experiencing. We cannot wait for more extreme weather to change people’s minds. Now is the time to take action and reverse our impact.
The Climate Reality Project at NC State is working towards divesting the current endowment fund from the fossil fuel industry. With the support of your signature, we can work towards mitigating the effects of subliminally negative climate change messaging. Support legislation like the Green New Deal and Climate Reality Project Campus Corps at NC State’s petition to make NC State divest from the fossil fuel industry to take action now.
Iman Usmani is a fourth-year studying statistics and economics and a member of the Climate Reality Project at NC State.
