Why Are Americans So Ill-Informed on the Topic of Climate Change?

Fixing it would cut into to their profits.

Follow the money, and you'll rarely go wrong.

:headbang:
rocktivity

...extended family. In the end, its the same people that have to be catered-to no matter what old school industry you're in.

Here's my comment in the thread about Canadian perception of AGW:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x275818#275844

The US corp media hammered the reputations of the real scientists, while not holding the deniers accountable at all... A total free ride for the Exxon/Teabagger set.

The media's attitude took on this sort of "Oh, have they found the achilles heal of the scientists this week?" dimension as if there had to be something wrong that would at least make their claims muddled and "controversial". And sure enough they found something that worked. But the only thing that allowed the media to keep plugging away with the false 'controversy' was their refusal to hold the other side accountable in the same way, their precocious Exxon-Koch-fueled white little darlings; The ones who, at worst, are making those oh-so-understandable "mistakes".

The right wing operatives get a pass in the media. THAT'S why they can't convince the public. That's why ACORN was taken down. That's why we live increasingly in a klepto police state.

..that means every mouth-breathing barroom troglodyte thinks he can get one over on those effete "book-smart" ivory tower types every time it gets a bit chilly outside by a profanity-laden tirade that "proves" it's bullshit, while all his sycophants nod their road-atlas veined heads in chuckling agreement and the naive young staff take it all in as gospel.

I've seen that scene in all honesty hundreds of times. It's amazing how resistant it is to correction. I don't expect to get through to the troglodytes, who shut down all hearing to facts not based on their own narrow experience in prideful ignorance, but I have little success in convincing even their listeners.

MEMO TO SCIENTISTS AND SCIENCE WRITERS: Never, not *ever* allow a complex scientific phenomenon or theory to be given unchallenged a vernacular name, however accurate when thoroughly understood, that appears to contradict the personal experience or worldview of the masses. They are called the masses because they outnumber you, or your interested and at least minimally-informed audience, by hundreds if not thousands to one. You will never convince them of a "big bang" that is not like an explosion on Walker, Texas Ranger or "macroevolution" (a double airquote warranted perhaps) that does not mean momma gorilla gives birth to baby human, or yes indeed a "global warming" that not only allows for cold snaps but actually exacerbates them.

Yes, a label is necessary.

The “skeptics” already love to suggest that any change of terminology (e.g. using the phrase “Climate Change” instead of “Global Warming”) is tantamount to admitting that the whole thing is a hoax.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/16/white-house-global-warming-global-climate-disruption/

In my opinion the “main stream media” has to stop with the “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_balance">false balance” and “FOX News” should be restrained from lying.

Honestly, the FCC is policing dirty words, but not out-and-out falsehoods being passed off as "News!?"

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201102100007

allows such propaganda to be seen as true. If it had always been referred to as "global weather upheaval" or something not striking idiots as unidirectional it would be much harder to disparage in quick soundbites to the lowest common denominator - Fox's most powerful weapon.

OK, so, now we have to talk about the difference between “weather” and “climate.”

Changing terminology really won’t help. “Global weather http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upheaval">upheaval” implies a sudden, dramatic change.

“Hey, the weather doesn’t seem so bad to me. Where’s that ‘upheaval’ you were talking about?”

and as of now the perception the media sells is that climate change is false and made up.
The reason the country is so fucked up is that media is so fucked up.

Fox News.

Everybody likes technology and the scientists that make it possible when they are delivering the Wii to play games on or a hand held access to the internet. People love their cell phones.

When scientists that are just as knowledgeable tell them that they need to quit squandering gasoline on unnecessary high power vehicles and quit wasting energy, they don't want to hear about it and will latch on to any argument to show that it ain't so. It disables any remnant of intelligent, reasonable behavior.

After a couple of decades of over-hype and predictions that didn't come true, topped off with climategate and IPCC retractions, blaming journalists seems ridiculous. Not to mention, blaming every deviation from normal weather on global warming. Once bitten, twice shy.