Science seems to be a dirty word to Tea Party Members. I find it hard to believe that poor and middle class working people refuse to trust the facts about climate change sinse it will affect them the most. The public’s rejection of global warming more dangerous for working class and poor people. It’s well-understood that poorer people bear the brunt of environmental destruction, since they can’t afford to move out of polluted areas that are linked to health issues like asthma and cancer. There’s no reason to think that global warming won’t create similar problems, with wealthier people abandoning areas that are now flood plains. As summers get hotter, air conditioning is going to become all the more necessary, but soaring fuel prices will start putting it out of reach for ordinary people, even as the annual death toll from heat stroke continues to climb.
But because the media portrays climate change as “controversial”–strictly because of conservative distrust of science–most Americans are oblivious to the severity of the problem. Campaigns barely touch it, and lower-income people have even more obstacles when it comes to demanding action on this issue, because they’re usually too busy worrying about immediate economic concerns. Better science education and more trust in science could help the raise the issue higher on the priority list for all voters, but especially those who will be most affected. As it is now, it’s nearly impossible to get the the conversation started. The media still ignores the facts.
The funny thing about science and facts is... They don't change. Our understanding of them may get altered over time. Things that were believed to be true may not be. But the actual facts and natural laws behind them are the same as they ever were.
The sun didn't revolve around the earth just because the Catholic Church said it did. The earth wasn't flat when people believed that it was. Sea level won't stop rising just because the North Carolina Legislature says that it won't. Evolution and climate change (natural and man made) will continue, regardless of whether people believe in it or not. And the sum of all human knowledge was not acquired 2000 to 5000 years ago, with nothing of significance to be added.
As far as I'm concerned, if people want to remain ignorant, then that is their choice. However, they should not ignore/debase science while reaping the benefits of 5000+ years of it. All too many people today could not survive long living in the circumstances of 2000 years ago without all of the benefits that science and innovations have brought. Little things like electricity, refrigeration, the growing and transportation of food from hundreds (if not thousands) of miles away, manual labor only, antibiotics, modern medicine, etc.
However, such ignorance leads to a very real risk management paradox. A potential problem, like climate change for example, can usually be dealt with fairly cheaply, in the grand scheme of things, if addressed early on, so the "price" of addressing it early is fairly minimal, even if it turns out to be incorrect. If it is ignored, however, and the problem turns out to be accurate (partially or in full), the cost of dealing with it later becomes much more expensive. Additionally, many such problem are of an escalating probability, meaning that potentially catastrophic results become more probable the longer the problem is ignored.
The day is rapidly comong where we will all have to pay for our ignorance. The wealthy won't. Do you really think rich educated people do not believe in evolution or climate change. They do and are preparing themselves and their families to deal with the consequences of climate change. By keeping half of the public ignorant of science the wealthy are protecting their own future and could give a crap about yours.
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