I think the climate change deniers are terrified. They're afraid of so many things.
#1 - they're afraid that they're wrong. That's the big one.
#2 - they're afraid that they might have to make changes to the way they live. Even small changes fly in the face of the "my freedoms" mentality.
#3 - they're afraid to accept that the human species is destructive to the planet, because it means they have to accept that they are, deep in the core of their very existence, innately flawed. Not just "incorrect about this topic" or "wrong about a calculation or a left turn." But flawed, from within their DNA. The entire species - including their spouses and children, parents and best friends. All flawed, incapable of evolving if they continue to insist on denying it.
#4 - they're afraid of progress. The unknown. That which is not fully in their control. They're not control freaks, but they fear "other." Anything that doesn't jibe with their vision of existence - is dangerous or scary.
In order to combat all these things they go on the defensive. But it's a lazy defense. It's a cop-out. They mock, they poke fun, they deny. "I saw on the internet that climate change is a hoax, so I can relax now and not worry about it." "I saw this guy who says he's a scientist insist that humans have nothing to do with climate change, so I'll just point at him whenever it comes up in conversation." "I saw this elected official make fun of scientists who show the data, and I like this elected official, so I will choose to blindly agree with whatever he says because the truth requires more effort on my part."
When someone pushes back and says "no seriously - there's a problem, and it can't be "solved" but it CAN be addressed and you can help" - well they've already denied there's a problem. So they double down and get angry.
So where are we with climate change?
We're with a planet that is dying - which is what planets do. It's dying at a rate faster than it would die, had the human species not evolved to the Age of Agriculture, the Industrial Revolution, or the Age of Technology. If humans had not meddled with nature and instead, lived WITH it - the planet would not be at the stage of decay it is currently.
It will absolutely become a dead planet. All planets eventually die. But the more we meddle with it, the quicker that death comes. No amount of denying that will negate the fact. We can accept it and NOT do anything about it. We can accept it and DO something about it. We can accept it and try to destroy it even faster than we already are.
But it's happening, and we are absolutely contributing to it.
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