'I thought climate change was a hoax. Now I've changed my mind'

[essentialsaltes]

Sarah Ott spent years believing climate change was a hoax, influenced by friends at church in the US south and a popular right-wing radio host. Here she shares her journey from being a climate sceptic to becoming an advocate for clean energy, with a passion for teaching teenage school students the science of climate change. She features on this year's BBC 100 Women list.

I spent years doubting the science of climate change and spending time with people who didn't believe in the science either.

To move away from those people meant leaving behind an entire community at a time when I didn't have many friends.
...
My husband didn't get home from work until late, so I would have four or five hours at home by myself every day, always with the kitchen radio on, tuned to conservative stations.

Up to that point, I had been exposed to a lot of misinformation about evolution in my church groups, but I had studied the theory of evolution at university, so I was equipped to spot it.

But I didn't have that same skill set for climate change.

[I had a lot of time to listen to the radio.] But there were only a few hours of Rush Limbaugh each day.

That's when the big turning point came.

I tuned into NPR, a US non-profit broadcaster. I don't remember which show it was, or the specific news story, but I remember how they described the issue in a completely different way from what I had heard on my usual stations. And it sounded so reasonable.

Suddenly, other news stories I listened to on my usual stations stopped making sense.

I stopped listening to conservative radio shortly after, and I started to consume other media.

I realised how much my social network had changed since I had stopped teaching. At school, I was around people from all over the world, gay or straight, conservative and liberals.

Without that school environment, all I had in my social circle was my church group.

I went back to my job as a teacher and made new friends.

I realised I was no longer a climate denier.
...
In order to have a conversation with people that still don't believe in climate change, I think we have to connect through the values we share with that person. For religious communities, it may be their desire to protect their children's future.

 

[durangodawood]

......so I would have four or five hours at home by myself every day, always with the kitchen radio on, tuned to conservative stations......

The first step on many a dark road.

 

[Bobber]

Sarah Ott spent years believing climate change was a hoax, influenced by friends at church in the US south and a popular right-wing radio host. Here she shares her journey from being a climate sceptic to becoming an advocate for clean energy, with a passion for teaching teenage school students the science of climate change. She features on this year's BBC 100 Women list.

I spent years doubting the science of climate change and spending time with people who didn't believe in the science either.

To move away from those people meant leaving behind an entire community at a time when I didn't have many friends.
...
My husband didn't get home from work until late, so I would have four or five hours at home by myself every day, always with the kitchen radio on, tuned to conservative stations.

Up to that point, I had been exposed to a lot of misinformation about evolution in my church groups, but I had studied the theory of evolution at university, so I was equipped to spot it.

But I didn't have that same skill set for climate change.

[I had a lot of time to listen to the radio.] But there were only a few hours of Rush Limbaugh each day.

That's when the big turning point came.

I tuned into NPR, a US non-profit broadcaster. I don't remember which show it was, or the specific news story, but I remember how they described the issue in a completely different way from what I had heard on my usual stations. And it sounded so reasonable.

Suddenly, other news stories I listened to on my usual stations stopped making sense.

I stopped listening to conservative radio shortly after, and I started to consume other media.

I realised how much my social network had changed since I had stopped teaching. At school, I was around people from all over the world, gay or straight, conservative and liberals.

Without that school environment, all I had in my social circle was my church group.

I went back to my job as a teacher and made new friends.

I realised I was no longer a climate denier.
...
In order to have a conversation with people that still don't believe in climate change, I think we have to connect through the values we share with that person. For religious communities, it may be their desire to protect their children's future.

I don't see why anyone should be thought of as the Green Eyed Monster if they do believe in climate change or if they don't. Who say one has to even be a denier or one who accepts it anyway? Tell me what's to be gained by accepting it or rejecting it? Is the world going to stop spinning because I John Doe take ether position? Has one become an EVIL person because they don't understand the why of why the wind blows this way or that and for what reason?
And this statement that this one is now an advocate of clean energy you don't have to be one who believes in climate change to not want to see that.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Tell me what's to be gained by accepting it or rejecting it?

In one case, one's world view would be in accordance with reality; in the other case, it would be in conflict with reality.

Has one become an EVIL person because they don't understand

I don't see how you could possibly have read this article and this is the question you ask. This woman has a great deal of sympathy for those (like herself!) have been misinformed, willfully or otherwise, by others.

 

[Bobber]

In one case, one's world view would be in accordance with reality; in the other case, it would be in conflict with reality.

There's so much non reality connected to what you might consider to be reality. For instance.....we conclude GW is real. It becomes a total nonreality in regard to what one chooses to do about it.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

If big money is trying to adapt to climate change, there might be something real about it.

The business of businesses is climate-change adaptation

Big ones are waking up to the fact

www.economist.com

It’s Time to Invest in Climate Adaptation

Currently, climate adaptation initiatives — that is, those that help people, animals, and plants to survive despite rising climate volatility rather than trying to reverse it — receive only 7% of climate-related investment. They deserve far greater business investment. Solutions that are low...

hbr.org

 

[d taylor]

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I guess she also became an atheist and no longer believes in any fairy tails. Now she is a member of the smart people.

 

[essentialsaltes]

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I guess she also became an atheist

What makes you 'guess' that?

 

[d taylor]

What makes you 'guess' that?

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That is how the story usually goes, the christian conservative is, until science enlightens them to the truth. Then their religious blinders have been removed and by science they can really see the world as it is.

 

[essentialsaltes]

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That is how the story usually goes

Well, I guess you're wrong. Not that I know, but my guess is as good as yours.

 

[rambot]

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That is how the story usually goes, the christian conservative is, until science enlightens them to the truth. Then their religious blinders have been removed and by science they can really see the world as it is.

I don't think it's fair or right to make a comment like that about another christian, d taylor. There are many bright people who are scientists and are christians.

 

[FireDragon76]

If big money is trying to adapt to climate change, there might be something real about it.

The business of businesses is climate-change adaptation

Big ones are waking up to the fact

www.economist.com

It’s Time to Invest in Climate Adaptation

Currently, climate adaptation initiatives — that is, those that help people, animals, and plants to survive despite rising climate volatility rather than trying to reverse it — receive only 7% of climate-related investment. They deserve far greater business investment. Solutions that are low...

hbr.org

That's ominous. When they were in the denial phase, they believed something could have been done about it. Now that they believe in adaptation, they presumably believe nothing will likely be done. In other words, corporations are betting against us.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Sarah Ott spent years believing climate change was a hoax, influenced by friends at church in the US south and a popular right-wing radio host. Here she shares her journey from being a climate sceptic to becoming an advocate for clean energy, with a passion for teaching teenage school students the science of climate change. She features on this year's BBC 100 Women list.

I spent years doubting the science of climate change and spending time with people who didn't believe in the science either.

To move away from those people meant leaving behind an entire community at a time when I didn't have many friends.
...
My husband didn't get home from work until late, so I would have four or five hours at home by myself every day, always with the kitchen radio on, tuned to conservative stations.

*sneeze*

Up to that point, I had been exposed to a lot of misinformation about evolution in my church groups, but I had studied the theory of evolution at university, so I was equipped to spot it.

So she wasn't so much against the idea of science....she just didn't understand the science behind climate change.

But I didn't have that same skill set for climate change.

[I had a lot of time to listen to the radio.] But there were only a few hours of Rush Limbaugh each day.

That's when the big turning point came.

I tuned into NPR, a US non-profit broadcaster. I don't remember which show it was, or the specific news story, but I remember how they described the issue in a completely different way from what I had heard on my usual stations. And it sounded so reasonable.

Suddenly, other news stories I listened to on my usual stations stopped making sense.

I stopped listening to conservative radio shortly after, and I started to consume other media.

I realised how much my social network had changed since I had stopped teaching. At school, I was around people from all over the world, gay or straight, conservative and liberals.

Without that school environment, all I had in my social circle was my church group.

I went back to my job as a teacher and made new friends.

I realised I was no longer a climate denier.

Doesn't she mean "climate change denier"?
.

...
In order to have a conversation with people that still don't believe in climate change, I think we have to connect through the values we share with that person. For religious communities, it may be their desire to protect their children's future.

Unfortunately, the science seems to indicate it doesn't make any difference whether or not anyone convinces anyone else or not.

The US could be a zero emissions country tomorrow...and we'll still have climate change. You would need to convince the entire world. To people who don't have running water, toilets, a steady electric grid, or any of the other things we take for granted....the idea of "not buying a car" because it contributes to climate change is silly. The idea of not mining and burning coal for electricity is silly.

Even worse, there is no such thing as "clean energy". Solar panels are made in factories that pollute, with minerals mined from the ground by machines that pollute, and once they expire (because they expire after a few decades) they break down into an extremely toxic environment killing sludge....that we currently have no plans for disposal of.

There is no current solutions to climate change on the table. None. All we have are temporary changes that might slow it down (possibly, we aren't sure by how much). These changes are essentially economic suicide unless every nation changes....and one only needs to peek at the responses of nations like India or China to see that it won't happen.

All blaming "climate change deniers" does is allow someone to imagine themselves morally superior as they get new Amazon deliveries, a new SUV, or a new smartphone....by claiming that they'll stop contributing to climate change once the "deniers" do.

 

[Ana the Ist]

The fundamental problem lies here...

Even those fully aware of climate change, and supposedly deeply concerned, drive gasoline or diesel cars and eat imported food from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

Understanding the science doesn't seem to be the same as understanding the problem....and even then, understanding the real difficulties and outright absence (in many cases) of real solutions is entirely different from understanding the science or the problem.

 

[JustOneWay]

If big money is trying to adapt to climate change, there might be something real about it.

The business of businesses is climate-change adaptation

Big ones are waking up to the fact

www.economist.com

It’s Time to Invest in Climate Adaptation

Currently, climate adaptation initiatives — that is, those that help people, animals, and plants to survive despite rising climate volatility rather than trying to reverse it — receive only 7% of climate-related investment. They deserve far greater business investment. Solutions that are low...

hbr.org

IMO I do not see that as an indicator that climate change is real, rather big money sees an opportunity to capitalize on climate change regardless of the truth. Big money is always looking for bigger money.

"Believe in climate change" Just the quote alone is a joke. It sounds like 'I believe in Santa Claus'. The phrase needs to be discarded for 'What can we do as a world in order to minimize the affects of climate change', because it is happening and our concern should be solutions for a minimization of the effects because it is not going away.

 

[d taylor]

I don't think it's fair or right to make a comment like that about another christian, d taylor. There are many bright people who are scientists and are christians.

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Not very bright, if science causes them to adjust The Bible to fit science.

 

[rambot]

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Not very bright, if science causes them to adjust The Bible to fit science.

But they didn't adjust the Bible.

They adjusted how they understood it so it was congruous with their witness and observations of creation.
But I wonder if you know why that difference is important

 

[d taylor]

But they didn't adjust the Bible.

They adjusted how they understood it so it was congruous with their witness and observations of creation.
But I wonder if you know why that difference is important

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Yes we are just poor ole dumb souls, who believe God's creation accounts as given Literally in The Bible. That God really could not communicate a true literal creation account through Moses. Who spoke to God face to face, God had to wait till pagan science was developed, to communicate His creation truths.

 

[durangodawood]

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.......That God really could not communicate a true literal creation account through Moses. .....

He could, if the descriptions of Him are correct. But it really appears that He didnt, and instead gave a mythic account that focused on intended meaning.

Possibly Moses and his contemporaries lacked the scientific background to even assimilate a description of the actual process.

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

'What can we do as a world in order to minimize the affects of climate change', because it is happening and our concern should be solutions for a minimization of the effects because it is not going away.

I am with you there. But the momentum is so great I am pessimistic about minimizing anything.