Not Seeing Is Not Believing

NPR has an interesting report on why Americans, as the Copenhagen summit opens, don't give a crap about climate change. Reason number one:

There are multiple reasons for this growing skepticism, including psychological reactions and politics. Anthony Leiserowitz of the Yale University School of Forestry puts one reason above all the rest: "First of all, it's the economy, stupid."

People can only worry about so many issues at one time, he says. So it's no surprise they worry about issues that hit closest to home.

"And the economy is still by far the No. 1 concern of Americans, which just pushes all other issues off the table."

I happen to think this is giving Americans too much credit. It doesn't come close to explaining why only half of the country accept the theory strongly endorsed by the science community that carbon dioxide building up in the atmosphere is warming our planet. This is where ugly-Americanism is at its ugliest: as a country we're generally an ignorant lot that removes itself from political debate while aggressively mobilizing in defense of our right not to be inconvenienced. Our politicians, particularly those on the right, have spent years coddling these expectations. Where Republicans have succeeded (besides successfully waging war on the institution of government) is by making global warming a political issue instead of a scientific issue. They have infused doubt into the debate while turning global warming into another victim of the culture war. Fully one-third of Americans believe the Bible is a literal translation of God's word. Which tells me there's quite a few people running around out there who think the Washington Redskins should be stoned to death for touching a pig(skin) with their bare hands but who are also ready to call bullshit over the idea that we're putting billions of tons of exhaust and smog into the atmosphere might raise the temperature a couple degrees.