Why Americans are so ignorant about global warming?

Question

Why cant people sit and think that for the next 50 years more and more 5 scale type hurricane like Katrina will sweep away most of major US cities.
What people/government do to curb?

Answer 1

Please don't label all Americans as ignorant. Some of us are quite aware and concerned about global warming. Unfortunately, we don't have the power to grant the rest of the nation brains.

Answer 2

Many americans could be considered relatively ignorant about many things because most of the media available to them is of the "Pop" variety and does not wish to cover issues of importance in depth, or frequently. It is a rat race have and have not almost third world society here and many do not have time or resource to "ponder".
Why do so many ignorant people think americans are ignorant? Do they have a media and government that leads them to believe that personal recycling is the answer and convinces them that they are really doing more than spitting in the wind? Maybe most people are ignorant because society has made them stupid and devoid of opportunity to think and express.
For intelligent informational purposes, most of the media here is as good as not having any. So one can easily be as well informed in the middle of the Kalahari as they are in podunk or even NYC where most major papers are pop trash. The advertisers want to sell the cars and more gas and oil, they don't want money spent on decent public transportation and such.
Can society adjust so that people cut way back on breeding? Over population is the root of all evils, not "lack of resources". Tell that to the pope the next time he wants a nickle, or to Bono when there were two rice bowls to fill and now there are four, and eight, and sixty four.
We have to say goodbye to the pyramid scheme of the growth related economy also. It has had it's day and the haves have enough already. A 3 day week so everyone can work doesn't seem bad to have some time for thought and social relationships again!! Cheers.

Answer 3

"Why cant people sit and think that for the next 50 years more and more 5 scale type hurricane like Katrina will sweep away most of major US cities."

Wow, if there is any expression of ignorance ... this is it!!

Let's get back to planet earth and reality for a second ..
Hurricanes are a pheonomenon that hit at certain latitudes and landfall coastal areas, due to storm system created by currents and weather systems over the atlantic in the june to sept timeframe.

They will not 'sweep away' any city far inland.
Now 'most American cities', like Dallas, San Fran, Seattle, Chicago, Cleveland, Memphis, etc. have about a zero chance of getting major damage (although Katrina left minor damage as far inland as St Louis, Mo).

Even cities like Miami, that are right in the path of potential hurricanes will never get 'swept away' by hurricanes for the simple reason that even strong cat 5 winds dont blow down steel buildings.

So the claim that hurricanes will sweep away most or even many US cities is absurd.

The second bogus premise is the connection between katrina and global warming at all. We had a monster hurricane in 1905 in Galveston, and we will have bad hurricanes in the future. It's ignorant to posit a connection when climatologists are loath to jump to such an erroneous conclusion without evidence to back it up.

So a better question might be: Why are so-called "envorimentally concerned" people so mathematically, logically and scientifically illiterate? Are they using their 'concern' as a crutch for their ignorance, or is it more a matter of ingorant people getting more
swept up in the hype and propaganda behind global warming?

I think the latter.

"What people/government do to curb?"
Nuclear power is the only way to reduce the impact of CO2 emissions. We need 400 nuclear power plants in the US.
Telling people to stop using energy is like telling them to stop eating good-tasting food. It's madness.

Answer 4

I have read some interesting answers here, most of which assume 1. Global warming is happening, and 2. Humans are causing it.

Niether of these assumptions are based on fact, the scientific communty is divided on both questions and no consensus has been reached.

The question you ask is why are Americans so ignorant on global warming I would say the assumption that we are "Ignorant" on global warming is just that and that in fact we are the most informed in that area.

Our news services constantly inundate us with conjecture and theories on what global warming has done, frequently these stories are based on no more than the opinion of some actor or singer, this tends to muddy the water on something that should be a question answered by scientists.

The opinion that we do not wish to do anything about "Global Warming" is another of those that is born of ignorance of the subject, we opted out of the Kyoto treaty because it required that the US foot most of the bill and reduce emissions more than any other nation listed, if enacted it would have made walking just about the only viable form of transportation in the US and would have increased taxes to a point that US Citizens would have passed the 50 % of income paid in taxes point, and would have had No Measurable effect on the environment, If the facts are looked at the US currently has in place more regulations and laws requiring compliance on emissions than almost any other country. This is because many 3rd world nations do not have the money and resources needed to regulate emissions and therefore they do not.

People from other countries look to us and see that we have all of these wonderfull things and envy us, therefore we must not be as "aware" of things like global warming as they are. In fact they are wrong, we have all of this wealth and all of these wonderfull things because we as a nation have built that wealth and made the wonderfull things, they were not given to us except by God. And we are well aware of popular belief on global warming and the environment, however some if not most of us choose to look at facts not the fatalistic scenarios drawn by groups like green peace.

Finally the opinion that "We care only for ourselves" well that may be so, in my own case I feel justified in caring more for my family than i do for "Global Warming", I am not a millionair nor do I have an exhorbitant income, in fact We struggle just to pay the rent and buy groceries, and would not expend a single dime to help with global warming unless and untill some conclusive scientific evidence proving that we can have an effect on it one way or another is found.

Answer 5

No it is not just America that is ignorant on the subject. Also not all Americans are ignorant. I believe that Global Warming is occurring. In fact the Kyoto Protocol was developed to reduce Global Warming. United States, Japan, Canada have singed to agree to the Kyoto Protocol but Russia has not and other Third World countries. Also Exxon-Mobil reported that in May 2003 was the largest quarterly profits in history and the previous week it had earned £2.2 million an hour. It is not just America every other country is responsible for this. We need to work together to solve the problem!

Answer 6

Simply put, (or not) most of us are gullible due to varying factors. It is my opinion, and I will be labeled a conspiricy therorist...that most of us are happy with the "American Dream" "Don't worry, be happy" attitude.

Most are happy with their 10 mpg SUVs and fancy look-alike houses and green lawns and boring,mindless sitcoms.

Not many people enjoy a good read anymore, and watch too much mindless television filled with commercials for pharmecutical drugs that are "non habit forming" and "make you happy" These are SSRI medications (seritonin inhibitors) which can help some people with serious conditions, but are handed out like candy for any ailment. A "fun fact" is that when on any of these medications, though "non habit forming" destroy the very gland in your brain which actually produced your normal seretonin (chemical which controls your mood) making you dependant (without physical withdrawls) on the drug.

Now, I diverted from the topic a bit....my point is simple....the mind is a muscle, use it or lose it. Many of us, I am sad to say, take everything we hear on the media or whatever at "face value" without getting a second opinion or trying to analyze the facts ourselves.

No government in the history of mankind has been able to be 100% trusted, ours is no different.....big business makes its money (i.e. drug companies, oil companies) and thats all that matters...we know what they want us to know...

That being said...there are still alot of Americans who are not so ignorant....but as someone already said....we cannot change minds that are already closed off to the rest of the world around us...we simply do not have the power without unity.

Answer 7

Global warming is in question. An equal number of scientists say we may be heading for an ice age!

What all scientists agree on is that there is climate change going on. The same amount of rain is falling, it is just falling somewhere else. This is causing draught and floods.

The US is in conflict with the rest of the world when it comes to climate change. The rest of the world seek to reduce harmful emissions and whilst the US is all for everyone else doing it they are against America having to do it. Why - Easy - America is one of the biggest polluters in the world. This is caused because America uses a lot of fossill fuel and uses manufacturing processes that are old and outdated and would be costly to change. However if they do not change the rest of the world will have changed to newer much more efficient ways of doing it leaving America way behind everyone else. Much worse is the likelihood that if America does not join the rest of the world in looking at measures to understand and control climate change the other countries may start boycotting US goods!

A charming statistic says that cows farts produce a huge amount of greenhouse gas and that if Americans stopped eating hamburgers and the cows were put down that would equal the reduction required of methane for the whole planet!

The irony of America opting out of dealing with climate change is that America is paying the dearest price for climate change in the increase of tornados, hurricans, floods etc.

Answer 8

In this day and time most Americans get them self's so busy that anything that is not pertaining to them at the current time is not of issue. Also most people do not want to hear of things like global warming or anything that might be detramental to the world or of a issue that may require or ask something of them(money, time,etc)

Answer 9

Dude, Katrina wasn't the ONLY 5 hurrican EVER on Earth. We're just not stupid, the world isn't coming to an end.

Answer 10

Global warming is seen as a familiar and profitable interest to most people, we smell the goodies and expanse perceptions to believe what respectable persons say of it. It is as flu, it heats yet helps relief process. Americans like to think others think as well of them without respect or care. Most on earth do see the simple effect we have on each other, see your facts, others will see these same facts with other personalities and smell on them, that makes this planet big and fun. Bye, cous.

Answer 11

We are not ignorant, the government is. There are cars that run clean, but the government is stopping the manufacturers from selling them. It is costing the people their lives and our good earth to degrade faster. Don't blame the people. Blame the government. They are stopping alot of things from being told to the American people. You wouldn"t believe what they have stored away in several places.