I dont get it - why do conservatives refuse to see Global Warming as a problem?

Question

Doesn't that fly in the face of the definition "Conservative" ?

Mikira:
You say: "Conservatives are able to sort out Fact from Fiction." If this were so, why is it that Conservatives are generally the power behind the "Intelligent Design" theory and not the more pragmatic and scientific Evolution theory?

Answer 1

Global warming is a political issue. This is why you see the problem as a "Us v Them" mentality.

Liberals want to use global warming to increase the size of government and to raise taxes in the name of solving the problem. This won't work.

The war on poverty has been going on for 50 years and has cost $7.5trillion dollars, yet we have more poor today then we this program was started.

The war on global warming will be the same. First people will say that it will only cost 1.5% of our budget, but then the cost will rise. And after spending trillions over the orginal estimate, global warming will still be an issue.

Government programs fail. Some time back, the gvmt thought it would be a good idea to raise the standards for automobile fuel consumption. They developed the CAFE standards. Because of this, the SUV market was born. Now cars get less mpg then before the CAFE standard was implemented.

Free markets work. The gvmt should end the power companies monolopy on power and open the electricity up to the free markets. Then people will be able to purchace electricity from the less polluting generators. The greater demand for clean power, the faster electric corporations will find ways to produce clean power.

Answer 2

I'll tackle the follow-up question:

"If this were so, why is it that Conservatives are generally the power behind the "Intelligent Design" theory and not the more pragmatic and scientific Evolution theory?"

Political conservatives are not defined by how they interpret the bible. You have some pretty good definitions already- opposed to change, smaller government, pro-business,etc. It just so happens that the Fundamentalist Christian crowd is a part of the modern Republican party. It wasn't always this way. Up until the 70's most Southern Baptists (many of whom are the fundamentalists in question today) were part of the Democratic party. They were "Southern democrats."

Fundamentalists Christians, Creationists, and flat earthers are a part of the Republican, but they don't define the Republican party.

Answer 3

I'm not so sure most conservatives dismiss global warming any more. Aren't a lot of the Evangelicals changing their turn to global warming finally?

For the reasons that people do refuse to see GW as a problem, whether they be conservative, liberal or whatever, I think their reasons boil down to mainly the following:

1. They work for companies that are part of the global warming problem, mainly coal and oil companies.

2. They have significant investments in these companies, or

3. They, like our current president, have their heads in the sand and refuse to change their views, even when presented with overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Answer 4

first of all, you could desire to end calling them 'conservatives'. The deniers of technology are 'reactionaries'. This cabal of the unusual,the unusual and the dupes that they entice are on an identical aircraft with the flat earthers, the alien abductors and the various extra heavily inaccurate Jesus freaks. 'technology' to those human beings is a mysterious witchcraft, non-biblical and as suspect because of the fact the communists below their beds. Burning something produces CO2. The extra you burn, the extra CO2 you produce. Over the path of tens of millions of years billions of a lot of carbon have been locked away in the bowels of the Earth. all and sundry who's ever been down a coal mine can inform you that. by using liberating this CO2 you come the ambience to what it became into in the previous all the carbon became into produced. So, guy-released carbon is the tipping element in climate exchange no count what the main suitable wing radio talk tutor bozos attempt to place over on you.

Answer 5

The debate centers around the government being able to regulate businesses and individuals based purely on the theory that man is creating global warming. Many conservatives believe that real proof of mans involvement causing global warming is needed instead of just computer models of what is possibly the cause, before we start taxing, regulating and basically usurping certain individual rights from the people. Many liberals on the other hand believe that even though there is no actual proof of mans involvement, we must act now through taxation and regulation or whatever is needed to combat the possibility of man causing global warming. I think that the conservative belief I stated above is better judgment economically and socially than the knee-jerk, high-cost and emotionally driven thinking of the liberal viewpoint.

Answer 6

Okay - Why don't Liberals see that Global Warming is only a scare tactic? So are you telling me that Conservatives have a mind of their own and don't follow blindly along with each bit of new propaganda like little sheep as the Liberals do?

Conservatives are able to sort out Fact from Fiction. Hypothesis from Truth. Realize that recycling is good, without having to be frightened into doing it.

Why don't you constructively give me concrete proof that Global Warming will be a major problem? Instead of showing us Hypotheses about it. The thing is you can't.

But guess what? I can go back in history and show you periods of time where the Planet's Climate was warming and no major catastrophes happened.

Edit: I personally don't believe in either of those theories, I feel both are fraught with problems. I look at it as one looks at the Bible as a rule where the other completely refuses to look at anything in the Bible as truth. The only thing that slightly makes sense in the Bible when it comes to how the World was created is that all the beginning creatures were full grown. I can't imagine a theory that states we all started out as an egg. As for Evolution there are too many holes when it comes to the creation of humans. As for animals I can see the genetic changes from one form to the next. Did Humans evolve from an Intelligent Ape that's possible, but where are the links that solidly prove it?

Answer 7

They don't see it as a problem because it isn't a problem. We've done our research without making our conclusions before starting. We also won't bow don't to bully tactics like every person who believes global warming is a fact uses. The Church of Global Warming stifles science's advances by claiming they have the science and anyone who dares question it is a heretic. Anyone seen this before? 17th century perhaps?

Answer 8

well people think the world is so perfect and it will never happen but i have watched videos of how things have increased and glaciers melting and lakes going into oceans because of global warming they are just to rich do know that they have people know it for them!

Answer 9

OH NOEZ! CALL AL GORE! THERE'S A GLACIER MELTING! Glaciers melt all the time. It's political. The government should care for its citizens, not scaremonger them into compliance. Only scientists that get funded by the multi-billion dollar AGW industry believe this is all humanity's fault.

Answer 10

The smart ones do:

"Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich challenged fellow conservatives to stop resisting scientific evidence of global warming"

"National Review (the most prestigious conservative magazine) published a cover story this past week calling on conservatives to shake off denial and get into the climate policy debate"

"Pat Robertson (very conservative Christian leader) 'It is getting hotter and the ice caps are melting and there is a build up of carbon dioxide in the air. We really need to do something on fossil fuels.”

"I believe there is now more than enough evidence of climate change to warrant an immediate and comprehensive - but considered - response. Anyone who disagrees is, in my view, still in denial."

Ford Motor Company CEO William Clay Ford, Jr.

"The science of global warming is clear. We know enough to act now. We must act now."

James Rogers, CEO of Charlotte-based Duke Energy.

"Republican governors team up against global warming"

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Republican_Governors_team_up_against_Global_0716.html

"the overwhelming number of scientists now believe that there is significant human cause,'' Giuliani said, adding the debate on the existence of global warming "is almost unnecessary ... ''

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/13/GIULIANI.TMP

"(from Republicans for Environmental Protection) The consensus of almost all climate scientists is that global warming is already happening, that human actions are causing it, and that it will cause major problems for our planet."

http://www.rep.org/news/GEvol5/ge5.1_globalwarming.html