… Many approaches have been taken to try to convince individual citizens to take climate change seriously. These include the arguments that we have an ethical and moral obligation to the less fortunate on the planet and to future generations, that we are conducting a risky experiment with the planet, that the global economy will suffer, and so on. However, none of these really has had an effect because of our all-powerful capacity for reality denial. …
Even appeals to individuals based on the fact that local climate disruption will affect their lifestyles and pocketbooks generate the response “How can you be certain?” [cont.]
Ajit Varki & Danny Brower, Salon