Internet Blogs, Polar Bears, and Climate-Change Denial by Proxy

TY - JOUR

T1 - Internet Blogs, Polar Bears, and Climate-Change Denial by Proxy

AU - Harvey, Jeffrey A.

AU - van den Berg, Daphne

AU - Ellers, Jacintha

AU - Kampen, Remko

AU - Crowther, Thomas W.

AU - Roessingh, Peter

AU - Verheggen, Bart

AU - Nuijten, Rascha J. M.

AU - Post, Eric

AU - Lewandowsky, Stephan

AU - Stirling, Ian

AU - Balgopal, Meena

AU - Amstrup, Steven C.

AU - Mann, Michael E.

N1 - 6443, TE; Data Archiving: data archived at Dryad

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Increasing surface temperatures, Arctic sea-ice loss, and other evidence of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) are acknowledged by every major scientific organization in the world. However, there is a wide gap between this broad scientific consensus and public opinion. Internet blogs have strongly contributed to this consensus gap by fomenting misunderstandings of AGW causes and consequences. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) have become a “poster species” for AGW, making them a target of those denying AGW evidence. Here, focusing on Arctic sea ice and polar bears, we show that blogs that deny or downplay AGW disregard the overwhelming scientific evidence of Arctic sea-ice loss and polar bear vulnerability. By denying the impacts of AGW on polar bears, bloggers aim to cast doubt on other established ecological consequences of AGW, aggravating the consensus gap. To counter misinformation and reduce this gap, scientists should directly engage the public in the media and blogosphere.

AB - Increasing surface temperatures, Arctic sea-ice loss, and other evidence of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) are acknowledged by every major scientific organization in the world. However, there is a wide gap between this broad scientific consensus and public opinion. Internet blogs have strongly contributed to this consensus gap by fomenting misunderstandings of AGW causes and consequences. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) have become a “poster species” for AGW, making them a target of those denying AGW evidence. Here, focusing on Arctic sea ice and polar bears, we show that blogs that deny or downplay AGW disregard the overwhelming scientific evidence of Arctic sea-ice loss and polar bear vulnerability. By denying the impacts of AGW on polar bears, bloggers aim to cast doubt on other established ecological consequences of AGW, aggravating the consensus gap. To counter misinformation and reduce this gap, scientists should directly engage the public in the media and blogosphere.

KW - international

UR - https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.v652r

U2 - 10.1093/biosci/bix133

DO - 10.1093/biosci/bix133

M3 - Article

SN - 0006-3568

VL - 68

SP - 281

EP - 287

JO - BioScience

JF - BioScience

IS - 4

M1 - bix133

ER -