Shifting Climate Change Discussions with Economic Theory

Isabelle Saxon 

IHSS

Mr. Roddy 

January 20, 2021

Shifting Climate Change Discussions with Economic Theory  

    For this blog I read When it comes to attitudes about climate change, economic theory can help. Though the blogs title may be a mouthful it talks about a useful way of trying to turn climate change debates from viscous yelling matches to productive educational discussions. Climate change is a hot topic (literally) many people have heard about the dangerous temperature rise in the past years. Climate change is a big problem and one that has a time limit it is not a problem that can be left for a future generation to solve if nothing is done soon them those future generations won't have a earth. Sadly climate change has also become a misunderstood topic. Studies show that the US has the highest rate of climate skeptics. These rates are thought to be contributing to a lack of action of by the US concerning climate change, which I think is unacceptable. The US is an leader on the international stage and other countries follow the example they set, and this current appalling lack of action is not acceptable. In order to help fix this problem we need to help stop this ignorance surrounding this topic. However the article says that the current climate change shouting matches that happen over families thanksgiving dinners help nobody. The popular way of coming at educating friends and family who may be skeptics seems to only be causing them to further enforce their belief that climate change is fake. The article suggests that we instead us economic theory to change the narrative to productive and educational conversations. Rather then just debating beliefs this approach asks us to look at facts by examine evidence and creditable studies. The example given in the article is that "various senior U.S. politicians and others have objected that the Paris Agreement will injure U.S. economic interests to the benefit of other countries, notably China." However this point can be disproven by the multiple credible studies that can show that the Paris Agreement will do no such thing and will actually disadvantage more then the US. The hope is that this more fact based discussion will shift "the terms of the debate may provide a more fruitful path to moving people towards agreement." I think that Ignorance will be a hard enemy to face in the fight against climate change, but it is important to make sure that this problem is solved. So if this method of shift the discussion will help create more awareness and effort to towards solving it then we should all be using it our lives.

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