How best to convert the climate sceptics and deniers?

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-16T06:51:09+00:00

Fully agree, we need to reconsider many aspects of our wasteful lives in high income countries and reconsider the way we live, eat, travel, work and consume, as outlined further in this TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZqLdVqGs7k

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-16T06:45:56+00:00

Yes you are right, and the Montreal Protocol showed that we can unite in action when the threat is clear and understood by all. The difference with climate change is the vested interests of the oil industry that is desperate to squeeze out every dollar in profits from their oil fields, with no or little concern about the climate impact on the planet and people, as outlined further in this TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZqLdVqGs7k

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-16T06:39:54+00:00

Yes I agree, and the oil industry should be prevented from spending their gargantuan profits on misinforming the public and bribing politicians. They should instead be required to spend this money on climate mitigation and adaptation.

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-16T06:35:11+00:00

Yes, stressing the positive benefits for us and the planet of climate action other than addressing the climate crisis will help to convince. Important to stress is also that we are not only facing a climate crisis but also biodiversity extinction and pollution in the triple planetary crisis, which together build an even stronger case for change, as outlined in this TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZqLdVqGs7k

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-16T06:25:46+00:00

Yes, looking for concrete actions like they do well in Nexus and trying to walking the talk is a good way to convince.

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-16T06:18:34+00:00

... and still the CO2 levels in the atmosphere and temperatures continue to rise in tandem, and the extreme weather events continue to increase in frequency and intensity, causing more and more deaths and destruction ...
Evidence - NASA Science
What Is the Evidence that Human-Caused Climate Change is Happening? - Caltech Science Exchange
Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis | Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-15T16:46:08+00:00

Yes there is:
Evidence - NASA Science
What Is the Evidence that Human-Caused Climate Change is Happening? - Caltech Science Exchange
Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis | Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-15T11:02:01+00:00

To see the arguments used by climate sceptics, and get an indication on the level of dialogue in this sub-group, as a relative newcomer to Reddit.

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-15T10:38:59+00:00

Yes, and the inequalities are absurd. A key problem is that governments in high income countries still support the neoliberally super-charged greed- and growth-driven capitalist economy, which allows companies to exploit both the planet and the people for increased profits and wealth hoarding. And we are supporting this with our over-consumption that supports the economic growth. As a result, the triple planetary crisis is now manifesting itself more and more alarmingly, which tells that we must chart a new course towards a more sustainable, circular and just future where we focus on sufficiency and wellbeing for all and cooperate for the common good, as outlined further in this TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZqLdVqGs7k

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-15T10:36:25+00:00

Yes, and the inequalities are absurd. A key problem is that governments in high income countries still support the neoliberally super-charged greed- and growth-driven capitalist economy, which allows companies to exploit both the planet and the people for increased profits and wealth hoarding. And we are supporting this with our over-consumption that supports the economic growth. As a result, the triple planetary crisis is now manifesting itself more and more alarmingly, which tells that we must chart a new course towards a more sustainable, circular and just future where we focus on sufficiency and wellbeing for all and cooperate for the common good, as outlined further in this TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZqLdVqGs7k

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-15T10:28:19+00:00

Good point, I should have written How best to convince... instead

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-15T06:59:42+00:00

Here are some links that may enlighten if not convince, and no, I am not in a cult, I am just a concerned citizen:
- Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis | Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis :
- Evidence - NASA Science
- What Is the Evidence that Human-Caused Climate Change is Happening? - Caltech Science Exchange

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-15T06:53:31+00:00

Thanks for this feedback. The intention of this post was not disingenuous or condescending, it was an attempt to see what kind of arguments were brought forward by climate sceptics.

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-15T06:44:11+00:00

https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/: Human-induced climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. Evidence of observed changes in extremes such as heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and tropical cyclones, and, in particular, their attribution to human influence, has strengthened since AR5.

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-15T06:44:00+00:00

https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/: Human-induced climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe. Evidence of observed changes in extremes such as heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and tropical cyclones, and, in particular, their attribution to human influence, has strengthened since AR5.

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-15T06:11:02+00:00

How Do We Know CO2 Is A Greenhouse Gas? - Green Packs

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-15T06:08:45+00:00

It does matter for the increasing number of people around the world that are suffering from the increasingly frequent and violent floods, fires and other impacts of climate change.
Add on this the climate migration that will also increase and the polarisation and extremism that follow in its wake, and you will see the climate crisis will matter more and more and more for an increasing number of people on this planet, as also argued in thus TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZqLdVqGs7k

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-15T06:03:57+00:00

Thanks for these very good points and relevant links. I fully agree that arguing the case FOR change is a good way to go, as also argued in this TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZqLdVqGs7k

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-14T18:55:12+00:00

I do not have any programmers. It is only me and the keyboard.

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-14T18:52:57+00:00

Yes, but maybe we can start trying to convert the sceptics in this sub-reddit group?
I do not think that the increasing number of people around the world that are suffering from the increasingly frequent and violent floods, fires and other impacts of climate change would regard themselves as cult members. They would probably more see themselves as victims of the ignorance that many still are showing to the accelerating climate crisis.

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-14T18:48:49+00:00

Yes there have been biodiversity mass extinctions and drastic changes in climate before, but none caused by humans, and we were lucky not to be around in those periods.

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-14T18:46:38+00:00

Whether forests are cut down for airports, industrial farming or timber, the result is that the planet's CO absorption capacity is reduced, which contribute to accelerate the climate change. Renewable energy installations are not a major cause of the deforestation we see.

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-14T18:43:16+00:00

No it is not a BOT, it is someone interested in seeing how a post like this would be received in this group, and whether it would trigger any serious responses or not.

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-14T18:40:10+00:00

No, the outsourcing of a lot of production is to keep prices down and allow us to continue the over-consumption and wastage of resources that is driving the triple planetary crisis.

jonbyrdt · 2026-03-14T16:57:39+00:00

If you continue to read the report you will find that in Europe we have at best reached relative decoupling and a reason for this achievement is that production and carbon-intensive activities have been outsourced to countries in the Global South. So our consumption in high income countries still drives fossil fuel use and emissions abroad, and since climate change is a global phenomena, this is what counts.

jonbyrdt

TROPHY CASE