Just as there are people who still consider that the Earth is flat, others point out that climate change does not exist, or at least it is not caused by humans.
Recently, the Argentine presidential candidate Javier Milei pointed out: “All those policies that blame humans for climate change They are false and the only thing they seek is to raise funds to finance lazy socialists who write second-rate papers.”
He is not the only politician who defends this theory. But why?
Climate change, explains the UN, refers to long-term changes in temperatures and weather patterns.
They can be natural, due to variations in solar activity or large volcanic eruptions, or due to human activities, due to the burning of fossil fuels such as carbon, oil and gas.
Organizations like NASA show evidence of human intervention in climate change.
“It is undeniable,” notes NASA, “that human activities have produced atmospheric gases that have trapped a greater portion of the Sun’s energy in the Earth system. This additional energy has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land, and there have been rapid and widespread changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere.”
For deniers, the Earth has experienced climate changes throughout its history, with or without the presence of humans. Although scientific evidence shows that current global warming is occurring at a much faster rate in recent centuries.
Another denialist argument is that climate change It is caused by solar activity, not by people.
Finally, they consider that the effects of climate change are exaggerated by interested sectors, as Milei says in Argentina.
Psychologist Jessica Kleczka wrote an article for Euronews on how to approach the issue of climate change with deniers. For Kleczka, deniers “are victims, not villains.”
“As climate-conscious people, reaching out and offering guidance is often all that is needed to break down defenses,” notes the expert. “And the best way to do that is to simply talk about the climate crisis: at work, in schools, at the table. By normalizing conversations about the climate, we encourage healthier emotional responses.”
“Instead of sowing seeds of fear and polarization, fostering vulnerability and hope in equal measure is the way that we motivate people to act for a better future.”