Why do liberals fear gloabl warming more than conservatives?

[daepp]

Interesting observation by Dennis Prager...

"Observers of contemporary society will surely have noted that a liberal is far more likely to fear global warming than a conservative. Why is this?

After all, if the science is as conclusive as Al Gore, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times and virtually every other spokesman of the Left says it is, conservatives are just as likely to be scorched and drowned and otherwise done in by global warming as liberals will. So why aren't non-leftists nearly as exercised as leftists are? Do conservatives handle heat better? Are libertarians better swimmers? Do religious people love their children less?"

Thw whole article is here

I think he's on to something!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Maybe because they're capable of thinking longer-term and beyond next week's sermon or the next election?

[widebody911]

Originally posted by Porsche-O-Phile
Maybe because they're capable of thinking longer-term and beyond next week's sermon or the next election?

Or next quarter.

[gaijindabe]

"When people no longer believe in God, they will believe in anything."

Like global warming. Not that religious people cannot look at scientific evidence and come to conclusions - but the morality of it all, the good vs evil, the right and wrong - they tend to skin that cat elsewhere in their psyche...

[jorian]

"When people no longer believe in God, they will believe in anything."

Typical myopic tripe from the right. If yer not wit us yer agin us.

If your opinion differs, characterize those who oppose you as godless.

[daepp]

The quote from Chesterson is a propos.

Widebody911 - did you read the article? Are all conservatives just interested in corporate profits. But about the regualr Joe Republicans? Mechanics, factory workers etc? All they care about is GM/Exxon?IBM profits instead of the destruction of the world? I don't think so.

[gaijindabe]

Look to the original post: "Do religious people love their children less?"

Myopic tripe if I have ever read it...

As for the quote - that is a keen observation from about 100 years ago. If you have ever had any new age geeks bend your ear about crystals and druid myths you would understand how true it is.....

I did not mention my own faith or characterize anyone else as "godless" BTW.

So back to the original topic: "Observers of contemporary society will surely have noted that a liberal is far more likely to fear global warming than a conservative. Why is this?"

So why is this j? What do you think?

[rrsrsr]

A MAJORITY of Republicans, Independents and Democrats believe global warming is an issue, that human activity is a significant cause and that it is a threat to future generations.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/PollVault/story?id=850438

If that is what a majority of registered Republicans believe then wouldn't all of the authors points have to apply to the majority of "conservatives" as well?

I would think the difference in percentages (Democrats & Independents 12-25% more likely than Republicans to believe global warming is a threat) basically comes down to the extremes of the Sierra club types, who are likely all Democrats or Independents versus the Oil Barons who are likey all Republicans and Independents.

[jkarolyi]

Excellent article. Few disagree that the world is warming, but lots of disagreement (including among scientists) as to the doomsday scenarios and whether or not humans are causing the warming trend.

[daepp]

rrsrsr: The point is not who believes it is true or false - the quesiton is, why do liberals fear it more than conservatives?

[Mulhollanddose]

Originally posted by daepp
rrsrsr: The point is not who believes it is true or false - the quesiton is, why do liberals fear it more than conservatives?

Liberals are more gullible. They are quick to believe lies as long as those lies mesh with their world view.

[gaijindabe]

They fear it beacuse they love it. Big cause, lots of money, lots of social engineering. Lots of what we know is best for you. Of my liberal friends (of which their are many) not one has led by example and given up the second home, downsized the first, limited travel, traded down on personal transportation or even turned down the heat or the AC off.

[nostatic]

There is some element of truth in what Prager says. But as usual with these talking heads, hyperbole washes out any reasonable points.

The equally hyperbolic response from the left is that the right is short-sighted and greedy...they don't really care about the next generations, instead focusing on what they can get *now*.

I think that the left wants to believe the sky is falling, so they embrace it more easily. The right refuses to believe the sky is falling, so they ignore it. The reality, like any situation, is somewhere in between. For the life of me I don't understand how anyone with any serious scientific training can think human activities are not having a negative impact on the environment. To me, only the scope and solutions are up for discussion...

[rrsrsr]

Originally posted by daepp
rrsrsr: The point is not who believes it is true or false - the quesiton is, why do liberals fear it more than conservatives?

Originally posted by rrsrsr

I would think the difference in percentages (Democrats & Independents 12-25% more likely than Republicans to believe global warming is a threat) basically comes down to the extremes of the Sierra club types, who are likely all Democrats or Independents versus the Oil Barons who are likey all Republicans and Independents.

I would think its pretty clear that the 'Sierra Club' crowd is fearful because they see it as a threat to something that they have chosen to make important to them.

My point is that a majority of Republicans as well as Democrats & Independents do see it as a threat as well, so outside of the vocal enviro-extremist crowd most normal people are also concerned ("fearful"). Its not correct to reduce the global warming arguement to a stereotypical "liberals are all hysterical, gullible, misguided, tree-hugging cowards but conservatives are normal people". Clearly the author would have to apply the same judgements to "conservatives" as a whole, due to the global warming opinions of the majority of that group displayed in the poll.

[Moneyguy1]

rrsr. I agree. Republicans and Democrats and Independents are far more rational than "liberals" and "conservatives" if the latter are defined as the extreme ends of the spectrum.

"The world is ending soon" and "God will save us so don't worry" are equally strange viewpoints.

[Burnin' oil]

Originally posted by nostatic
There is some element of truth in what Prager says. But as usual with these talking heads, hyperbole washes out any reasonable points.

The equally hyperbolic response from the left is that the right is short-sighted and greedy...they don't really care about the next generations, instead focusing on what they can get *now*.

I think that the left wants to believe the sky is falling, so they embrace it more easily. The right refuses to believe the sky is falling, so they ignore it. The reality, like any situation, is somewhere in between. For the life of me I don't understand how anyone with any serious scientific training can think human activities are not having a negative impact on the environment. To me, only the scope and solutions are up for discussion...

DO NOT engage in debate on this forum, you fool of a took.

[Moneyguy1]

Sign outside OT:

"Abandon logic and civility, all who enter here".

[daepp]

I hang with conservatives of all income levels and social poisition, and to a person none of them worry about global warming. Now, concern for the moral climate, that's another story!

And would the world be so bad if it heated up a couple of degrees? It will also cool a few degrees eventually.

It also occurs to me that since liberals are much more likely to have small or no families, it is doubly crazy that they should spend so much time worrying about global warming, alar in apples, etc.

[daepp]

What is a took?

[nostatic]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fool+of+a+took&defid=1184694

http://www.hitherouk.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/scenarios/fool.html

google is your friend. Has to be, as I've never read any of the LOTR stuff.