The Denial of Science

Analysing Climate Change Scepticism in the Uk

This is not a book about climate science.
Rather it analyses why some people dispute the reality, reliability and
reasonableness of this science. The validity of the scientifi c consensus
is therefore taken as a given, solely in order to analyse the views of
climate change sceptics who dispute it.

Nevertheless, most biological and environmental scientists do agree
that the scale of much human activity now exceeds the capacity of our
environment to sustain it, or to recycle the waste it generates. Using a
river as a source of water, a laundry and a toilet may be possible if you
live in a sparsely populated wilderness. If you live in a slum, however, it
is likely to lead to your premature death.

As such, many activities have become problematic simply because
of the rate at which we are carrying them out. This includes pumping
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Therefore this book addresses
the philosophical roots of scepticism, its possible misappropriation for
ideological reasons, and the psychological causes of denial. It concludes
by suggesting that ending this denial of science is an essential next step
toward a sustainable future in a post-carbon era.