Climate skeptics more eco-friendly than global-warming alarmists: study
Skeptics more likely to recycle, ride bus than those ‘highly concerned’ about climate
By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times - Monday, May 7, 2018
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news...obal-warming-/
Al Gore has been accused of hypocrisy for talking the talk on climate change despite burning through fossil fuels at a rapid clip, but it turns out
he’s not alone.
A study by Cornell and the University of Michigan researchers found that
those “highly concerned” about climate change were
less likely to engage in recycling and other eco-friendly behaviors
than global-warming skeptics....
...The
“highly concerned” cluster was “
most supportive of
government climate policies, but
least likely to report
individual-level actions, whereas the ‘Skeptical’ opposed policy solutions but were most likely to report engaging in individual-level pro-environmental behaviors,” the researchers concluded....
...The skeptics were the more likely than the “highly concerned” to recycle, use public transportation and reusable shopping bags, and buy eco-friendly products.
“Belief in climate change predicted support for government policies to combat climate change, but did
not generally translate to individual-level, self-reported pro-environmental behavior,” said the paper.
Why? Even the researchers were stumped, although it’s possible that skeptics may place
more emphasis on personal responsibility than
government action....
....As Pacific Standard’s Tom Jacobs put it, “remember that
conservatism prizes individual action over collective efforts.”
“So while they may assert disbelief in order to stave off coercive (in their view) actions by the government, many could take pride in doing what they can do on a personal basis,” he said in a Friday post.
Mr. Gore, a leading climate-change activist, has long come under fire for his carbon-emitting ways, such as burning 21 times more kilowatt hours annually at his Nashville mansion than the average U.S. household, according to a 2017 study by the National Center for Public Policy Research.
His swimming pool alone uses enough electricity to power six average homes for a year, the study said....