This series consists of links and excerpts from my last 12 months of posts touching on the science and politics of climate change.

A Framework for Finding Common Ground on Climate Change June 14, 2018

“Members of the public with the highest degrees of science literacy and technical reasoning capacity were not the most concerned about climate change. Rather, they were the ones among whom cultural polarization was greatest.” Kahan, Peters et al (2012)

Psychology and Politics, Part IV: System Justification and Climate Change June 10, 2018

…survey evidence showing the number of Americans endorsing anthropogenic climate change fell during the Great Recession, between 2007 and 2009. The authors' basic theory is that when people sense economic threat, they are more likely to value order and stability, which motivates them to justify the existing economic system and downplay evidence suggesting the system itself is a problem.

Psychology and Politics, Part II: Truth and Research Agendas June 6, 2018

There's something about psychologizing that's invalidating. As if psychology were the science of human error. But does it have to be so?  Humans are pretty good at tracking reality, thanks to biases and heuristics that work well most of the time. Error can be an ally in the search for truth.

First Step in Helping Farmers Help the Environment: Listen, Don’t Tell, Part II April 27, 2018

In the case of corn-soybean farmers in Michigan, winter cover crops can delay or complicate spring planting; land that is not tilled for years might be invaded by difficult-to-control weeds; reducing fertilizer, insecticide, and herbicide use may  sacrifice crop yield and boost the risk of herbicide-resistant insects and weeds. These are real concerns in a low-margin business.

Environmental Politics April 3, 2018

Is it any wonder that a lot of Republicans soured on the environmental movement or came to doubt the "consensus" on climate change? Sure, as members of a pro-business/limited government party, it's not surprising that Republicans would be a bit less gung-ho about environmental regulation than Democrats. But that doesn't explain the change in Republican opinion over the last decade or so. 

The Science Behind the Headlines, Part II: Is the 2°C Target Beyond Our Reach? February 18, 2018

Of course, we must remain vigilant! But measured optimism is not the enemy.