I think the answer is yes, but it requires patience, perseverance, engagement, and effective communication. Recently, I came across an engaging, effective communicator on the climate change topic….worthy of sharing. His name is Jeffrey Bennett, a professor at the University of Colorado. He has a website dedicated to the topic ( http://www.globalwarmingprimer.com ). His website also includes a free online book, where he clearly goes through the basic arguments, evidence, and possible counterpoints…and does it in an ACCESSIBLE manner. What makes Jeffrey Bennett different? In my opinion, he can discuss the topic without sounding like a partisan. In practice, this is VERY hard to do, which makes it hard to “bridge the gap” with the skeptic community…irrespective of the overwhelming evidence. I think there is hope that folks like Jeffrey Bennett will be able to make progress, allowing us to properly deal with the climate crisis. BUT we need to support the Jeffrey Bennetts of the world and make sure people are aware…spread the word. I leave you with a Jeffrey Bennett video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr0wPz94kLA ) and the opening few paragraphs of his book ( http://www.globalwarmingprimer.com/primer/ )
“Is human-induced global warming a real threat to our future? Most people will express an opinion on this question, but relatively few can back their opinions with solid evidence. This is true on both sides, as many “believers” are no better able to explain the scientific case for global warming than “skeptics” are to make a case against it. Many times we’ve even heard politicians and media pundits say “I am not a scientist” to avoid the issue altogether.
But the truth is, the basic science is not that difficult. Sure, Earth’s climate is complex, and therefore so are many details of the science of global warming, but I can tell you from my own teaching experience that the key ideas are understandable to most fourth- and fifth-graders. Indeed, even the more arcane details that you may hear debated in the media are usually simple enough once you focus on the heart of the matter. So if you want to understand and act intelligently on this issue, then I hope you’ll continue reading. By the end of this book, I believe you’ll be fully equipped to have an informed opinion about global warming.”
