Talking to sceptics about climate change

Seminar, 07 April 2011

Kersty Hobson

The Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford

Talking to sceptics about climate change: discourses, deliberation and the curious case of 1598

Scepticism about the existence, causes, and impacts of climate change appears a pervasive and seemingly growing social phenomenon. Research to date has examined the different forms this scepticism can take, from outright denial to general uncertainty. However, less is known about what climate sceptics value and believe, beyond their doubts about climate change. In response, this seminar discusses research into public reactions to projected climate changes in the Australian Capital Region. Using Q Methodology and qualitative analysis, it outlines 5 discourses of scepticism that emerged from this research; and explores the impact that regionally-scaled climate scenarios and participation in a deliberative forum had on sceptics’ views. Results show that both forms of intervention stimulate ‘discourse migration’ to less extreme forms of scepticism. However, these migrations are not sustained and sceptical positions are rarely dispelled outright. Indeed, in some cases, interventions appear to foster a greater adherence to the identity of climate sceptic: such as with the research participant 1598. While there is indeed much further research needed on this topic, these results have distinct implications for debates about public communications, as well as the role of deliberation, in challenging climate change scepticism.

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