While the evidence keeps piling up on the already devastating effects of climate change, a recent Bloomberg Poll rates climate change as dead last, with only 2% or respondents ranking climate change as the top issue facing our nation.  It is clear that the economy and health care are vitally important issues to address, but the abysmally low ranking of climate change reflects the success of disinformation coming from industry and media that has sown confusion in the public on the science of climate change.

Recent findings highlight that many people feel helpless about Climate Change, which leads to both apathy and inaction, and long term threats are difficult for people to assess.  Climate change is an issue not easily understood by the public due to the complexities of the climate, feedback loops, and tipping points.  At the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions, the MET Office Report estimates that another 4 degrees Celsius could be in the pipeline by 2060, leading to major droughts, sea level rise, and ecosystem collapse.  The original proposal to keep the globe from warming by 2 degrees by the end of the century is now seen as a “lost cause”.  With Copenhagen just two months away, it is important for the public to better understand climate science and its impacts.