Publications
Publications
- Fall 2012
- Stanford Social Innovation Review
Climate Science as Culture War
By: Andrew J. Hoffman
Abstract
Today, there is no doubt that a scientific consensus exists on the issue of climate change. Scientists have documented that anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gases are leading to a buildup in the atmosphere, which leads to a general warming of the global climate and an alteration in the statistical distribution of localized weather patterns over long periods of time. This assessment is endorsed by a large body of scientific agencies and by the vast majority of climatologists. This article seeks to delve into the climate change debate through the lens of the social sciences. The author takes this approach not because the physical sciences have become less relevant, but because people need to understand the social and psychological processes by which they receive and understand the science of global warming. He explains the cultural dimensions of the climate debate as it is currently configured.
Keywords
Citation
Hoffman, Andrew J. "Climate Science as Culture War." Stanford Social Innovation Review 10, no. 4 (Fall 2012): 30–37. (Winner of the 2013 Maggie Climate science as culture war Award, Best Feature Article in a Trade Journal.)