The New Climate War

December 1, 2020
One of the world's leading climate scientists embarks on a journey into the minds of climate change deniers to try to understand their motivations and strategies. Outright climate change denial is no longer acceptable, writes Mann in this blunt, lucid work of climate politics. Lobbyists and publicists for the fossil-fuel industry used to be focused on refuting the scientific evidence--models too unreliable, data too short, natural variability too unknown--but the new climate war is a softer form of denialism that seeks to shift the responsibility for climate change from the corporations who are producing the greenhouse gases to individuals (following the lead of the gun and tobacco industries) in a devious form of deflective accountability. Yes, Mann writes, individuals must act responsibly when it comes to the environment, but the necessary big-picture change will require massive action on the policy level--e.g., the 1987 Montreal Protocol, which combatted ozone depletion, and the 1990 Clean Air Act. Consistently displaying his comprehensive command of climate science and the attendant politics, he clearly walks readers through the disingenuous arguments about carbon pricing; the mechanics of receiving governmental incentives for renewable energy; how the energy market lacks sufficient incentives to build a new infrastructure; solar and wind energy scare tactics in right-wing media; the pitfalls of "clean" coal and geoengineering; "doomism," which "leads us down the same path of inaction as outright denial of the threat"; and carbon budgeting ("every bit of carbon we avoid burning prevents additional damage. There is both urgency and agency"). Mann is a cautious optimist--he even sees signs of accountability in some Republican lawmakers--and he hopes that the Covid-19 pandemic will teach us something about ideologically driven science denialism. The author recommends a "delicate middle ground": Individual action includes pressuring "politicians to support climate-friendly governmental policies," and collective action seeks to solve systemic problems. An expert effectively debunks the false narrative of denialism and advocates communal resistance to fossil fuels.

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