Complaints about global-warming alarmism in political statements and media reports usually come from skeptics. But it turns out that some analysts who want the general public to accept major regulatory responses or other public policies to combat warming think that all the Al Gore-style bloviation is harming their cause. The Institute for Public Policy Research in Britain just released a report calling the problem “climate porn” and urging government and the press to scale down the rhetoric, change the policies being recommended, and, well, cool it. Here’s an excerpt:
“Currently, climate communications too often terrify or thrill the reader or viewer while failing to make them feel that they can make a difference, which engenders inaction. Government and green groups should avoid giving the impression that ‘we are all doomed’ and spend less time convincing people that climate change is real.”
Since the alarmists have been loudly blowing their trumpet for a couple of decades now, and most voters still don’t rate global-warming all that high in political importance (though many have bought the alarmist line, unfortunately), perhaps the change in strategy makes sense. I can’t help thinking, though, that if environmentalists turn down the temperature on climate change, people will naturally shift their attention even further towards issues that affect them more immediately and directly — which would be welcome and rational. So here’s a crackdown on porn that even a libertarian could love.