Study: 15% Of Americans Still Don't Believe Climate Change Exists

A study of millions of posts on X, formerly Twitter,
says there are political and regional areas of climate 
denial as people want to be in their own tribes apparently.

 Around 15 percent of Americans remain steadfast in their belief that climate change is just a hoax, a new study shows. 

According to The Guardian, here's how this University of Michigan study was done: 

"Using artificial intelligence, researchers analyzed over 7.4 million tweets posted by roughly 1.3 million on social media platform X (previously Twitter) between 2017 and 2019. The social media posts were geocoded, and classified as 'for' or 'against' climate change using a large language model, a type of artificial intelligence developed by OpenAI"

One caveat I can think of already is the study looked at data from five or more years ago. Attitudes might have changed in the interim. 

However, this University of Michigan study is consistent with other surveys. For instance, a Yale University study in 2023 concluded that 16 percent of Americans do not believe man-made climate change exists. 

For me, the most predictable and frustrating part of the University of Michigan study (and others) is how politically partisan the whole thing is. I guess society has concluded that not only are we entitled to our own opinions, but now we're also entitled to our own facts. 

The abstract from the University of Michigan is a depressing analysis of society in general, if you think about it:

"This denialism is highest in the central and southern U.S. However, it also persists in clusters within states (e.g. California) where belief in climate change is high. 

Political affiliation is the strongest correlation, followed by level of education, COVID-19 vaccination rates, carbon intensity of the regional economy and income. 

The analysis reveals how a a coordinated social media network uses periodic events, such as cold weather and climate conferences, to sow disbelief about climate change and science in general. Donald Trump was the strongest influencer in this network, followed by conservative media outlets and right-wing activists."

I find it amazing now far-reaching the anti-science hysteria during the COVID pandemic has damaged science in general.  

There's now a subset of people who will believe anything some tin pot wacko says about science on social media. But actual scientists seem to be "always wrong."-  or something like that.

We've got back to the human condition in which tribes are more important than facts.  They've given themselves to become real life versions of that meme. You know the one: The dog in the burning house saying "This is fine."

Until it's not.