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Climate stories: Why do climate scientists and sceptical voices participate in the climate debate?

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-08-30, 14:14 authored by Amelia Sharman, Candice C. Howarth
Public perceptions of the climate debate predominantly frame the key actors as climate scientists versus sceptical voices; however, it is unclear why climate scientists and sceptical voices choose to participate in this antagonistic and polarised public battle. A narrative interview approach is used to better understand the underlying rationales behind 22 climate scientists’ and sceptical voices’ engagement in the climate debate, potential commonalities, as well as each actor’s ability to be critically self-reflexive. Several overlapping rationales are identified including a sense of duty to publicly engage, agreement that complete certainty about the complex assemblage of climate change is unattainable and that political factors are central to the climate debate. We argue that a focus on potential overlaps in perceptions and rationales as well as the ability to be critically self-reflexive may encourage constructive discussion among actors previously engaged in purposefully antagonistic exchange on climate change.

History

Refereed

  • Yes

Volume

26

Issue number

7

Page range

826-842

Publication title

Public Understanding of Science

ISSN

1361-6609

Publisher

SAGE

File version

  • Accepted version

Language

  • eng

Legacy posted date

2016-03-17

Legacy creation date

2018-10-22

Legacy Faculty/School/Department

ARCHIVED Faculty of Science & Technology (until September 2018)

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