Peter Rodes Robinson
2 min readOct 18, 2020

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Why do conservatives deny global warming?

Often said: “Global problems need global solutions."

Have you ever wondered why conservatives deny that global warming is a problem?

>>Peer-reviewed research shows that conservatives are generally more sensitive to threat. While this threat-bias can distort reality, fuel irrational fears, and make one more vulnerable to fear-mongering politicians, it could also promote hypervigilance, perhaps making one better prepared to handle an immediate threat.<<
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-in-the-machine/201612/fear-and-anxiety-drive-conservatives-political-attitudes

Theoretically conservatives (with their more vigilant amygdalas) should be more inclined to perceive a threat.

Consider two different threats:

1) Violent crime

2) Global warming

Conservatives do not diminish the threat of violent crime. In fact they are more concerned about it than liberals. With global warming the reverse is true.

Why?

Why are liberals less concerned with violent crime?

Perhaps because we feel less threatened. And perhaps because we don't like the common solutions: carry a gun, keep guns at home.

Why are conservatives less concerned about global warming? Perhaps they don’t feel threatened. After all it is hard to establish that any single event is a result of global warming. And perhaps because they DON’T LIKE THE PROPOSED SOLUTIONS.

Global problems need global solutions and conservatives detest global solutions. The United Nations, Council on Foreign Relations, International Court of Justice,
"New World Order", “globalism”, arms limitations, the Paris Accords, international agreements in general: these things are viewed with suspicion if not outright hostility by conservatives.

>>In any case, it is clear to most American conservatives today (and it will be even clearer in the future) that the worldview advocated by transnational progressives is diametrically opposed to the interests and principles of those who want to “conserve” America’s constitutional democracy and way of life. <<
https://tnsr.org/roundtable/policy-roundtable-the-future-of-conservative-foreign-policy/

So are there national and/or personal solutions to global warming? Clearly not. CO2 spreads quickly and invisibly to the far corners of the globe. One nation could be doing a great job of limiting CO2 emissions and receive no benefit at all because of lack of action in another nation.

What does a conservative do when the only solutions are global solutions?

DENY THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM.

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Peter Rodes Robinson

Thinker, dreamer, retired programmer, living in the Caribbean. UBI advocate. I offer inexpensive English editing (first hour free). RodesScholar@gmail.com