Being in a relationship with someone scientifically ignorant?

Question

Dear YA! Science community,

I have been in a relationship with an amazing man for about a year and a half, but there is one major issue between us that I'm having a hard time reconciling.

My boyfriend is an engineer and is absolutely brilliant. But one thing about him just completely mystifies me-- he doesn't believe in global warming! He, unfortunately, grew up watching FOX news and, though he doesn't read about science much, he gets all of his information from politically speaking, very conservative sources. I've done a lot of major research on the subject of global warming, and all of the evidence points towards its existence, but my boyfriend refuses to acknowledge it. I know a lot of couples can ignore some political differences here and there, but I hold this issue near and dear to my heart and his ignorance on the subject, yet insistence that his is right, is driving me crazy.

Does anyone have any advice? Have you had a similar experience? Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

It does sort of tarnish your image of him, doesn't it? Because they will eventually change, his views on global warming are less of a problem than his intransigence, a trait that will probably turn up in other contexts, if it hasn't already.

I suggest you not marry him and keep your eyes open. Tell him honestly how much it bugs you and you're not sure how much longer you can put up with it, for example. Maybe you just need to get his attention.

Good luck; you deserve better.

Answer 2

But honey, doesn't our love overcome our differences?  I bought over a hundred acres of Amazon rain forest and had it slashed and burned just for you!  Do you know how hard it is to displace all of those natives just so that i could drill for oil? Doesn't that mean anything?

Answer 3

I have the same problem with people that I know and love.  The concept is to vague for them.  Some people must be hit over the head with a giant sledge hammer after all h**l breaks loose.

Try to tell people that Polar Bears face extinction because the 'ozone layer' is disappearing and that everything

(person, plant and animal, are not only dependent, but inner-dependent, in order for us to survive.  Try to tell them that the massive destruction of the rain forest  are causing the atmospheric problems and they laugh at you and walk away. And don't even mention greenhouse gases, or the total disapperance of some plant and animal species

You can not tell people things that the mind refuses to accept, sadly to the detriment of our once beautiful plantet