Why are the older, less educated, more conservative more likely to think humans aren't causing global warming?

Question

According to a Pew Research Center poll, this is the case.

58% of Democrats, 50% of Independents, and 27% of Republicans think global warming is caused by human activity.

This is also true of 54% of 18-29 year-olds, 50% of 30-49, 44% of 50-64, and 35% of 65-and-older.

Also 51% of college grads, 49% of those with some college, and just 43% of high school or less education think global warming is caused by human activity.

Also less likely in the midwest and south than the east and west coasts, and rural is less likely than urban populations to think global warming is caused by human activity.

And finally, only 49% of Republicans even think there is evidence of global warming at all (not human-cased, but simply the warming of the planet), as opposed to 84% of Dems and 75% of independents.

http://people-press.org/report/417/a-deeper-partisan-divide-over-global-warming

What are your thoughts on these statistics?

Answer 1

It proves a lot pf people can be brainwashed relatively easy.  You included.  At one time a majority of people thought the world was flat and at one time the majority of people thought the world was cooling.  Your argument proves nothing as usual.

Answer 2

It's funny that professors are usually older then the students. Where are the statics for that? But of course that's only if you want to make a true comparison.

Answer 3

You have to much time on your hands go do some real work and after you have spent a week in the hospital from mental and physical exhaustion hopefully you have gained some perspective.  

You may want to rephrase your question, why to the indoctrinated tend to believe in AGW?

Answer 4

To paraphrase Churchhill, If you are young and conservative, you have no heart.  If you are old and liberal you have no brain.  The obvious inference is that AGW is a political issue.  Look at all the up and down arrows.  This is further evidence for this.  You will only find a similar number of up and down arrows on political questions which is telling.  The young often think that they live in magical times where they alone can save the world.  When they get older they tend to realize that they were not thinking with their brain when they were younger.

Answer 5

Because the older you are, the more conservative you are, and the further out of college you are....the more you have to deal with BS.

Conservative older people are not stupid. They look as diligently at the given research as younger, more left wing college kids.

The difference is, they don't share the religious fervor in the works of science that younger liberals do.

They've lived long enough to know that these same scientists predicted global warming fifty years ago. They then predicted a new ice age. Then they predicted global warming again. And just last week, a scientist claims that now....it's back to ice age.

Frankly climatologists who predict anything past a 10 day forecast are in over their heads. The UN models used to predict global warming are becoming increasing discredited.

I think these older folks simply know how to spot a snake oil salesman when they see him.

Answer 6

I think it provides more evidence that global warming is a political issue. (I am not saying it isn't a scientific issue, but it is fairly clear that there is a divide along political ideologies).  

I think the most telling of all the statistics provided is that Democrats put global warming above ethics and morality.  I guess that is why it is ok for Al Gore to lie and exaggerate.  It is more important to get the message across than to be honest about it.

All in all it is just a poll with little relevance to the real issues.

Answer 7

Humans aren't causing it, they are contributing to it. Global warming/cooling are cyclical. We have been in a warming stage for the last 10,000 years or so, since the end of the last ice age. There are many factors contributing to global warming that have nothing to do with humans or animals. Any book on climatology will explain.

Answer 8

#1 older people have learned to be a bit skeptical of every fear-monger that screams danger, most of whom hope to gain Government research grants to search for solutions to "the problem."  What is still debatable is whether the evidence of global warming is truly a trend or just a cyclic part of the planet's long-range history.  #2 - having a degree, particularly recently, is far from being very much of an indication of intelligence.  And since the evidence for human-cause of the warming is even less reliable than the basic evidence of warming at all, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that older people are not jumping on this bandwagon.

Answer 9

Maybe they know something you don't.

Answer 10

Because they are correct . The fact that the GW issue is so political only makes me (a non conservative) that more suspicious of it .

Answer 11

Talking about the uneducated , at 77 your ignorance disturbs me. I new that not to make fun of your elders because of what they have lived through. If U do not respect your elders enough to learn from them U will repeat many of there mistakes.  

Answer 12

Older people remember how warm it was during the thirties so they know that the earth goes through cycles.  

Older people also remember the countless the "world is coming to an end" scare tactics of the environmental movement throughout the years.

As for the left being more likely to believing in AGW, is it nor convenient that all of the solutions propose to solve this "crisis" happens to be policies that they believed way before AGW became an issue.  If you want something to be true, then it becomes true.

Answer 13

Gee you really seem to be much like I was in my younger days.

I 'KNEW' everything when I was younger also.

My father had to be the stupidest person on earth.

10 years or so later I was surprised how much he had learned.

I could not understand how he was able to gain so much knowledge over the years since he worked full time and for a two year period was working two jobs just to pay the hospital bills for my younger brother's care.

Of course now that I am way past 30, I too get stupider every year.

It is a shame that wisdom seems to be wasted on the wise.

I guess us old folk is just too stupid to let ourselves be fooled.

And since we ain't gots no brains nomores I 'spect we cant's bees brainwashheedd tooo.

God I'm glad you pointed that out to us.

I'm looking forward to the day that you become equally stupid.

Answer 14

I just question why the division between college and highschool is so clear cut and they don't provide a finer resolution of the data (i.e. climate sciences vs. other sciences vs. arts) to give a more detailed scope.  Its known that you are more likely to find people that study environmental studies are more inclined to agree with global warming as opposed to those that study geology or paleoclimatology.

As for many high school students, many of them are teenagers and still in the neo-revolutionary, go against the status quo frame of mind that dominates many highschools all over the world.

As for geographic location and political ideologies, look no further to what the major industries are in their local areas an which industries have political might when dealing with ideologies and you will see a strong correlation.

Answer 15

If you will look further down you will see that only 19% of college grads who are republican believe in AGW--fewer  than those who are non college grads who are republican.

Answer 16

People believe what they want above what their mind tell tell

Liberal have a answer they need to question for

how to stop people driving their cars

don't drill for oil

stop polution

question

how to stop global warming

Answer 17

Dana,

I can't speak for anyone other than myself, but I believe that the AGW cause is steadily eroding due to the exposure of the flawed, so-called 'science' of AGW.

Insofar as political leanings, I was a punk-*** lefty in my earlier college days right up until the liberals started burning American flags and ROTC buildings, spitting on returning Vietnam Vets, and posing for our enemy's photographers while sitting on an anti-aircraft gun (Jane Fonda).  I observed all of that c**p in a very short period of time.  The result was a re-evaluation of my political (and moral) philosophies and who/what I wanted to be associated with.  The answer was.... Conservative.  (I am not implying that the majority of Democrats behave in that manner, but my upbringing simply did not allow me to be associated with any group harboring such extremist types).

I believe that its pretty 'normal' for kids (up to the age of 30 or so) to believe that they can save the world by supporting causes and I think that sort of exercise is good..... up to a point. The time eventually comes when a person needs to grow up and not blindly embrace every claim that is hacked up by academia and the media.  The hard questions need to be asked, and....... answered.  

Answer 18

Because we are smarter--  (!!!!!)  :)

However I do have a BBA with Major in Marketing-- which means that at my age I can be a used car salesman.

Answer 19

Could it be that after living for over 50 year, when a higher education was not required to make a decent living. but the fact that they do not have a degree from a University, does not mean that they are not intelligent, or that they have not received an Education in other areas.

And maybe over the years they have watched as a liberal government raise taxes, so they could pay lazy people to set on their butts, and collect their welfare check.

While I only have a High School education, I have worked for the government, teaching these second and third generation kids raised on welfare, expecting the government to take care of them.

Answer 20

I think a very interesting statistic would be to find out how many believers have even took an elementary interest in the science and history of climate change.  

Answer 21

Young people are typically more leftist, radical and anti-establishment, it's as natural a thing as manmade global warming.  As people age they mellow a bit, and their wisdom (I can tell you that wisdom has nil to do with education, debate it sometime if you like) helps them to see things (like this global warming scam) that they were incapable of perceiving in their earlier years.

The research polls can say what they like...you can't fool old dogs with fake tricks.  

Respect your elders.

Answer 22

The same as my thoughts on all statistics...

There are lies

There are d**n lies and there are statistics.

By that I mean that I am tired of people claiming global warming is a problem, but they always ignore any evidence that doesn't support their prejudged idea.

Answer 23

Since when are the young more educated than older people?

Perhaps a better question would be, "Why are the young so eager to embrace the theory of global warming despite no less than 12 inaccuracies in Gore's film and 35,000 scientists who have signed a petition that questions the origins of climate change?"

Answer 24

Because  the older, wiser , and more conservative are less likely to put up with the hoax and fraud called global warming.

Answer 25

Because maybe  human aren't the culprit and that common sense goes a h**l of a longer way than what you call educated book learning.  those that are so educated can be easily lead, they lose their ability to think for themselves.  Whereas the groups you indicate in your question most likely are independent, thoughtful, common sense thinkers.  More like not to be lead around by their noses.  

Answer 26

Why are the younger more liberal, less educated and gullible far more likely to accept a THEORY as fact when it's not even accepted as fact by the entire Scientific Community?

To quote Mark Twain there are three kinds of lies. Lies. d**n Lies and Statistics.

Answer 27

"Currently, 47% of Americans say that the earth is getting warmer and that this is occurring because of human activity".

So presumably 53% DON'T believe "the earth is getting warmer and that this is caused by human activity".

Answer 28

Well golly gee. Maybe because u youngins are just so much smarter than us all folk. Course, as the ole saying goes, "I was a Democrate before I got Brains.", or sumthin like that. Yu'all know I ain't quite as smart as you, and I's sumtims ferget stuff.

Now dang it, where is my teeth?

Answer 29

I figure most people will jump all over you for making such a statistical statement.  However you are on to something called the "lobster in the pot of cool water under a flame" theory.  Also the other possibility is they are in total denial because they don't want to be associated with handing over a planet they helped make sure was used up.  Then last is the religion card.  This is where they (non-anthropocentric AGW understanders) can not fathom the possibility of a god not in-control of everything that is happening in the world.

Opet....climatologist have nothing to do with weather forecasting for the next 10 days, that is left to meteorologists.

Answer 30

one word WISDOM!!!!!

Answer 31

People are dumb. The republican con game works. People are so d**n dumb it amazes me civilization has lasted this long.