US Lags Behind On Climate Change Because of Doomsday Myth
Read Time:2 Minute, 36 Second
Did you ever wonder why the United States lags so far behind the rest of the civilized world when it comes to mitigating climate change? Well, wonder no more. It’s because of the religious nuts that exert an uncanny, and frightening influence over American politicians, and who are convinced that the world has a set expiration date which involves Jesus and the apocalypse.
Research by David C. Barker of the University of Pittsburgh and David H. Bearce of the University of Colorado uncovered that belief in the biblical end-times was a motivating factor behind resistance to curbing climate change.
“[T]he fact that such an overwhelming percentage of Republican citizens profess a belief in the Second Coming (76 percent in 2006, according to our sample) suggests that governmental attempts to curb greenhouse emissions would encounter stiff resistance even if every Democrat in the country wanted to curb them,” Barker and Bearce wrote in their study, which will be published in the June issue of Political Science Quarterly.
The study, based on data from the 2007 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, uncovered that belief in the “Second Coming” of Jesus reduced the probability of strongly supporting government action on climate change by 12 percent when controlling for a number of demographic and cultural factors. When the effects of party affiliation, political ideology, and media distrust were removed from the analysis, the belief in the “Second Coming” increased this effect by almost 20 percent.
“[I]t stands to reason that most nonbelievers would support preserving the Earth for future generations, but that end-times believers would rationally perceive such efforts to be ultimately futile, and hence ill-advised,” Barker and Bearce explained.
That very sentiment has been expressed by federal legislators. Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) said in 2010 that he opposed action on climate change because “the Earth will end only when God declares it to be over.” Amazingly this guy is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy. We can’t make these things up.
Though the two researchers cautioned their study was not intended to predict future policy outcomes, they said their study suggested it was unlikely the United States would take action on climate change while so many Americans, particularly Republicans, believed in the coming end-times.
“That is, because of institutions such as the Electoral College, the winner-take-all representation mechanism, and the Senate filibuster, as well as the geographic distribution of partisanship to modern partisan polarization, minority interests often successfully block majority preferences,” Barker and Bearce wrote. “Thus, even if the median voter supports policies designed to slow global warming, legislation to effect such change could find itself dead on arrival if the median Republican voter strongly resists public policy environmentalism at least in part because of end-times beliefs.”
The United States may well find its very own “doomsday” at the hands of the republican Jesus Jumpers unless common sense enters into the picture and people elect politicians who believe in government, not god.
Thanks to RawStory for contributions.
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Glad I could come up with it for you! Don’t you HATE it when that happens? You know that you know the word. It’s not even a particularly ODD word, but it’s just not there!
“Contrary”? Is that the word you’re looking for, Jess? They are intentionally trying to NOT do what someone else (in this case, the world) thinks is desirable?
Thank you, thank you thank you. I could not remember that damn word if my life had depended on it. THAT’s the word guys, they are being all contrary.
That’s an old British ‘sitcom’ by the way and I highly recommend it. Innocent humor of the HIGHEST level.
Dad’s Army’s Private Frazer had it about right.
“We’re dooooomed!” 😉
This is entirely way too depressing first thing in the morning. Why does every little thing that happens, have to have the added bonus of Jesus and his dad involved.
Can’t remember where I read this but just recently there was a study done on light bulbs, yes light bulbs. If right leaning and left leaning people were going out to purchase lightbulbs, no matter the cost of reg and environmentally sound ones, if the packaging said something about hey you, yer saving the environment here (paraphrasing) right leaning people would not buy the environmentally sound bulbs. If the bulbs were not labeled as such, the righties would buy them. They are just being, hell I cannot think of the word right now, but they are being it. Someone help me with the word I am thinking of here because truly it just escaped my mind.
How about “arrogant assholes?”
Well yeah that too but it’s a specific word to describe doing one thing over another. Dammit I just cannot get the word I need.
The term you’re looking for is “willfully ignorant”. It’s a symptom of cognitive dissonance. And I was so hoping that the DSM-5 would define “being a Republican” as a subset of “sociopathy”.
See my reply to James EA, saying well yeah that too 🙂 It’s a specific word and for my life I cannot remember the word. I can’t channel my inner teabagger this morning.
I like that one. “Stubbornly stupid” ssems t work well for them, too.
That works…
Wow. Good one E.A. Makes my “obtuse” look less than fitting 🙂
Obtuse. They’re just being obtuse 🙂
How about “Obstinately Obtuse?”
That could work James unless there’s a redundancy 🙂
I have never understood why the second coming of jesus must be preceded by calamity. one would think this would be a happy, joyous time for christians, no?
Perhaps christians truly believe that all happiness is evil and “the work of the devil” and that’s why they are opposed to anything that might be enjoyable?
The Christians are downright orgasmic at the ludicrous idea that those who don’t accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior will be condemned. This they can’t wait to see…idiots 🙂
I’m good with being condemned because I know Ian Somerhalder will be too 🙂