Deniers’ Voices Try to Drown Out Climate Scientists

New study indicates that loud dissent from contrarians may prompt some researchers to soften their language about the threats of climate change.

Climate change denial by contrarians claiming that global warming has stopped, is a natural cycle rather than a consequence of human action, or is simply a hoax or conspiracy can take its toll of climate scientists too.

A new study in Global Environmental Change suggests that the loudest voices of dissent can affect the way researchers who have separately and repeatedly confirmed the reality of global climate change then talk about their own research.

Scoffing by contrarian voices can lead researchers to over-emphasise the inevitable scientific uncertainties, or over-react to claims of alarmism, or even adopt some of the contrarian language – chief of which has been talk of a “pause” or “hiatus” in global warming in the 21st century.

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