- 12/19/10 11:34 AM ET
The United States’ top climate negotiator is calling on scientists and policymakers to orchestrate an “educational effort” to change the public’s perception about climate change.
Todd Stern, the country’s special envoy on climate change, pointed to a gap between what science says about the changing climate and what American’s believe.
“There is a gap and I think there is an educational effort that really needs to be made,” he said in a pre-taped interview with the energy and environment news program energyNow! that aired Sunday. Asked who should lead the education effort, Stern pointed to both scientists and policymakers.
According to December polling data from Rasmussen, 41 percent of Americans believe climate change is caused by human activity, while 47 percent say it is part of the natural variation in the planet’s temperature.
Stern said misinformation about climate change was spread during the recent midterm elections, which heralded into Congress a slew of climate change skeptics. “There was a lot of skepticism expressed,” he said. Quoting former senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, he added, “Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but they’re not entitled to their own facts.”
Stern -- who lead U.S. efforts to reach an agreement at recent United Nations climate change negotiations in Cancun, Mexico – also downplayed the importance of coming to a legally binding global climate treaty, a goal that has eluded the world for years.
“My whole message when it comes to this is to not be overly focused on a legal treaty,” he said.
Modest agreements like the one signed in Cancun this month may be the only way to make progress in the interim until countries like China are willing to sign on to a legally binding agreement, he said.
“If we can get there, it would be a good thing,” Stern said. “Many countries in the world are attached to the idea [of a legally binding treaty] because it feels serious, but the type of agreement we just did is serious.”
“The day will come when things are ripe for a legal agreement and we’ll be there when that’s the case,” he said.
Todd Stern, the country’s special envoy on climate change, pointed to a gap between what science says about the changing climate and what American’s believe.
“There is a gap and I think there is an educational effort that really needs to be made,” he said in a pre-taped interview with the energy and environment news program energyNow! that aired Sunday. Asked who should lead the education effort, Stern pointed to both scientists and policymakers.
According to December polling data from Rasmussen, 41 percent of Americans believe climate change is caused by human activity, while 47 percent say it is part of the natural variation in the planet’s temperature.
Stern said misinformation about climate change was spread during the recent midterm elections, which heralded into Congress a slew of climate change skeptics. “There was a lot of skepticism expressed,” he said. Quoting former senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, he added, “Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but they’re not entitled to their own facts.”
Stern -- who lead U.S. efforts to reach an agreement at recent United Nations climate change negotiations in Cancun, Mexico – also downplayed the importance of coming to a legally binding global climate treaty, a goal that has eluded the world for years.
“My whole message when it comes to this is to not be overly focused on a legal treaty,” he said.
Modest agreements like the one signed in Cancun this month may be the only way to make progress in the interim until countries like China are willing to sign on to a legally binding agreement, he said.
“If we can get there, it would be a good thing,” Stern said. “Many countries in the world are attached to the idea [of a legally binding treaty] because it feels serious, but the type of agreement we just did is serious.”
“The day will come when things are ripe for a legal agreement and we’ll be there when that’s the case,” he said.
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