10.5061/DRYAD.V652R
Harvey, Jeffrey A.
Nederlands Instituut voor Ecologie
van den Berg, Daphne
VU University Amsterdam
Ellers, Jacintha
VU University Amsterdam
Kampen, Remko
Works in Gouda, the Netherlands
Crowther, Thomas W.
Nederlands Instituut voor Ecologie
Roessingh, Peter
University of Amsterdam
Verheggen, Bart
Amsterdam University College
Nuijten, Rascha J. M.
Nederlands Instituut voor Ecologie
Post, Eric
University of California, Davis
Lewandowsky, Stephan
University of Bristol
Stirling, Ian
University of Alberta
Balgopal, Meena
Colorado State University
Amstrup, Steven C.
University of Wyoming
Mann, Michael E.
Pennsylvania State University
Data from: Internet blogs, polar bears, and climate-change denial by proxy
Dryad
dataset
2017
2017-12-05T18:45:07Z
2017-12-05T18:45:07Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix133
22157 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Increasing surface temperatures, Arctic sea-ice loss, and other evidence
of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) are acknowledged by every major
scientific organization in the world. However, there is a wide gap between
this broad scientific consensus and public opinion. Internet blogs have
strongly contributed to this consensus gap by fomenting misunderstandings
of AGW causes and consequences. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) have become
a “poster species” for AGW, making them a target of those denying AGW
evidence. Here, focusing on Arctic sea ice and polar bears, we show that
blogs that deny or downplay AGW disregard the overwhelming scientific
evidence of Arctic sea-ice loss and polar bear vulnerability. By denying
the impacts of AGW on polar bears, bloggers aim to cast doubt on other
established ecological consequences of AGW, aggravating the consensus gap.
To counter misinformation and reduce this gap, scientists should directly
engage the public in the media and blogosphere.
polarbearpaper_dataData on notebook