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Why is climate change so politicised?

In the USA, Australia and Western Europe, people on the left are more likely to accept climate change than those on the right. How can science divide people along party lines?

People on the left are more likely to accept climate change than those on the right in the USA, Australia and much of Western Europe. But it鈥檚 a question that starts with little more than a thermometer, a measurement of the temperature at the earth鈥檚 surface. Why does a science question divide people along party lines? Was it the oil industry, fuelling doubt about the science? Or something deep in our psychology, that causes us to push the science aside in favour of belonging to a tribe, a feeling that who our friends are and what they believe, matters more?

Presenter: Michael Blastland
Producer: Phoebe Keane
Editor: Richard Vadon

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23 minutes

Last on

Mon 29 Apr 2019 08:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 22 Apr 2019 12:32GMT
  • Mon 22 Apr 2019 17:06GMT
  • Mon 22 Apr 2019 21:06GMT
  • Tue 23 Apr 2019 01:32GMT
  • Mon 29 Apr 2019 08:06GMT

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