What is a climate dismissive?
They're people who have decided climate solutions represent an existential threat to them. My personal definition is if an angel from God with brand-new tablets of stone reading "Global Warming Is Real" in foot-high letters of flame appeared to them, they wouldn't change their minds. So why would I bother to try?
Where does this term come from? It originates with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication's Six Americas [https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/about/projects/global-warmings-six-americas/]. About 10% of Americans, and smaller but still extremely vocal percentages in Canada, the UK, EU, Australia, NZ and more, are dismissive.
How can you identify a dismissive on social media? I have developed a simple and accurate test: dismissives cannot click a link that may contain factual and accurate information about climate science, impacts, or solutions. They are literally incapable of doing so because they are so afraid of the threat that the truth represents to their identity and/or ideology.
When you give someone who is dismissive a link that fact-checks their comment or post, you will get one of three reactions:
First, and most commonly, they will just ignore it. Second, they will pretend they read it but you can tell from their response that they obviously did not. Third, they will ridicule you: "oh, you aren't qualified to respond yourself? You have to use a NASA link instead?"
Why do they respond like this? It's because they are looking for an argument, because an argument validates and strengthens them. It temporarily quiets the niggling small voice in the back of their head telling them they are wrong. They aren't looking for thoughtful discussion, they are trying to prove to themselves that they are right.
That's the first reason why, if they refuse to use the resource I provide, I block rather than argue: because feeding them makes them stronger while using up my own energy.
Then, there's the fact that research has shown that letting troll comments stand on a blog or social media post decreases the perceived credibility of the post by readers. So if I do not block them, I am actively permitting them to decrease the credibility of my post.
And lastly, the majority of dismissives have much smaller platforms than the person they are attacking. (Not all, though - sadly some have much bigger ones!) So by allowing their comments to stand, I am effectively providing them with a highway directly into many more feeds than they would obtain otherwise.
So what do I do when I get comments like this? If they haven't called me an offensive name right off the bat (which about half do), I respond with a link. And if they don't click the link, I block them.
Our energy and time are the most valuable resources we have. Do not let them waste it.
They're people who have decided climate solutions represent an existential threat to them. My personal definition is if an angel from God with brand-new tablets of stone reading "Global Warming Is Real" in foot-high letters of flame appeared to them, they wouldn't change their minds. So why would I bother to try?
Where does this term come from? It originates with the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication's Six Americas [https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/about/projects/global-warmings-six-americas/]. About 10% of Americans, and smaller but still extremely vocal percentages in Canada, the UK, EU, Australia, NZ and more, are dismissive.
How can you identify a dismissive on social media? I have developed a simple and accurate test: dismissives cannot click a link that may contain factual and accurate information about climate science, impacts, or solutions. They are literally incapable of doing so because they are so afraid of the threat that the truth represents to their identity and/or ideology.
When you give someone who is dismissive a link that fact-checks their comment or post, you will get one of three reactions:
First, and most commonly, they will just ignore it. Second, they will pretend they read it but you can tell from their response that they obviously did not. Third, they will ridicule you: "oh, you aren't qualified to respond yourself? You have to use a NASA link instead?"
Why do they respond like this? It's because they are looking for an argument, because an argument validates and strengthens them. It temporarily quiets the niggling small voice in the back of their head telling them they are wrong. They aren't looking for thoughtful discussion, they are trying to prove to themselves that they are right.
That's the first reason why, if they refuse to use the resource I provide, I block rather than argue: because feeding them makes them stronger while using up my own energy.
Then, there's the fact that research has shown that letting troll comments stand on a blog or social media post decreases the perceived credibility of the post by readers. So if I do not block them, I am actively permitting them to decrease the credibility of my post.
And lastly, the majority of dismissives have much smaller platforms than the person they are attacking. (Not all, though - sadly some have much bigger ones!) So by allowing their comments to stand, I am effectively providing them with a highway directly into many more feeds than they would obtain otherwise.
So what do I do when I get comments like this? If they haven't called me an offensive name right off the bat (which about half do), I respond with a link. And if they don't click the link, I block them.
Our energy and time are the most valuable resources we have. Do not let them waste it.
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
Global Warming’s Six Americas
Global Warming's Six Americas.
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Forwarded from Ministry of good ideas
Good idea: challenge media bias
https://fair.org/
FAIR, the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986. We work to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints. As an anti-censorship organization, we expose neglected news stories and defend working journalists when they are muzzled. As a progressive group, FAIR believes that structural reform is ultimately needed to break up the dominant media conglomerates, establish independent public broadcasting and promote strong non-profit sources of information.
🙏 to our friends @interwebnuggets
https://fair.org/
FAIR, the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986. We work to invigorate the First Amendment by advocating for greater diversity in the press and by scrutinizing media practices that marginalize public interest, minority and dissenting viewpoints. As an anti-censorship organization, we expose neglected news stories and defend working journalists when they are muzzled. As a progressive group, FAIR believes that structural reform is ultimately needed to break up the dominant media conglomerates, establish independent public broadcasting and promote strong non-profit sources of information.
🙏 to our friends @interwebnuggets
FAIR
FAIR is the national progressive media watchdog group, challenging corporate media bias, spin and misinformation.
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Forwarded from Ministry of Doubleplusgood Dope 2️⃣➕😊
greentogrey.eu
Green to Grey – How Europe is squandering the little nature it has left
Green to Grey is a pioneering collaboration between journalists and scientists counting every green space lost in Europe between January 2018 and December 2023.
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Forwarded from Ministry of good ideas
Good idea: carbon agreements based on carbon justice
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/sierra-leone-communities-sign-carbon-agreement-based-on-carbon-justice-principles/
Hundreds of communities in Sierra Leone’s Bonthe district have signed a benefit-sharing carbon agreement with the Africa Conservation Initiative targeting the protection of mangroves in the Sherbro River Estuary.
The agreement is based on “carbon justice principles” aimed at making carbon projects fairer for communities, such as a 40-50% gross revenue share; free, prior and informed consent, including transparency of financial information and buyers; and community-led stewardship of the mangroves
https://news.mongabay.com/2025/11/sierra-leone-communities-sign-carbon-agreement-based-on-carbon-justice-principles/
Hundreds of communities in Sierra Leone’s Bonthe district have signed a benefit-sharing carbon agreement with the Africa Conservation Initiative targeting the protection of mangroves in the Sherbro River Estuary.
The agreement is based on “carbon justice principles” aimed at making carbon projects fairer for communities, such as a 40-50% gross revenue share; free, prior and informed consent, including transparency of financial information and buyers; and community-led stewardship of the mangroves
Mongabay
Sierra Leone communities sign carbon agreement based on carbon justice principles
More than 220 communities in Sierra Leone have signed a benefit-sharing carbon agreement with a developer that will help protect a key mangrove ecosystem. Namati Sierra Leone, a legal advocacy group counseling all involved communities, said the agreement…