Over the last three decades, the debate about climate change has involved challenges to the very evidence of change, disagreements about status of models and simulations as scientific evidence, calls for “sound science,” disputes about the contribution of anthropogenic causes, attempts to cast doubt on the integrity and plausibility of forecasts and assessments, and various forms of “solution aversion.” 

What are the sources of skepticism about climate change and/or mistrust of climate science? What processes, mechanisms and dynamics are implicated in provoking and prolonging the debate about climate change? To what extent are these specific to the climate debate, and to what extent are they representative of a broader mistrust in experts? What can be done to increase trust in climate science or consensus around appropriate measures or interventions? 

We will explore these questions and more with an esteemed panel of social scientists. This virtual event is free and open to the public. Registration information is available here. 

To familiarize people with the core issues and ideas we’ll be exploring, a primer featuring concise, accessible and compelling articles from mainstream media outlets is available here.