Opinion: Orange County fire magnifies a stunning truth about climate change
I don’t think these disasters will convince us to curb fossil fuel pollution. Let me explain. First, available social science doesn’t support the notion that climate disasters lead to widespread changes in public opinion. A 2021 study from the journal Climate Change found hurricanes provide a modest nudge in favor of support for reducing carbon dioxide pollution. Wildfires and floods, the other disasters studied, did not sway people.
-Written by John D. Sutter, CNN contributor, National Geographic Explorer and MIT science journalism fellow.