To the Journal editor:

Behavioral study published by Georgia State University tested the theory humans resist change and stick to previously learned behaviors rather than embracing new information, hindering our development of new and more efficient strategies to resolve issues. Psychologists call it cognitive bias, an unconscious process of “Sticking with what we already know to be true, with what is familiar and embedded in our memories, can sometimes result in biased, distorted, or irrational decision-making.”

Scientific discoveries regarding Climate Change:

1754: First CO2 detector created.

1856: Eunice Foote, American scientist, discovered that CO2 and water vapor cause air to warm. She presented her findings to American Association for the Advancement of Science.

1896: Svante Arrhenius constructs the first climate model correlating the burning of coal and CO2 increases.

1912: Popular Mechanics published, “The effect of the Combustion of Coal on the Climate.”

1957: Revelle and Suess state “human beings are now carrying out a large scale geophysical experiment” in a paper examining CO2 uptake by the oceans.

1988: Climate scientist James Hansen testified before the Senate that climate was warming and we’re responsible.

1990-2021: First Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report notes the pattern of past warming and future warming is likely. Second report provided evidence of human influences on climate. Third report stated new and stronger evidence that we’re causing climate change. Fourth report notes that warming of the climate system is unequivocal. Fifth report states that our influence on climate is clear. Sixth report states unequivocally that human activity has brought widespread and rapid changes to the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.

Per NASA, “The scientific method is iterative (repetitive), meaning that climate scientists are constantly making new discoveries about the world based on the building blocks of scientific knowledge.”

Today scientists state human influences are causing the climate to change ≈ 170 times faster than the historical natural climate cycles. The clock’s ticking, but we still have time to put aside our biases and work the issue. We can save humanity if we become laser focused on strategies to cut greenhouse gasses and financially protect those affected by transitioning to clean energy.

Science provides the insight and governments implement the solutions. Should we fail to listen to science, Earth’s next intelligent life form may conclude the extinction of the dinosaurs was caused by an asteroid but the extinction of the human race was caused by their biased, distorted, and irrational decision-making.

RON MATTSON

Marquette