Argumentative Essay: Climate Change In Public Discourse

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Adding a scientific theory to a public discourse contributes a whole new layer of complication to the agency of those receiving the message. Think Galileo-- he was ostracized for proving, and then advocating for, the fact that the Earth rotates around the sun. Eventually though, science prevailed and the world came around (in it’s opinion, not another orbit around the sun). Although it takes time, science can be supported and proven by other scientists, who then have an obligation to persuade the people through the spread of information. The challenge throughout history has been integrating science into the general public discourse by breaking it down into layman’s terms. Why then, despite the widely dispersed evidence that the Earth is going through climate change and the way humans are consuming resources is unsustainable, is it still rejected by large portions of the American population? …show more content…

I will postulate though, that climate change advocates for a certain amount of change contrary to America’s capitalistic values, giving certain sects of the state a vested interest in its failure to disseminate throughout the population. According to Habermas, anything having to do with the state doesn’t fall under the realm of public discourse. In fact, Palczenwski says “ideally, discourse in the public sphere can critique and challenge state actions” (p. 240). However the discussion about climate change doesn’t fall under the traditional ‘public versus state.’ If the beliefs about climate change stem in part from the government, does that mean it falls outside the definition of “public discourse” that we’ve discussed in

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