@RtmLepage @KHayhoe Okay, the story goes like this. I used to have arguments about climate change with my dad, who didn't believe humans were causing global warming. At the same time, I encouraged him to get solar panels which were a financial no-brainer due to a feed-in tariff policy at the time...
@RtmLepage @KHayhoe ...my Dad got solar panels, while repeatedly clarifying that he didn't get panels for environmental reasons, they were for "hip pocket" reasons. Then every time he got a bill from the electricity company, he would call to tell me how he'd received a check rather than a bill...
@RtmLepage @KHayhoe ...then one day he told me that he agreed humans were causing global warming. I nearly fell off my chair in surprise. But being a cognitive scientist researching climate denial, I recognized that this was an ideal opportunity to "peer under the hood"...
@RtmLepage @KHayhoe ...so mustering as casual a manner as possible, I asked "so what changed your mind?" My dad replied, "oh, I've always thought that!"
@RtmLepage @KHayhoe So yeah, denial about denial is a thing. And my dad's response is what gets the big laugh whenever I recount this anecdote in my talks about climate denial. One of these days, I'm going to have to tell him he's the comic relief in my climate communication work ;-)
