group accept scientific findings such as the human contribution in the composition of
greenhouse gases and rising sea level. Additionally they do not ignore negative
effects for biota and social life caused by drought periods, storms, flooding, and
other environmental hazards, independent of the question if these are man-made or
not. However, global catastrophe deniers do not see any global disaster for humans
via climate change.
The term environmental catastrophe is not only related to objectives in the
environment, but in every case, describing the relationship between environmental
events and susceptibility of the living organisms.
In general, causes and effects of hazards and catastrophes are regional events with
a certain landscape-related probability of occurrence, and do not represent any global
disaster (see Appendix A). This is important because terms like global change imply
proximity for everybody and inevitability because of the impossibility of escape.
Also the global mean sea level (GMSL) is an average value. Recently published
maps of the sea surface and trends show regional differences. For example, high
rates of the absolute (eustatic) sea level rise caused by warming have been detected
for Indo-Pacific regions north of Australia since 1992, with values up to 10–12 mm
per year (global mean 2–4 mm per year). In contrast, the sea level in the North
Pacific Ocean actually fell during this period of time, independent of any vertical
movement of the land (Parker 2014; Palanisami et al. 2015; Araújo 2016; Cazenave
et al. 2018). However, the situation is more complicated than this because the sea
level relative to the coast is also influenced by geological processes such as crust
movements, as well as erosion and sedimentation, and human measures. Only
relative sea level is concrete and relevant. Thus, a rising sea level and a further
Table 1 Orientation, belief and scepticism in the face of global change
Negatively
connotated
More
positively
connotated
Explanation
References
Climate-change
deniers, trend
skeptics
Continuity
advocates
Deny climate change, the trend of global
warming and the increasing rate of severe
weather
Sussman
and Gifford
(2014)
Attribution
skeptics
Naturalists
Accept climate change but deny human
causes
Sussman
and Gifford
(2014)
Greenhouse lite
deniers, impact
sceptics
Optimists
Deny the necessity to act because the effect
of climate change is small or positive
Sussman
and Gifford
(2014)
Ecology ignorants Nonecologists
Assess the knowledge of environmental
conditions and ecological processes of ecosystems as unimportant in the face of the
global climate crisis
This contribution
(original)
Non-denier,
non-skeptics
Believer
Deny nothing and believe everything
This contribution
(original)
Nature-Culture Dichotomy and Environmental Consciousness: Do We Fear the Right. . .
29
greenhouse gases and rising sea level. Additionally they do not ignore negative
effects for biota and social life caused by drought periods, storms, flooding, and
other environmental hazards, independent of the question if these are man-made or
not. However, global catastrophe deniers do not see any global disaster for humans
via climate change.
The term environmental catastrophe is not only related to objectives in the
environment, but in every case, describing the relationship between environmental
events and susceptibility of the living organisms.
In general, causes and effects of hazards and catastrophes are regional events with
a certain landscape-related probability of occurrence, and do not represent any global
disaster (see Appendix A). This is important because terms like global change imply
proximity for everybody and inevitability because of the impossibility of escape.
Also the global mean sea level (GMSL) is an average value. Recently published
maps of the sea surface and trends show regional differences. For example, high
rates of the absolute (eustatic) sea level rise caused by warming have been detected
for Indo-Pacific regions north of Australia since 1992, with values up to 10–12 mm
per year (global mean 2–4 mm per year). In contrast, the sea level in the North
Pacific Ocean actually fell during this period of time, independent of any vertical
movement of the land (Parker 2014; Palanisami et al. 2015; Araújo 2016; Cazenave
et al. 2018). However, the situation is more complicated than this because the sea
level relative to the coast is also influenced by geological processes such as crust
movements, as well as erosion and sedimentation, and human measures. Only
relative sea level is concrete and relevant. Thus, a rising sea level and a further
Table 1 Orientation, belief and scepticism in the face of global change
Negatively
connotated
More
positively
connotated
Explanation
References
Climate-change
deniers, trend
skeptics
Continuity
advocates
Deny climate change, the trend of global
warming and the increasing rate of severe
weather
Sussman
and Gifford
(2014)
Attribution
skeptics
Naturalists
Accept climate change but deny human
causes
Sussman
and Gifford
(2014)
Greenhouse lite
deniers, impact
sceptics
Optimists
Deny the necessity to act because the effect
of climate change is small or positive
Sussman
and Gifford
(2014)
Ecology ignorants Nonecologists
Assess the knowledge of environmental
conditions and ecological processes of ecosystems as unimportant in the face of the
global climate crisis
This contribution
(original)
Non-denier,
non-skeptics
Believer
Deny nothing and believe everything
This contribution
(original)
Nature-Culture Dichotomy and Environmental Consciousness: Do We Fear the Right. . .
29