this post was submitted on 24 Nov 2023
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I spent years doubting the science of climate change and spending time with people who didn't believe in the science either.

When I realised I was wrong, I felt really embarrassed.

To move away from those people meant leaving behind an entire community at a time when I didn't have many friends.

I went through a really difficult time. But the truth matters.

I'm the granddaughter of coal miners in Pennsylvania and my family moved to Florida when I was young.

We have a Polish Catholic background and we attended church regularly, but at the same time we were very connected to science because my mum was a nurse and my dad sold microscopes and other scientific equipment.

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[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 175 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (7 children)

While it's wonderful she finally started questioning things, she deserves to feel way more than embarrassed for all the time she wasted and all the lies she repeated while believing it was a hoax.

Especially considering she was a science teacher before she finally changed her mind. Think of how many years she spent teaching misinformation. Is an "I'm sorry" and being embarrassed enough to make up for that, really?

It took her until well after "Climategate" to begin questioning it, and it seems like she listened to Rush Limbaugh religiously.

I'm glad she changed her mind, but this story is not inspiring to me. It's anger-inducing that we have to fucking free these people from the mental fucking cages they built for themselves. Her being an absolute fucking disgrace to science education who woke up and was like "Oh shit, I don't want to be an absolute fucking disgrace anymore" isn't fucking newsworthy or inspiring. It's bare minimum expectations of a decent fucking human being.

No amount of apologies will be enough from people who spread this religiously-backed bullshit misinformation. It has held back human society for fucking hundreds of years now.

People should have woken the fuck up when Galileo was punished by the church for promoting Heliocentrism. The Inquisition basically threatened him with death for telling the truth. Why the fuck people still follow this religious horseshit is a mystery to me other than people like this chucklefuck parrot it half her life.

[–] teft@startrek.website 80 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

granddaughter of coal miners

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it."

--Upton Sinclair

When someone is indoctrinated for generations it's hard to pull away. Hopefully she makes up for it but at least she now realizes that she was wrong.

[–] almar_quigley@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Why is this an excuse? I don’t even know what my grandparents did for a living. Just because they may have been tailors doesn’t mean I would have any special knowledge passion or feeling on fashion or the clothing industry.

[–] hydrospanner@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I don’t even know what my grandparents did for a living.

I mean, if it was your great grandparents that's different, but your grandparents?

Honestly that's a little bit sad that you don't even know that much about them.

Also, you not knowing or caring doesn't mean that's the case for everyone...though it does shed light on why you may not understand the significance of coal mining on the coal region of the US.

It was more than simply an occupation.

[–] almar_quigley@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

lol, no. Continuing to not support actual science because of some bullshit reason like my grandparents had a job like 70 years ago is ignorant plain and simple. There is no amount of culture or tradition that can justify that.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 48 points 11 months ago (1 children)

On one hand I agree but on the other if we’re jerks about people coming to our side it will make those considering it hesitant. Still not an excuse, but it will keep some on the wrong side longer

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 13 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I agree, but I don't think we have to be jerks to them to make them understand that saying sorry and trying to change isn't enough to counteract what they've already done, and they owe society a lot more than that. That's not being jerks, that's being real.

If they can't handle that measured critique, it's because they refuse to take any kind of self-responsibility, which speaks to them still being on the wrong side of history.

[–] girlfreddy@sh.itjust.works 14 points 11 months ago (1 children)

but I don't think we have to be jerks to them to make them understand that saying sorry and trying to change isn't enough to counteract what they've already done

Who gets to decide what's enough? You? Me? Never mind the fact that the article says what she's done.

How about we let those people who turn their beliefs around decide what's enough instead.

[–] ObviouslyNotBanana@lemmy.world 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The important thing has to be the fact that they've realised their mistake. The rest of it is just fluff.

[–] ChunkMcHorkle@lemmy.world 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

deleted by creator

[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

What do you want from her, exactly? For her to live the rest of her life in shame? Kill herself? Feel bad about it until she gets tired of feeling that way and looks for some way to lash out at those insisting she needs to feel bad forever?

Don't make picking the right choice another bad option.

[–] kool_newt@lemm.ee 14 points 11 months ago (1 children)

While true, the fact is that we're in immediate danger from the effects of climate change, and if we push away those willing to change by shaming their past rather than celebrating their willingness to change we're probably just hurting our cause.

[–] hydrospanner@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

Well said.

For as much as some of us want to emphasize the logic and practicality of their position on the issue, it sure is strange when they want more people to see things their way, yet also want to reject them when they do.

[–] doublejay1999@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Fairly written.

It’s so hard to celebrate this, and yet we really should .

[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

I have changed my mind about it. Ask me about 2003 I would have said I am not convinced. When I saw more evidence I changed my views.

[–] awesomesauce309@midwest.social 11 points 11 months ago

To move away from those people meant leaving behind an entire community at a time when I didn't have many friends.

I agree we should just be mean to these people. They clearly are using logic to reach their conclusions and not just going with it because they feel the need to belong in a community . And knowing that they will 100% be mocked for life for changing definitely doesn’t make leaving harder.

[–] bedrooms@kbin.social 8 points 11 months ago

From that point, it's like I've started a new life. I learned about a non-partisan group called Citizens' Climate Lobby, which advocates for climate solutions. I led their North Georgia chapter for a while, and I still volunteer and lobby with them.

I'm also part of the National Center for Science Education, using physical science concepts to teach climate change to my teenage students.

Always worth reading the article before writing a comment.

[–] stolid_agnostic@lemmy.ml 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Yes. There is no excuse for someone with the science training to believe these things. She was either a very weak person or the program she studied in wasn’t very strong. Either way, although it’s good to model perspective change, this isn’t the example we need.