Rowland Williams is a leading figure in the Anglican Communion. This movement has strong links to the Episcopal Church of the United States which became independent in a mostly friendly fashion. Williams says climate change is humanity’s largest challenge ever, and it should be everybody’s problem. However, there are ‘sinister reasons’ why climate change disbelief is so rampant in some quarters.
Inability to Adapt Is Behind Climate Change Disbelief
Many people – some powerfully influential – still deny climate change, or at least say they do. Rowland Williams believes some of them ignore the situation because they are too uncomfortable to face up to it.
However, others have what he calls ‘a more sinister reason’ for their climate change disbelief. They are reluctant to acknowledge the inconvenient truth because they would have to change their behavior. Some of these may also belong to a third group that believes ‘communists, illuminati or some mysterious group’ invented it as a confidence trick.
Rowland Williams Was Speaking During a Television Show
Artist Grayson Perry invited the retired archbishop onto his show, because climate change is about belief which ‘is not necessarily about facts’. Moving on, Williams used the British election to illustrate the dynamics of climate change denial.
On one side of the House, politicians believe the causes of the country’s problems are outside factors. This is a compelling and comfortable myth, he says. Whereas on the far side of the house people think they can legislate justice, and then everything will fall into place in a great reconciliation.
Archbishops sometimes appear to be from remote philosophical planets where they follow topics removed from our reality. However, this time the arch and the actor seem to be on point. The climate change debate is about beliefs and values, and fact may only have one foot in the door.
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