The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

The student media organization of California State University Northridge

Daily Sundial

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You failed Climate 101 and the environment

You’re stupid, I’m stupid and apparently we are all stupid.

Recently, Yale released a their study that found out the average American doesn’t know crap about climate change or global warming. And seriously, the findings almost made me embarrassed to be an American. (almost!)

Some of the statistics and statements I read made me laugh.

Yale found that 52 percent of Americans would fail Climate 101.

It’s depressing, isn’t it? Well, don’t worry. There are many more just like you out there, but to cheer you up- I’ll share the ridiculousness and hilarity I found in the study.

I first heard about the study from Grist, when their tag line “Spray it ain’t so!” made me laugh.

I read from this study, that apparently two-thirds of Americans believe that aerosol spray causes climate change.  And also, 43 percent believe the releasing of rockets punches holes in the o-zone layer and if we stopped releasing them it would reduce global warming.

Really? Are you kidding me? Do you really believe that?

After reading those few tidbits, I had to download the rest of the 60-page study to see the rest of the ridiculousness people believe about climate change. I also wanted to take the small quiz myself to see if I would fail Climate 101.

Just on the first page of the study I started to laugh.

On a good note, 63 percent did say that they believed that global warming was happening. But then, the next question asked of how sure they were that it was happening- four percent said they weren’t sure.

Why would you say you acknowledge something was happening and then not be sure about it? Why not just answer not sure for the first answer?

Some people are just really stupid.

On top of that, the study also went deeper into the understanding of greenhouse gases and the “greenhouse effect.” Ten percent admitted to not know what it was, but three percent of people actually said that it has to do with the way plants grow.

I get it- greenhouse and green house effect- an easy mix up, but still you are taking a climate change survey. Those words have nothing to do with plant growth other than the word affiliation.

Then when the study asked about solar power, a strange seven percent believe that it has to do with fossil fuel.

Correlation?  There is none.

But don’t get me wrong; when I took the survey there were questions that I didn’t even know. Heck, there were things that were super tough.

Like this question: “The average temperature of the Earth’s surface is currently about 58 degrees Fahrenheit. What do you think the average temperature of the Earth’s surface was during the last ice age?

I didn’t know the answer, but it’s available on page 21 of the study. I recommend that you download it and brush up on your Climate 101. I did and it made me feel less stupid.

What was my score? That you will never know.

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