Internet blogs, polar bears, and climate-change denial by proxy

Increasing surface temperatures, Arctic sea-ice loss, and other evidence of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) are acknowledged by every major scientific organization in the world. However, there is a wide gap between this broad scientific consensus and public opinion. Internet blogs have strongly contributed to this consensus gap by fomenting misunderstandings of AGW causes and consequences. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) have become a “poster species” for AGW, making them a target of those denying AGW evidence. Here, focusing on Arctic sea ice and polar bears, we show that blogs that deny or downplay AGW disregard the overwhelming scientific evidence of Arctic sea-ice loss and polar bear vulnerability. By denying the impacts of AGW on polar bears, bloggers aim to cast doubt on other established ecological consequences of AGW, aggravating the consensus gap. To counter misinformation and reduce this gap, scientists should directly engage the public in the media and blogosphere.全球地表温度上升、北极海冰消融以及其他人为全球变暖（anthropogenic global warming, AGW）的相关证据，已得到全球所有主流科学机构的一致认可。然而，这一广泛的科学共识与公众认知之间却存在巨大鸿沟。互联网博客通过助长人们对人为全球变暖的成因与影响的误解，极大加剧了这一共识鸿沟。北极熊（Ursus maritimus）已成为人为全球变暖的标志性物种，也因此成为否认人为全球变暖证据者的攻击目标。本研究以北极海冰与北极熊为研究对象，结果表明，否认或弱化人为全球变暖的博客，无视了北极海冰消融与北极熊生存脆弱性方面的大量确凿科学证据。这些博主通过否认人为全球变暖对北极熊的影响，试图质疑人为全球变暖其他已被证实的生态后果，进一步扩大了科学共识与公众认知之间的鸿沟。为了纠正错误信息、缩小这一鸿沟，科学家应当直接在媒体与博客圈中与公众展开互动。