Climate change denial is a set of organized attempts to downplay, deny or dismiss the
scientific consensus on the extent of
global warming, its significance, and its connection to human behavior, especially for commercial or ideological reasons. Typically, these attempts take the rhetorical form of legitimate scientific debate, while not adhering to the actual principles of that debate.
Climate change denial has been associated with the
fossil fuels lobby, industry advocates and
free market think tanks, often in the United States. Some commentators describe climate change denial as a particular form of
denialism.
Peter Christoff, writing in
The Age in 2007, said that climate change denial differs from
skepticism, which is essential for good science. "Almost two decades after the issue became one of global concern, the 'big' debate over climate change is over. There are now no credible scientific skeptics challenging the underlying
scientific theory, or the broad projections, of climate change." The relationship between industry-funded denial and public climate change skepticism has been compared to earlier efforts by the tobacco industry to undermine scientific evidence on the dangers of secondhand smoke, and linked as a direct continuation of these earlier financial relationships. Aside from private industry groups, climate change denial has also been alleged regarding the statements of elected officials.
