How does the mind grasp climate change?

A research-based guide tries to narrow a communication gap

		IMAGE: People tend to react to threats that seem immediate and ignore ones that seem abstract, no matter how large they are. Click here for more information.

A recent poll shows that the proportion of Americans who are convinced that human activity is warming Earth's climate has dropped sharply since last year, to under 40 percent--even though scientists say the data is overwhelming, and continues to build rapidly. A concise new publication delves into what goes on in the human mind that causes this disconnect, and what communicators of climate science can do about it.