The Made-Up Disease That Affects More People in Power Than You Think
Even though a majority of scientists have determined that climate change is mostly caused by humans, just half the nation sees it that way. Some call those nonbelievers climate change deniers, but the comedy writers at Funny or Die have a far more serious name for it: climate change denial disorder, or CCDC, as it’s called in a pharmaceutical-commercial parody released this week.
If left untreated, the fictional disease could destroy the planet. An animated graphic in the video shows how CCDC cripples its host: The disease attacks neurons in the brain, making it impossible to grasp the meaning of words such as “science,” “factual,” and “melting.” An example of a statement CCDC sufferers might not comprehend: The ice caps are melting at an unprecedented rate, according to new maps produced by German researchers.
Other symptoms of the disease: delusion, arrogance, and a general misunderstanding of basic scientific findings. Who might suffer from it? About 56 percent of congressional Republicans, according to the Center for American Progress Action Fund’s analysis of members of Congress who deny or question the science behind climate change.
The Funny or Die video is goofy and satirical, but the timing is significant. It was released just days before the country’s two largest coal companies joined with 12 states on Thursday to petition the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Their goal? To block proposed EPA regulations aimed at limiting carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants, according to The New York Times.
One scene in the video shows a man so oblivious of the drought that he’s canoeing—in an asphalt parking lot. (He’s obviously suffering from a bad case of CCDC.) “I’m going to wait until more horrible s--t happens to our planet,” says the man, portrayed by the actor Ed Begley Jr., a longtime environmental activist whose LEED-certified home is powered by solar energy.
“And I’m a senator!” he says. “So fortunately I get to make those decisions. I’m not a scientist. Who listens to those nerds anyway?”
Related stories on TakePart:
• In Florida, Officials Ban the Term 'Climate Change'
• 10 Inspiring People Leading the Fight Against Climate Change
Original article from TakePart
