--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's easier to discredit the science than…" description: "\"It's easier to discredit the science than to say that climate change is a genuine issue but we don't want to do anything about it.\" — Katharine Hayhoe" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/katharine-hayhoe-15846_change_it-s-easier-to-discredit-the-science-tha_555380.jpg" --- # It's easier to discredit the science than to say that… ![“It's easier to discredit the science than to say that climate change is a genuine issue but we don't want to do anything about it.” quote by Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/katharine-hayhoe-15846_change_it-s-easier-to-discredit-the-science-tha_555380.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/katharine-hayhoe-15846_change_it-s-easier-to-discredit-the-science-tha_555380.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/katharine-hayhoe-15846_change_it-s-easier-to-discredit-the-science-tha_555380.jpg) > “It's easier to discredit the science than to say that climate change is a genuine issue but we don't want to do anything about it.” [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often dismiss scientific consensus, yet the reality of climate change remains, and inaction persists. **In simple terms:** Science is clear; action is lacking. Key Takeaway Address climate change despite discomfort. Themes environment politics science denial Mood concerned urgent Type activist analytical When to use this quote - policy making - community activism - education - business strategy Key Concepts climate science behavioral economics Questions to Reflect On - What motivates denial? - How can you influence others to act? A Different Perspective Economic interests can outweigh urgency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Climate change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate-change/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [If, on occasion, the knowledge brought by science leads to an unhappy end, this is not to the discredit of science but is rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polykarp-kusch/if-on-occasion-the-knowledge-brought-by-science-leads-to-an-unhappy/) [Polykarp Kusch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polykarp-kusch/) > [Any objective look at what science has to say about climate change ought to be sufficient to persuade reasonable people that the climate is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/any-objective-look-at-what-science-has-to-say-about-climate-change/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [Every interview I do, when I'm asked about scientific issues, I say I'm not a climate scientist. I'm just giving you the informed layman's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myron-ebell/every-interview-i-do-when-i-m-asked-about-scientific-issues-i-say-i-m/) Myron Ebell > [The Paris Agreement makes it impossible for any country or any sector to say climate change isn't their problem. It has created unprecedented momentum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-gardiner/the-paris-agreement-makes-it-impossible-for-any-country-or-any-sector/) [Barry Gardiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-gardiner/) > [We need to get a broader awareness. People say climate change is really bad, but painting that picture of what you're putting at risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-need-to-get-a-broader-awareness-people-say-climate-change-is/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [To those who say climate change is not caused by human activity or that addressing it will harm the economy, let's encourage them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-o-malley/to-those-who-say-climate-change-is-not-caused-by-human-activity-or/) [Martin O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-o-malley/) > [You frighten a lot of scientists. If they say that climate is not changing, they lose their research grants. And some people cannot afford…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nils-axel-morner/you-frighten-a-lot-of-scientists-if-they-say-that-climate-is-not/) [Nils-Axel Morner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nils-axel-morner/) > [I'm sure lots of people would love to ridicule me when I say this, but it is true: many people die from cold related…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-perino/i-m-sure-lots-of-people-would-love-to-ridicule-me-when-i-say-this-but/) [Dana Perino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-perino/) > [If you can frame climate change as an alternate religion, or as one more of those issues where the pointy-headed liberal atheist scientists are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/if-you-can-frame-climate-change-as-an-alternate-religion-or-as-one/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [If I had to catalog all the moronic plot turns in The Day After Tomorrow, we'd be here until the next ice age. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-edelstein/if-i-had-to-catalog-all-the-moronic-plot-turns-in-the-day-after/) [David Edelstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-edelstein/) > [I am sympathetic to developing countries’ concerns: because of our emissions it’s their crops that will disappear; because of our inaction, it’s their fields…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/i-am-sympathetic-to-developing-countries-concerns-because-of-our/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats. We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly can't afford the risk of inaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-murdoch/climate-change-poses-clear-catastrophic-threats-we-may-not-agree-on/) [Rupert Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-murdoch/) > [I talk to fashion designers and say I want some money to save the rainforest, and they say, 'Oh, I agree with you completely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-talk-to-fashion-designers-and-say-i-want-some-money-to-save-the/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [There are many more traits that the climate deniers share with the creationists and Holocaust deniers and others who distort the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-r-prothero/there-are-many-more-traits-that-the-climate-deniers-share-with-the/) [Donald R. Prothero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-r-prothero/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) ## More by Katharine Hayhoe > [Our carbon emissions have to eventually go to zero. We have to. Otherwise we're never going to have a stable climate and that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/our-carbon-emissions-have-to-eventually-go-to-zero-we-have-to/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [If we smoke, there's no magic number of cigarettes, or number of years, that we can smoke before we know we'll get lung cancer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/if-we-smoke-there-s-no-magic-number-of-cigarettes-or-number-of-years/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [We're not paying a real price for carbon. If we were, we wouldn't be using as much. We need to have the right perspective.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/we-re-not-paying-a-real-price-for-carbon-if-we-were-we-wouldn-t-be/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [People have taken advantage of the very well-trodden pathways that divide science and faith on other issues, such as creation, evolution, and the age…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/people-have-taken-advantage-of-the-very-well-trodden-pathways-that/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [When I look around, the biggest way in which we are failing to care for those in need is through ignoring climate change and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/when-i-look-around-the-biggest-way-in-which-we-are-failing-to-care/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [I think it's interesting that the United States and Australia are two of the most individualistic nations in the entire world in terms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/i-think-it-s-interesting-that-the-united-states-and-australia-are-two/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [The first thing we can do as individuals and as communities, like a school or a university or a church, is cut our energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/the-first-thing-we-can-do-as-individuals-and-as-communities-like-a/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [It's easier to deny the reality of the problem altogether than acknowledge that it is real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/it-s-easier-to-deny-the-reality-of-the-problem-altogether-than/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [I don't have to change the world all by myself, I just need to partner in the work God wants us to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/i-don-t-have-to-change-the-world-all-by-myself-i-just-need-to-partner/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [I feel that one of the most important things I can do is connect climate change to the values, the faith, and the issues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/i-feel-that-one-of-the-most-important-things-i-can-do-is-connect/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [We have to reach out to churches and schools and help people understand science, and we have to build rapport between scientists and people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/we-have-to-reach-out-to-churches-and-schools-and-help-people/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [I've even had people tell me that I must not be a Christian because I think climate change is real. But you know, there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/i-ve-even-had-people-tell-me-that-i-must-not-be-a-christian-because-i/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [When I talk to my neighbor, or to someone at church who doesn't accept that the planet is changing, I know that they don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/when-i-talk-to-my-neighbor-or-to-someone-at-church-who-doesn-t-accept/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [One of the biggest issues with renewables right now is the fact that if the wind isn't blowing, if the sun isn't shining, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/one-of-the-biggest-issues-with-renewables-right-now-is-the-fact-that/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) > [A person of faith who shares conservative values and who says very clearly that climate change is real - and here's why we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/a-person-of-faith-who-shares-conservative-values-and-who-says-very/) [Katharine Hayhoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) [Explore all 41 Katharine Hayhoe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) Phil Hogan > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's easier to discredit the science than to say that climate change is a genuine issue but we don't want to do anything about it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Katharine Hayhoe" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/it-s-easier-to-discredit-the-science-than-to-say-that-climate-change/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Change" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/it-s-easier-to-discredit-the-science-than-to-say-that-climate-change/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/katharine-hayhoe-15846_change_it-s-easier-to-discredit-the-science-tha_555380.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/katharine-hayhoe-15846_change_it-s-easier-to-discredit-the-science-tha_555380.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4be/katharine-hayhoe-15846_change_it-s-easier-to-discredit-the-science-tha_555380.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's easier to discredit the science than to say that climate change is a genuine issue but we don't want to…” — Katharine Hayhoe", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Katharine Hayhoe", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hayhoe/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's easier to discredit the science...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/it-s-easier-to-discredit-the-science-than-to-say-that-climate-change/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hayhoe/it-s-easier-to-discredit-the-science-than-to-say-that-climate-change/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```