After watching the movie, The Merchants of Doubt (link on the class web site), answer three of
the following seven questions. Each answer must be at least 250 words long. While you can
include your opinion, your answers should be primarily fact-based, drawing on the content of the
movie and material in readings. You may (but are not obligated to) refer to outside sources (e.g.
a newspaper story youve read).
1. How is public opinion about climate change created/influenced?
2. What role do think tanks and conservative groups have in influencing public opinion? How?
3. What role do journalists have? Do they live up to their obligations?
4. In what way (and with what effect) does the movie draw parallels between climate change
and other industries/public health issues?
5. What role do scientists have in informing the public about climate change? How well are
they doing it and how could they improve?
6. Why do you think many people tend to reject scientific truths predicting future harm when
such truths threaten the status quo or call into question the sustainability of certain
economic and cultural habits and values?
7. What role should governments and politicians play in dealing with the effects of global
warming?