Attacks on the teaching of climate change tend to use certain rhetorical tropes, themes repeated again and again: these are the pillars of climate change denial. Briefly, they are:

• Pillar 1: Climate change is bad science
• Pillar 2: Acceptance of climate change is driven by radical ideological motivations and leads to undesirable social consequences
• Pillar 3: It is only fair to acknowledge a scientific controversy over climate change

Recognizing these pillars, understanding why they are mistaken, and knowing how to counter them effectively are critical to defend the teaching of climate science and to support its inclusion in formal and informal education. The discussion here focuses on the context of formal and informal education, although the pillars appear in discussions of public policy as well and have therefore been formulated in general terms.

The pillars of climate change denial are similar to the pillars of creationism. To learn more about the first pillar and how to respond to it, continue to Climate Change is Good Science.