Research shows that certain facts can still change conservatives’ minds | Dana Nuccitelli

But it's political corruption, not public opinion that's blocking American climate policy

There's a debate between social scientists about whether climate change facts can change peoples' minds or just polarize them further. For example, conservatives who are more scientifically literate are less worried about global warming. In essence, education arms them with the tools to more easily reject evidence and information that conflicts with their ideological beliefs. This has been called the "smart idiot" effect and it isn't limited to climate change; it's also something we're seeing with the Republican tax plan.

However, other research has shown that conservatives with higher climate-specific knowledge are more likely to accept climate change - a result that holds in many different countries. For example, when people understand how the greenhouse effect works, across the political spectrum they're more likely to accept human-caused global warming.