The tendency to justify the system may interfere with a clear evaluation of environmentally damaging aspects of the socioeconomic status quo and prevent a person from becoming dissatisfied and from taking action to correct environmental problems or stop destructive cycles DEALING WITH FEAR & UNCERTAINTY Jost et al. (2007) suggest that people become politically conservative because conservatism serves as a coping mechanism that allows individuals to manage their uncertainty and fear.… This argument rests on findings that conservatives are more likely to perceive the world as a dangerous place and thus remain more fearful. Accordingly, threat and uncertainty in the environment leads to increased fear and anxiety, which in turn heightens aversive motivations. And so they do. With efforts * ranging from pseudo-factual, to statements carefully massaged to protect the guilty, to the embarrassingly inane [e.g., Senator Snowball ], every opportunity to cast doubt on the realities of climate […]