Many scientists don’t want to tell the truth about climate change. Here’s why.

If meeting the climate goals is not going to happen anyways, then why try?

Well, for one thing, we need to be able to look ourselves just the eye. And also we need to give the next generations hope. The only way to do that is to keep lying. 

https://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2023/10/03/1-5-degrees-celcius-un-climate-change-report-barbara-moran

But I think that 1.5 C has moved from "ambitious goal" to "magical thinking." And the scientists are telling themselves a story to stave off despair.

There's something else going on, too: Scientists are shielding the public. They say: "We don't want people to give up," or "We don't want the island nations to feel abandoned," or "We don't want people to lose hope."

This is paternalism. (Or maybe maternalism?) Scientists are telling us a story to protect us from despair.