Role of the media
One of the problems with the climate change debate is the role of much of the media. Good science often doesn't give concrete answers, it can create further questions. This is unacceptable to the much media, who want answers and want them NOW! There are two groups who are happy to provide those answers, the hard core believers and the hard core deniers, so guess who gets the press?
Let's face it, "Global Catastophe in 5 years" or "Climate Conspiracy by Evil Scientists" are good headlines. "Some things in some places are going to get worse, but we can't tell when or how yet, but our best informed guess is..." is not a good headline.
You'll see the same impatience with the war in Afghanistan, oil spills, medical discoveries, etc, etc. The demand for definitive answers in impossible time scales doesn't help anyone.