Climate Change

This morning (Friday, Feb 2 – Paris) the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Fourth Assessment Report (Summary for Policymakers).  The report is a bearer of bad news.  Temperature increase, sea-level rise, melting glaciers and icecaps…you name it.  In its Third Assessment Report (2001), the IPCC used the word “likely” (IPCC lingo for 66-90% certainty) to describe the connection established between human activities and climate change.  In this year’s report, the IPCC estimates a 90% certainty, using the phrase “very high confidence” “very likely” (>90% certainty).
In related news, Al Gore has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work drawing much-needed attention to global climate change.
My question is:  With the “virtual consensus” that has developed among climate scientists in recent years, how can members of the general public remain skeptical?  Is it just that people choose to ignore?
I don’t mean to take anything away from Al Gore; I think his efforts will one day be seen as integral components in the fight against global warming.  It just seems to me that far too much effort is being spent on convincing people that the problem is real.  In my opinion, there is virtually no room for well-informed skepticism…but skeptics will remain.
I tend to think that some (right/left) political tension is healthy, but on this issue, I think the tension should be over how to solve the problem rather than over whether a problem exists.