Every now and then, a new nugget of ‘information’ comes to our attention that supposedly proves that climate change ‘can’t be man-made’. One such story was that “Captain Cook and Lord Nelson’ s logs indicate 1730’s global warming wasn’t man made”. DeSmogBlog and The Guardian both already debunked that one, so we won’t go there. But, it does call attention to the fact that climate change deniers often distort facts to fit their narrow viewpoint. For many, it has called to mind comparisons between those who deny climate change and those who deny evolution. It all comes down to a refusal to accept a logical scientific argument.
Greenfyre dug into the similarities:
Some small kernel of fact is distorted and mutated until it emerges appearing to say the opposite of what it originally said. Rarely do the Deniers seem to make things up out of thin air. Whether this is so that they can argue that their’s is a plausible interpretation of the facts or a subconscious attempt to retain some small shred of integrity by pretending that what they do is not lying cannot be known.
The second interesting thing is how the strategy and tactics of the Climate Change Deniers is identical to those of the Evolution Deniers.
This excellent little video by potholer54 “Creationist Junk Debunked #1 – Introduction” could just as easily be talking about Climate Deniers. It is well worth watching for understanding both Evolution and Climate Change Denier methods, and because it is fun.
It’s true – watch this video and see how easy it is to replace ‘creationists’ with ‘climate change deniers’. It’s easy to understand once you realize they’re the same people. Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not talking about climate change skeptics who are seeking facts so they can better understand the issue. I mean the flat-out deniers who perpetuate and cling to misinformation and lies.
The Ethical Paleontologist explains the connection:
If you believe that all the coal, oil and gas we’re burning was laid down over no more than 6,000 years, rather than 300 million years, then effectively fossil fuels are a renewable source of energy. As we’re only releasing 6,000 years of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere rather than millions of years’ worth, then we can’t be responsible for the increase in carbon dioxide, so we haven’t caused any climate change, right? And if you believe the Earth is only 6,000 years old, then those sea level and oxygen isotope curves going back hundreds of thousands of years mean nothing to you. It’s all an artefact. The last glacial period ended 10,000 years ago – 4,000 years before the Earth was created. So all the usual evidence for MMCC is lost on them.
There’s no arguing with people who close their eyes and stick their fingers in their ears when presented with scientific fact. That’s what’s scary – that so many Americans are evolution deniers, and that America is responsible for most of the world’s pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (second only to China). It’s an uphill battle, indeed.
Link [Greenfyre] + [The Ethical Paleontologist]
