Grist Explains How to Smack Down Global Warming Deniers, Point by Point
June 20, 2008 · Print This Article
If you’ve ever gotten into an argument about global warming with a skeptic, you know how frustrating it can be. Grist.org has a crazily comprehensive guide to smacking down climate change deniers and their tired, weak arguments as to why they think global warming is a hoax.
Grist guest author Coby Beck has created an entire outline that goes first through the ‘Stages of Denial’ – there’s nothing happening, we don’t know why it’s happening, climate change is natural, climate change is not bad and climate change can’t be stopped. Then it cycles through scientific topics, types of argument and level of sophistication. For example, under ‘Uninformed’ you’ll find the answer to the argument, ‘what’s wrong with warmer weather?’ and under ‘Naïve’ you can read the answer to ‘it’s the sun, stupid’.
Here’s a sample from one of my favorites, which you hear so often: ‘They predicted global cooling in the 1970s’.
Objection: The alarmists were predicting the onset of an ice age in the ’70s. Now it’s too much warming! Why should we believe them this time?
Answer: It is true that there were some predictions of an “imminent ice age” in the 1970s, but a cursory comparison of those warnings and today’s reveals a huge difference.
Today, you have a widespread scientific consensus, supported by national academies and all the major scientific institutions, solidly behind the warning that the temperature is rising, anthropogenic CO2 is the primary cause, and it will worsen unless we reduce emissions. (Read more)
This is the first time we’ve ever seen such an extensive reference of climate change information in one place, laid out in a way that’s so easy to navigate. Props to Grist! This is a great resource.
Link [Grist]
Photo credit: Flickr user Neubie
Related Posts:
Global Warming Deniers Pretend to be Scientists for Anti-Kyoto PetitionNew Jersey Assemblyman Fighting State’s Global Warming Response Act
Why You’re a Global Warming Denier
45 Scientists on list of ‘500 with Documented Doubts’ Say F-You to Global Warming Deniers [Updated!]
How to Solve Global Warming? Charge More for Beer
Just so you know no one is saying that the rise in temperature is primarily caused by anthropogenic sources of CO2 emissions. The models they use to depict (and create future predictions) does not rely on this. I’m an environmentalist to the core, but the proliferation of bad science is disturbing. In fact they do claim it is a source, and that it is the only source we have any control over, but not that it is the primary cause. That’s both wrong, and very deceitful of you. I hate when people twist science to their ends. Anthropogenic is, in fact, a relatively small source of total CO2 emissions. I’ll spare you the links to the academic articles, but if you’re interested in those rather than biased press releases please feel free to contact me.