There was another post over at Blue Oregon about George Taylor, the global climate change denier-slash-“State climatologist”.
And I get so tired of all the stoopid verbal tricks that deniers use to muddy the debate.
So I had to comment.
Here’s my comment. Can you tell I was frustrated?
Sure, greenhouse gases are causing global warming.
Sure, humans produce a large amount of greenhouse gases via industry and combustion.
Sure, it’s very simple to demonstrate that the amount of carbon in the atmosphere has risen in frighteningly dramatic fashion in the last 100-200 years.
Sure, carbon is a greenhouse gas.
Sure, the amount of atmospheric carbon directly correlates to global temperature, in the several ways in which we are able to measure historical trends.
Sure, the converging evidence from several differing methodologies points strongly to a future of severe global climate change that can drastically alter geography and human existence.
Sure, an overwhelming number of scientists have looked at the data and have gone on the record as saying that the conclusions are inescapable to any reasonable person.
Sure, even scientists like George Taylor have said that if the global climate change deniers (like himself) are wrong that the consequences will be disastrous for human civilization.
Sure, sometimes, rarely, a global climate change denier may agree with one or even several of the points above.
…still, there’s three things deniers can cling to:
1) Any normal level of scientific debate (which, to any reasonable person, does not change the big picture) can be blown up by a denier to mean that “the science isn’t in”.
2) Abnormal and irrational “up is down” opinions can be purchased in a free market to create “dissent” even if it doesn’t exist.
3) And finally, trying to get a denier to admit to the big picture can be unfairly categorized as “stifling dissent”.
Do I have that correct, wingnuts? I really grow tired of all their rhetorical tricks and nonsense. They abuse logical thought in ways they don’t even understand.
Why don’t you just go play in your little fantasy worlds and let the adults worry about the big picture for a while? You’ve had your chance for the last couple thousand years. Let’s let science, rationalism, and logical thought have a chance, eh?