Global Warming Skepticism
Scientific skepticism is healthy and even necessary to keep the science pulsing with new challenges and fresh perspectives. As
Skeptical Science states, "Scientists should always challenge themselves to improve their understanding. Yet this isn't what happens with climate change denial. Skeptics vigorously criticise any evidence that supports man-made global warming and yet embrace any argument, op-ed, blog or study that purports to refute global warming." The
evidence of rapid climate change
is irrefutable, the
effects
are profound and far-reaching and the
scientific consensus
that human activities are causing climate change is unequivocal. Despite the fact that every national academy of science of every major country in the world agrees; that every professional scientific society in every field related to the field of climate endorses it; that 97-98 percent of all scientists that are most active in publishing in the field of climate science agree with the
consensus that human activities are causing climate change, there are still
individuals
and
groups
dedicated to opposing effective action to limit greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change, which would also reduce
air pollution,
water pollution
and the endless host of health, social, environmental and economic issues associated with burning
coal,
oil
and
gas. Faced with
irrefutable physical evidence
and an
incontrovertible scientific consensus, many of these
"skeptics"
find refuge and success in
rhetorical manipulation, in
confirmation bias, in
ideology, in
PR spin campaigns, in
exploiting scientific complexity to avoid any discussion at all, in
narrow pieces of the puzzle while neglecting the broader picture
and perhaps most important, in
dirtyenergy
money
and
secret funding
to keep them going and
build vast networks of climate denial thinktanks. In the beginning, skeptics, whom have now
been linked to conspiracy theories
(see also),
argued
that "Global warming isn't happening." Then, they
evolved
to "It is happening, but we're not causing it," followed by "We are causing it, but it isn't harmful - it's actually beneficial - and there is little to nothing we can do about it," and
so on. Underlying their
cherry-picked arguments
(see also)
is the position that "there's no need to take effective regulatory action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions just yet, if at all." Why is all of this happening? Implications of
human-induced global warming
are in direct contrast to the most powerful industry in the world: the
fossil fuel
industry, which has
links to 9 out of 10 top climate change deniers. No matter how
sound the science
may be or how
incontrovertible the consensus
has become,
this industry
has funded
senators,
think-tanks
and
others
in an attempt to confuse the public that global warming may not be real and climate change may not be caused by humans. Why? Their bottom-line depends on it. The
tobacco industry did it
when scientists linked cigarettes to cancer.
The lead industry tried to discredit a scientist
who found that lead exposure hurt children's cognitive abilities. Now, it's climate scientists turn, except this time the effects won't affect just smokers or those exposed to lead, it will affect every single person and living thing on the planet,
unless we act now.
Global Warming & Climate Change Myths
"Despite the overwhelming consensus among climate experts that human activity is contributing to rising global temperatures, 66 percent of Americans incorrectly believe there is "a lot of disagreement among scientists about whether or not global warming is happening." The conservative media has fueled this confusion by distorting scientific research, hyping faux-scandals, and giving voice to groups funded by industries that have a financial interest in blocking action on climate change. Meanwhile, mainstream media outlets have shied away from the "controversy" over climate change and have failed to press U.S. policymakers on how they will address this global threat. When climate change is discussed, mainstream outlets sometimes strive for a false balance that elevates marginal voices and enables them to sow doubt about the science even in the face of mounting evidence." ~ Media Matters, Meet the Climate Denial Machine
"Science is the foundation of progress. Rejecting science means in essence rejecting hope for all humankind." ~ Joe Romm, the 'web’s most influential climate-change blogger'
Skeptical Science: The Scientific Guide to Global Warming Skepticism
Exxon Secrets
"So let this be clear:
There is no scientific controversy over this. Climate change denial is purely, 100 percent made-up political and corporate-sponsored crap. When the loudest voices
are fossil fuel-funded think tanks, when they
don’t publish in science journals
but instead
write error-laden op-eds in partisan venues, when
they have to manipulate the data to support their point, then what they’re doing isn’t science." ~
Phil Plait, Grist
Climate Denial Machine
Apparently, if you do - according to the Heartland Institute - you're a madman terrorist, comparable to Fidel Castro, Ted Kaczynski and Osama bin Laden. "The people who still believe in man-made global warming are mostly on the radical fringe of society. This is why the most prominent advocates of global warming aren’t scientists. They are murderers, tyrants, and madmen," says Joe Bast, the brains behind this statement. The Heartland Institute has been called by The Economist "the world's most prominent think tank promoting skepticism about man-made climate change." Click to learn more.
The Debunking Handbook: A Guide to Debunking Misinformation
Why is all of this happening?
Implications of
human-induced global warming
are in direct contrast to the most powerful industry in the world: the
fossil fuel
industry, which has
links to 9 out of 10 top climate change deniers.
Is there a Debate within the Scientific Community?
The
most respected scientific bodies
have stated unequivocally that
global warming is occurring, and people are causing
it by burning
fossil fuels
and
cutting down carbon-absorbing forests. According to
EDF, "The only real debate is about how fast warming will occur, and how much damage will be done, as a result of human activities that produce heat-trapping CO2 and other greenhouse-gas emissions."
Learn more.
A humorous twist to the fact that whether it's for the climate or not, moving towards renewable energy sources and a green economy will have many benefits. This Joel Pett cartoon appeared just before the 2009 Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. (© USA Today)
How To Talk To A Climate Skeptic
Despite the international scientific community's
consensus on climate change, a small number of critics continue to deny that climate change exists or that humans are causing it. Widely known as climate change "skeptics" or "deniers", these individuals are generally not climate scientists and do not debate the science with the climate scientists directly. Instead, they focus their attention on the media, the general public and policy-makers with the goal of delaying action on climate change. Not surprisingly, the deniers have received
significant funding
from coal and oil companies, including ExxonMobil. They also have
well-documented connections
with public relations firms that have set up industry-funded lobby groups to, in the words of one
leaked memo, "reposition global warming as theory (not fact)." ~David Suzuki Foundation
"Scientific skepticism is healthy. In fact, science by its very nature is skeptical. Genuine skepticism means considering the full body of evidence before coming to a conclusion. However, when you take a close look at arguments expressing climate ‘skepticism’, what you often observe is cherry picking of pieces of evidence while rejecting any data that don’t fit the desired picture. This isn’t skepticism. It is ignoring facts and the science."~ John Cook, Skeptical Science
What are the Skeptics Arguments?
Arguments used by climate skeptics to poke holes in the science and dispute man-made global warming vary from climate change being a result of natural forces, such as the sun or volcanoes, to carbon dioxide not being a pollutant, to the climate actually cooling, to there being no
consensus, to models and temperature records being unreliable to
scientists distorting data
and more.
Every single argument has been debunked and rebutted by science.
Flowchart: Climate Desk | Click for source and to enlarge
Discover how
Representations of Climate Science on Fox News Channel and in the Wall Street Journal Opinion Pages are Overwhelmingly Misleading
(see also) (see also).
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists | Click to learn more
Source: Union of Concerned Scientists | Click to learn more
Climate of Doubt
may not dig deep into the
evidence of rapid climate change
or the
overwhelming scientific consensus, however, it does reveal how attitudes about climate change are influenced and manipulated within the power structure and shows that climate change denial is driven by ideology and
oil cash, not science.
Watch the full documentary.
Even a
study
funded by the Koch Brothers
(NY Times), who are among are the
leading funders
of climate disinformation in the world, has found that the
IPCC “consensus”
underestimated both the rate of surface warming and how much could be attributed to human emissions and that
'global warming is real', 'on the high end' and 'essentially all' due to carbon pollution.
Learn more.
"Two hundred years of good science – teasing out uncertainties, considering risk – has laid the foundation of what we now understand. It screams out from decade upon decade of research. The basic physics of climate change is irrefutable. Greenhouse gases warm the atmosphere and cause changes to the climate. Human activity is significantly contributing to the warming of our planet. And on the mistaken notion that reading on climate action is bad for a country’s economy: Too often, we are told that those who go low-carbon first will sacrifice their competitiveness. The real danger we face is being outpaced by other countries who are investing in clean, low-carbon economies. This is a boom market of £3.3 trillion, growing at 3.7% a year, with investment in renewables outpacing that in fossil fuels. For our businesses this means opportunities, for our governments tax revenues, for our people jobs, for our societies insulation from the volatility of fossil fuel prices. So this drive for low-carbon energy is a real engine of growth for hard-pressed economies around the world. And on those who deny the science: You know, when I am confronted by some of the most dogmatic and blinkered people who deny that climate change is happening, I am reminded of the sentiment of the famous USA Today cartoon. “If we really are wrong about climate change, we will have created a better world for nothing”. In reality, those who deny climate change and demand a halt to emissions reduction and mitigation work, want us to take a huge gamble with the future of every human being on the planet, every future human being, our children and grand children, and every other living species. We will not take that risk." ~ Ed Davey, UK Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change Full Remarks
"An intriguing
new study
released last week in
Psychological Science in the Public Interest
reveals why people are more apt to believe false information being fed to them by the media and politicians. According to the team of psychological scientists
working on the study, led by Stephan Lewandowsky of the University of Western Australia, the main reason that people are more likely to believe false information (for example, that climate change is a hoax) is because it actually takes less brain power to believe a statement is false than to accept it as truth. Finding the truth takes time and effort that people often don’t care enough to spend on particular issues that aren’t of immediate concern." ~
DESMOGBLOG
Study: Misinformation and Its Correction: Continued Influence and Successful Debiasing
Skeptical Science: 'Climate Myth' vs 'What the Science Says'
"If the emission of greenhouse gases ... is allowed to continue unchecked, the effects will be catastrophic — on the level of nuclear war." ~ International Institute of Strategic Studies' Strategic Survey 2007
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