[Vision2020] Al Gore thinks climate "deniers" are akin to racists from the Old South

[Paul Rumelhart]

I don't actually believe that the earth isn't warming.  See, that's the 
problem with trying to sweep this conversation under the rug ala 
racism.  I'm just skeptical that they actually know how much warming is 
due to mankind because I haven't seen any evidence that they have a 
handle on the natural processes involved.  I am also skeptical that they 
know enough about the possible feedback mechanisms to have any right to 
claim that the results will be catastrophic.

Anyway, there's plenty here that could be discussed, but not if we bury 
our heads in the sand and poo-poo the conversations because someone is 
bringing up a subject that people have worked really hard to make into a 
political statement, and are now trying to make into an unassailable truth.

Doesn't it matter to you at all that they play fast and loose with the 
numbers sometimes to add more shock value?  Wouldn't you rather they 
just told you what they actually knew?

Paul

On 09/02/2011 03:38 PM, Donovan Arnold wrote:
> Paul,
> Yes, because your "fact" doesn't support your claim that global 
> warming isn't occurring. The preponderance of empirical evidence and 
> the overwhelming majority of experts believe that global warming is 
> occurring. If you have evidence to show that the Earth is not warming 
> or can convince a majority of geologists, meteorologists, and weather 
> and climate field related experts they are wrong, then I think your 
> claim can be supported. Pointing out a misplaced decimal point or 
> misquote from a supporter of stopping global warming doesn't 
> logically support your claim the Earth isn't warming.
> Donovan Arnold
>
> *From:* Paul Rumelhart <godshatter at yahoo.com>
> *To:* Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com>
> *Cc:* Vision 2020 <Vision2020 at moscow.com>
> *Sent:* Friday, September 2, 2011 7:49 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [Vision2020] Al Gore thinks climate "deniers" are akin 
> to racists from the Old South
>
> Does it matter if the person "denying global warming" has actual facts 
> to back them up?
>
> For example, when I correct someone yet again on this list who is 
> overstating the amount of sea level rise that the IPCC expects as 
> their worst-case scenario, do I sound ignorant?  Should everyone turn 
> away and pretend I didn't say anything at all?
>
> Don't mind me, I'm just trying to probe the outer edges of their 
> reality-distortion field.
>
> Paul
>
> On 09/01/2011 08:48 PM, Donovan Arnold wrote:
>> I do think someone sounds ignorant and uneducated when they deny 
>> global warming and humans having a negative impact on the Earth's 
>> environment. I also think someone sounds ignorant and uneducated 
>> about people when they say racist, sexist, homophobic things. So, 
>> yes, in that respect, I think the two are similar. Other than this, 
>> no, there are no similarities.
>> Donovan Arnold
>>
>> *From:* Paul Rumelhart <godshatter at yahoo.com> 
>> <mailto:godshatter at yahoo.com>
>> *To:* Vision 2020 <Vision2020 at moscow.com> <mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com>
>> *Sent:* Thursday, September 1, 2011 1:14 PM
>> *Subject:* [Vision2020] Al Gore thinks climate "deniers" are akin to 
>> racists from the Old South
>>
>> I'd like to get some vision2020 members opinions on this.  Here is an 
>> article from the Huffington Post where in an interview Al Gore talks 
>> about "winning the conversation" with climate deniers which refers to 
>> how racist comments were basically shunned in everyday conversations 
>> after the civil rights movement occurred.
>>
>> Here is the article: 
>> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/30/gore-climate-change-deniers_n_940802.html
>>
>> Do you think it's legitimate to treat talk of skepticism of 
>> anthropogenic global warming in the same way that we do racist 
>> language today?
>>
>> Should I, as a climate skeptic, be told that "we don't talk about 
>> that here in polite conversation" when I have a question about 
>> something related to the science of climate change?
>>
>> Just curious if I sound like everyone's uncle that everybody seems to 
>> have that embarrasses you every time you go out in public with him.
>>
>> Is that really a healthy attitude to have about scientific skepticism?
>>
>> Paul
>>
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