This week: A long political rant on the recent US midterm elections, the war on science in Canada, the scientific consensus continues to strengthen, new efforts to communicate it, and a reminder that real experts don’t know everything.
It's not enough to bash in heads, you have to bash in minds
This week: A long political rant on the recent US midterm elections, the war on science in Canada, the scientific consensus continues to strengthen, new efforts to communicate it, and a reminder that real experts don’t know everything.
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After listening to your recent podcast about how emissions reduction policy can be made to appeal to conservatives, I have two questions:
(a) When you will appear on Glenn Beck’s show?
(b) Do you think he’ll let you present your case?
The fossil fuel companies did not start building pan-Republican denial of global warming last week. They started over 20 years ago. They recognized that America did not have any significant leftist politicians, or any successful leftist propaganda sources. They knew “the left” was associated with America’s ancient enemy, communism. This all meant leftists were easily demonized. Global warming, they knew, would be much easier to deny if portrayed as leftist. So they’ve spent over 20 years, and billions of dollars defining global warming as a leftist issue.
I wish you luck, but you do not have either 20 years or billions of dollars.
A) Probably never.
B) No,.
I don’t see Glen Beck, as someone who is swayed by logical arguments, so explaining why Climate Change does not contradict conservatism would be a lost cause.
But I sure could use a billion dollars:)
Great episode, Dan. I’ve been fighting a particularly nasty cold that’s relegated me to the couch, and yet I found myself getting all fired up after hearing your rant.
I feel like I’m becoming better at verbalizing arguments to climate deniers after listening to your podcast, even stealing (I mean “quoting”) phrases verbatim.
I am still not sure I had enough tact. I have already heard from one person who thought it was just a thinly veiled political attack. I guess that was inevitable, but that wasn’t the point I was trying to make.
Feel free to quote me. I purposely put a CC licence on the podcast to make it as clear as possible that I am absolutely ok with that.