I will no longer attempt to make the acquaintance of or discuss anything with those who dispute the reality of climate change.
Not because I am not open to having my mind changed. I am – by science. Not by idiots.
Disbelieving all climate science is like a litmus test. It proves you are completely stupid and I have nothing at all to learn from you, and never will – well, perhaps only that I should not allow my mind to operate so poorly as yours.
Even if all the very sound and solid science about climate change were wrong, simply from a risk model standpoint the risk is high enough that great actions should be taken to forestall and ameliorate its effects. After all, no one would get on an airplane that has a 1% risk of crashing each time, even though it is a small risk.
And yet people will argue that until we’re 100% sure that climate change is real that we should just do nothing and wait for this potentially society-devastating calamity to occur. (And don’t argue with me that it won’t be society-devastating. Most of the conflict in Syria is directly related to climate change, and I’d say that’s pretty devastating.)
It is natural that conservatives would deny the reality of climate change as conservatives seem (naturally) far more change-averse. Climate change means big changes ahead, like it or not.