Global Warming Denier Checklist

A few weeks ago I posted an item from Mark Boslough's Facebook page, Global Warming Nonbelievers: Ten Physics Facts. It was a big hit.

Well, I am doing it again - this time it is his 'Global Warming Denier Checklist'.

 Global Warming Denier Checklist:

1) Deny global warming.

2) After global warming is determined to be real, deny that it's human caused.

3) After it is determined to be human caused, deny that will be harmful.

4) After it is shown that it will be harmful, claim that it's too expensive to stop.

5) After it is shown that it will be more expensive *not* to stop, send a threat to a climate scientist.

I might add another one:

6) Engage some scientists who may have 'street creds', but in another field.

Here is a relevant post, Patrick Michaels: Serial Deleter of Inconvenient Data.

And a fascinating column by Michael Gerson, Climate and the Culture War.

 "Despite the endless deluge of global warming claims there is also a mountain of climate data to dispute them." - Committee For a Constructive Tomorrow WWW site (2007)

Comments

[David Zetland]

Correction:

5) After it is shown that it will be more expensive *not* to stop, complain that it's too hard to coordinate a stop around the world.

And then you will win.

(sorry to bear bad news...)

[Matt Heberger]

Reminds me of a classic I found posted on a colleague's wall. The only attribution it has is King 2005 (?).

13-Stage Industry Strategy for Dealing with an Environmental Challenge

Stage 1: There is no environmental problem.

Stage 2: There may be a problem, but we must study it for 5-10 years to be sure.

Stage 3: If there is a problem, it is not significant.

Stage 4: The problem may be significant, but we must study it further to be sure.

Stage 5: If there is a significant problem, we are not responsible.

Stage 6: If we are responsible, our economic impacts are far more important.

Stage 7: If we must respond, we will voluntarily self-regulate

Stage 8: If a new law is needed, we must help write it.

Stage 9: If new rules are needed, we must help write them.

Stage 10: The rules are fine, we just don’t like the enforcement provisions.

Stage 11: The enforcement provisions are fine but the penalties are excessive.

Stage 12: These regulations must change or we will be forced out of business!

Stage 13: We found a technical innovation – the costs are not bad after all.

Notes:

Expect each stage to be stretched out as long as possible.

Several stages may take place simultaneously.

Stage 13 only arrives when industry leaders become concerned that continued claims of unbearable compliance costs and penalties are beginning to affect stock prices.