They want to know what we’re doing about climate change
It’s winter time, so of course many parts of the country and the earth are cold, as expected. Sadly, however, other places are literally burning up. What we also expect this time of year, unfortunately, is for some conservatives in the northern hemisphere to step outside, pick up some snow or put on their winter coat, and say, “See? There is no climate change!” Thankfully, just in time for those family Christmas dinners, the Rainforest Alliance has released a half dozen talking points to counter these phony conservative climate change claims. Democrats, liberals and progressives, or just thinking people who have known for years that the earth is warming, due in part to human activity, and that we’re at a dangerous tipping point, can all benefit from absorbing and then using these talking points. Here is a sampling of some of the climate deniers’ arguments, and suggested responses by the Rainforest Alliance:
1. “This is the coldest winter we’ve had in years! So much for global warming.”
OK, people, here’s the difference between climate and weather: Weather fluctuates day in, day out, whereas climate refers to long term trends—and the overall trend is clearly, indisputably, inarguably a warming one. Not to mention the fact that the logic in that sentence is a just a little shaky. Stephen Colbert summarizes it perfectly: “Global warming isn’t real because I was cold today! Also great news: World hunger is over because I just ate.”
2. “There’s no consensus among scientists that climate change is real.”
Wrong. There is nearly 100 percent agreement among scientists. We understand how people could be confused, though—just check out John Oliver’s wickedly funny comedy sketch on the climate “debate.”
Taking a look at the linked video from John Oliver’s show drives the point home. He notes that scientific belief in human-caused climate change runs 97 percent for, and just three percent against, but that, on TV news programs and polls, “belief” in climate change is represented at 50-50. According to Oliver:
You might as well have a poll asking, “Which number is bigger, 15 or five? Or, “Do owls exist?” Or, “Are there hats?”
Oliver then literally brings in 96 people dressed as scientists in white coats to stand behind Bill Nye “the Science Guy,” and only two similarly dressed folks to stand behind a climate denier, to illustrate how a televised debate about climate change and global warming should fairly take place. Once again, it takes a comedian to point out the absurdity of the climate denier position, and the media’s erroneous “both sides” treatment of the issue. The Rainforest Alliance hits the nail on the head by incorporating this kind of ridicule into its talking points. Hopefully that’s something we can all do to help win the argument and reverse the catastrophe of climate change.
Photo by Chris Fithall, used under Creative Commons license. https://is.gd/SKxnLV
