Sahil Kapur: Climate Truthers: Why Global Warming Deniers Are Conspiracy Theorists, Not Rational Skeptics
As a fencesitter with regard to human contribution to climate change, I find the patronizing & dismissive tone of your article 'emotionalist': cling ingto opinion more for emotional reason, than rational. "emotionalist' eventually become extremists and extremist are a much greater threat to civilization then climate change.
I agree that, no matter what, it is a good idea to look after the planet. Move towards renewables, grow more trees, have your own bee-hive, etc., the whole nine yards.
However the 'most scientists agree' argument counts for little:
There is basically no down side to agreeing and a lot less painful than trying to get a fair hearing from the lunatic fringe;
world history is awash with dire warnings that came to nought: Nuclear fall-out would devastate a 1000 mile radius; chernobyl has disproved; Bird-flu - came to nothing; Y2K - remember that scare; madcow diseases (we were told that a whole generation was lost). I could go on: world was flat; space & time were absolute; God existed; etc.
Even current evidence that what the 'experts' said would be the impact of climate change (over the last decade) has, by & large, not happened.
sad truth is that we are not as smart as we think we are. Yes it makes sense to take precautions, but it does no good to abuse people who question if the link is completely understood.
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