This is borrowed from another one of my blogs, enjoy.
Given that I’ve reached my half century anniversary of engaged climate science awareness and outreach, a little reflection comes naturally. I used to be told it’s easy enough to complain, but could I actually define my complaints? Even better, could I suggest solutions?
It was a fair challenge and I dare say I’ve spent the past decades striving to meet it. Now some tell me my blogs are a bit redundant. Oh well. I’m not an academic, nor a journalist, I’m an enthusiast and this is my self-assigned research project and homework notebook. Some pages are better than others and redos happen as I continue improving.
In truth, I had hoped ConfrontingScienceContrarians.blogspot.com would develop into a study group, as a few like minded citizens joined in, but that never happened. Thus CSC could never develop beyond a busy, often distracted, individual citizen’s perspective. It is what it is.
About that half century. I started high school in 1969, my already well developed love of nature and deep curiosity had me taking all the science courses I could. As it happened Earth’s climate system turned out to be an especially important and dramatic topic that captured my unwavering interest.
After graduation I went on to a working life, but curiosity about Earth sciences and history remained central to my existence, the hobby I never tired of. Of course, courting, raising a family and working multiple jobs put all that on the back-burner for a while. Still I kept up on scientific discovers and news.
Kids kept growing and with time my work load diminished. Then a local snow-bird, Roger Cohen, started peddling the EXXON oil company’s line of “Relax, No Worries, ignore the science!” in an OpEd and letters to local papers, even giving a couple talks up at the local college. That pissed me off and I funneled that energy into researching Cohen’s claims and writing about what I found. I helped raise hell about the travesty of FLC hosting a talk filled with known scientific lies and deliberate deception. After that Roger moved his dog’n pony show to a local hotel conference room.
We remained civil in our Q/A and Letters to the Editors exchanges, but I became such a thorn in his side that he stopped coming to Durango, ‘because the winters were getting too harsh,’ he told me. Haa, we’re literally having spring in February this year.
We even had a pleasant phone conversation back then - among other niceties he promised to invite me out for dinner next time he was back in town so we could get to know each other one on one. I accepted with enthusiasm. Though I didn’t expect him to make good on his word, I was surprised by his disappearance from the local scene all together. I admit to finding some satisfaction in helping run Roger Cohen’s delusional dog’n pony show out of Durango.
It reminded me of a similar roll I played a few years previous when I confronting the lies and deceptions within Alston Chase’s syndicated column that the Durango Herald was carrying around 1990, via letters to the Durango Herald editor. Eventually we got enough voices objecting to Chase’s deceptive column, that he was cancelled. Two for two, I felt like I was onto something.
I could not put it into these words then, but deep down I realized (after many many hours of listening to and researching their claims) that climate science contrarian arguments were consistently based on ruthless deception and fraud.
I ask? Why not confront the facts of that fraud; Expose the deceptions and rhetorical manipulation being used; Question the personal moral rot that allows these people to endlessly broadcast the same, repeatedly discredited calculated lies.
Deceptions that are in large part dependent on calculated slanderous insinuations, while glibly fabricating “facts” and rejecting honesty.
On the part of the audience it requires a willful suspension of rational critical thinking skills that we should be confronting by shining a Klieg light on their self-certain, self-delusional, self-deception - and asking them how they can justify such personal intellectual dishonesty!
Deceptions that are in large part dependent on calculated slanderous insinuations, while glibly fabricating “facts” and rejecting honesty.
On the part of the audience it requires a willful suspension of rational critical thinking skills that we should be confronting by shining a Klieg light on their self-certain, self-delusional, self-deception - and asking them how they can justify such personal intellectual dishonesty!
By then into my 50s and part of the generation of science enthusiasts who grew up spending hours at the library to keep up on the news. We, who knew to make best friends with Research Librarians, appreciate the internet revolution in a way no one born since 1984 can fathom.
With time the search engine became my personal research librarian. Internet chat rooms made all sorts of discussions and debates and exchanging information possible in a way Letters to the Editor couldn’t touch so I moved on.
By August 2008 I started blogging out of frustration with the Democratic Presidential campaign and I was hoping to connect with other passionate concerned people of like mind, who wanted a more serious focus on climate science reality. I’m still proud of the articles I wrote that month and many since. Sure, a bit amateurish, after all I am just a citizen witness, expecting professional perfection would be silly, it’s the substance that matters.
This is what an honest citizen, struggling to make sense of the affairs of mankind, is experiencing. For example, visit “A historic snafu in need of revisiting” which was originally written in 2004 after listening to John Edward’s pathetic performance in his losing debate with Dick Cheney - then tell me it’s not as relevant today as it was back then.
This developing internet marvel was bringing information to our fingertips like never before, still climate science information was relatively difficult to track down. Of course, much information simply wasn’t available yet. Trying to find substantive information to counter science contrarian claims, was challenging and time consuming.
Then I discovered a fairly new website, SkepticalScience.com that was started in 2007. It was, and remains, a gold mine of relevant climate science info - best of all it was aimed at the informed curious person on the street. College education helped, but wasn’t necessary if you were willing to put in a little self study.
I came to respect and trust SkS because their articles remained focused on Earth sciences, explaining complex concepts, summarizing impossibly esoteric scientific papers into language and facts that we regular people could make sense of and understand. I was also impressed that they always provided their source references and citations. Making it easy to link to original papers and even to correspond with scientists when one has particular questions - I receive concise prompt replies more often than not.
SkepticalScience.com's articles were followed by comments and a fascinating well moderated dialogue that would add more nuances of understanding. If the goal is to educate and provide a platform for “good-faith” dialogue, SkepticalScience seems to me about as noble, constructive and valuable an effort, and product, as we could ask for.
It seemed to me, with scientists doing the hard work of studying and understanding our planet’s natural systems and how they are impacted by human activity; and a group of skilled informed scientists and other professionals producing something like SkepticalScience.com that made this evidence easily accessible; what was missing was a third group of dedicated grassroots individuals willing rise up to vocally confront and challenge the contrarian's deliberately fraudulent crap that is flooding the internet and other social media.
People who weren’t afraid to directly confront the lies as they were being told. People willing to preach about the importance of a Constructive Debate, a dialogue where honesty was the law, and learning was the prime goal. (As opposed to the GOP's manipulative lawyerly debates where truth and learning are irrelevant, and political theater is the object.)
People who understood and recognized the rhetorical tricks of misdirection, deception, innuendo, slander, manipulating context, misrepresenting relative importance, omitting critical information and such.
Folks who would organize in order to try and use every opportunity to confront the frauds and set the record straight with easily understandable explanations that help people visualized and relate to the climate matters in question.
Helping make the notion of our "Global Heat and Moisture Distribution Engine" a visceral concept that people can grasp and defend.
Helping make the notion of our "Global Heat and Moisture Distribution Engine" a visceral concept that people can grasp and defend.
Bring the discussion back to accepting the settled fundamentals first, then moving on to more complicated matters:
It’s The Atmospheric Insulation - period !
Increasing atmospheric greenhouse gases, slows the escape of heat, this causes heat to accumulate within our global climate engine. This warming occurs in direct relationship to the amount of greenhouse gases, there is no mystery about these well understood facts.
It is deniable, but unavoidable physics here!
This accumulating heat gets absorbed into our Global Heat and Moisture Distribution Engine. Our weather distributes that heat from the broiling equatorial belt to the frigid poles.
Weather systems and global circulation patterns and oscillations, in the atmosphere, as well as in the oceans, do not produce or consume heat! They merely move it around our globe. All the warming is happening way up in our atmosphere, 24/7/365, then migrating into the biosphere.
The oceans holds over 90% of our climate’s total heat content. Surface Global Temperatures are just that, surface temperatures and they account for a lousy 10% of Earth’s Heat Engine’s heat content.
Nothing else makes any sense until these fundamental are understood !
Yet today it seems like people spend endless hours arguing every detail, while ignoring those well understood fundamentals and realizing they tell us all we need to know.
My question is why do we continue allowing disconnected from reality and pointless arguments to go on ad infinitum?
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I started with the question of whether I could define my complaints and offer any solutions. Sadly I think it’s a bit late for solutions, besides consuming less was our universal deal breaker anyways. My thinking is turning towards the coping and retaining personal balance while the inevitable unfolds. So I’m left with striving to clearly define our fundamental mistakes as I’ve come to perceive them.
After that, for me, it’s down to living one day at a time, with the most dignity and love and service for those around me that I can muster. It’s been a great run for me and every day is filled with gratitude which will be followed by a deep eternal sleep.
After that, for me, it’s down to living one day at a time, with the most dignity and love and service for those around me that I can muster. It’s been a great run for me and every day is filled with gratitude which will be followed by a deep eternal sleep.
The following needs more work, but I'm running out of time, the project is never finished, we just meet deadlines. ;-)
Best wishes, Cc.
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Considering Adult Constructive Dialogue
After many dozens, adding up to hundreds of hours spent reading and listening to and researching contrarian claims and arguments I found they were consistently based on ruthless deception and fraud.
I ask? Why not confront the facts of that fraud;
Expose the deceptions and rhetorical manipulation being used;
Question the personal moral rot that allows these people to endlessly broadcast the same, repeatedly discredited calculated deceptions.
Deceptions that are in large part dependent on intentional slanderous insinuations, and glibly fabricating fantasies, while ignoring facts.
Learning and better understanding requires a Good Will effort, honest curiosity and willingness to do some homework.
Give a person their due based on experience and merit, not one’s religious or political persuasion.
Listen to what other people say and try to absorb the information they are conveying. There’s lots to learn, and you never know when a key insight might come along. Besides only by understanding your opponent do you have a chance of pointing out errors and offering them a better alternative and honest understanding.
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If we are not changing minds, we are losing.
Earth Centrism and what it means.
Two Magisteria = Physical Reality and the Human Mindscape.
Loss of Good Faith Discussion and Dialogue.
‘Making Due With Less’ was thee universal deal breaker.
It's worth thinking about.
Why are we so gluttonous and willfully blind?
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Considering our Dysfunction Public Climate Science Dialogue
1) We The People have a moral ethical right - along with a pragmatic need - to learn what scientists have learned about this planet's biosphere and climate engine without constant dishonest crossfire.
We should not tolerate serious scientists always being drown out by amoral, dishonest and frankly ignorant arguments - that an astoundingly ruthless PR factory repeats over and over again, without ever learning a damned thing from the evidence in front of us.
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2) Uncertainties vs. known Physical Certainties
It is a disservice to constantly allow trivial uncertainties to become the focal point of the public discussion.
In real life when we get mired or overwhelmed by increasingly complex situations, we stop, back off a little, get reoriented with the big picture, reacquaint ourselves with what we do know for certain, then move forward again.
I’m not saying ignore uncertainties! I’m saying keep reminding us of the overriding fundamental certainties! Thus putting contrarian trivial pursuits into real world perspective.
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3) Map vs. Territory Problem
Scientists are Cartographers mapping out the geophysical realities of our planet, the Territory if you will. They do the best they can with the data they have available.
Too often we get trapped into assuming that until our scientists can define all aspects with statistical certainty, we should assume it's okay to ignore.
That's getting lost on the Map and forgetting we exist within the Territory.
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4) Responsibilities of Scientists vs
Responsibilities of Citizens and Students
Scientists are dedicated to their work, given their education and accumulated knowledge, their time is very precious and we need them focusing on their respective tasks.
They are not the ones to fight for the recognition that their work is rational, objective, factually, and morally authoritative. They’ve done the difficult task of accumulating, digesting, reporting, and filing the substantive evidence.
Who’s to defend them and the knowledge they share with society?
A HEALTHY DEMOCRACY DEMANDS AN INFORMED AND ENGAGED CITIZENRY.
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5) Define the two fundamental Debate Styles
Constructive Argument based on real facts,
with the ultimate goal being a collective better understanding of the issue at hand.
Such as a Scientific Debate where honestly representing your opponent’s position is required. Striving to understand your opponent’s position well enough to reject or modify it with the merits of your own facts and reasoning.
If one fail to convince it means something, and its our challenge to honestly figure out why. It may hurt, but it’s a learning experience for the intellectually honest. Mistakes have always been necessary learning opportunities for the stout.
Lawyerly Debate, winning is all that matters, facts are irrelevant obstacles to hurdle. Being skilled in rhetorical trickery is a prerequisite. Objective learning is not the object.
Amorality, misdirection and theatre are its hallmarks.
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6) Faith-based Thinking - God or EGO?
Possessing the hubris to fancy that we petty, jealous, fearful, prideful, self-serving humans can access and understand the real God of Light and Time, Life and Love, leads to a profound disconnect from our planet’s physical reality, and an immoral absolutism.
It's one thing to believe in an unknowable god, quite another to mistake one’s own hyper-inflated EGO for God.
for explanation see:
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7) Sloppy usage of “Natural Variability”
Every component and aspect of our Global Heat and Moisture Distribution Engine is warming and energizing. All of Earth’s historic Natural Variabilities are embedded within this global warming matrix.
Too often ‘natural variability’ gets used as a sort of defense against acknowledging the obvious. Weather systems are not caused by manmade global warming, but you can bet every last one of them is certainly impacted by it.
The geophysical reality of a 400 PPM atmosphere is that we have left our historic climate regime. Comparisons to yesteryears offer little guidance for understanding this brave new 400 PPM CO2++ world we have created for ourselves and children.
It's the atmospheric insulation!
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8) “Seepage”
8) “Seepage”
Allowing dishonest shrill voices to force scientists into following the contrarian script rather than focusing on conveying our physical reality to the public.
As Prof. Stephen Lewandowsky put it: “...even when scientists are rebutting contrarian talking points, they often do so within a framing and within a linguistic landscape created by denial, and often in a manner that reinforces the contrarian claim. This ‘‘seepage’’ has arguably contributed to a widespread tendency to understate the severity of the climate problem.”
Check out his paper:
1 the scientific community has adopted assumptions or language from discourse that originated outside the scientific community or from a small set of dissenting scientific voices.
2 those assumptions depart from those commonly held by the scientific community.
Also see:
Seepage: Climate change denial and its effect on the scientific community -
Greg Laden - May 15, 2015
On Seeps and SCAMS Part I: Lessons for Climate Scientists - May 14, 2015
On Seeps and SCAMS Part II: Pat'n Chip'n David Fake a Debate.
Seeps and SCAMS Part III: Richard Betts misunderstands (and misrepresents) a paper
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9) “Global Warming” vs “Climate Change”
Give credit where credit is due.
It’s the atmospheric insulation driving these changes!
Be clear Anthropogenic Global Warming is the cause and driver of the increasingly intense cascading Climate Changes we are witnessing.
Cascading Consequences?
More greenhouse gases in the atmosphere;
more molecules catching and releasing infrared radiation;
more infrared radiation bouncing around within the atmosphere;
more heat and energy accumulating within that atmosphere;
more moisture that atmosphere holds;
more heat, moisture and energy being moved around by weather systems;
more intense and destructive weather events.
One thing leads to another.
It's deniable, but unavoidable, physics.
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10) Intellectual Confrontation
The fact is, climate science awareness is being actively stifled by ruthless individuals with bottomless bank accounts and octopus news outlets and a growing army of passionate politically active recruits of the two pronged Koch/Bannon brainwashing efforts. They have sold a lazy public a pack of lies that have become the comfort zone of all too many today.
How can the misinformation this juggernaut force feeds the public be neutralized without direct intellectual confrontation by masses of informed, concerned, engaged students, and citizens, everywhere it pops up?
{Do an experiment, go to YouTube search some climate science term, then see how much malicious garbage you need to wade through before the serious honest videos start showing up. Public input is what controls those things, our apathy is allowing their astroturfing on YouTube a free playing field. Plenty of other examples of the same.}
It’s not about attacking people, it’s about attacking the maliciously deceptive words, the lies and stupidity they’re spewing. It’s about teaching them how our physical planet operates!
Focus. Expose the dishonesty in their words and educate them.
A good resource for factual jump starts:
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11) Call out False Claims & Lies
When someone makes a malicious false claim, relentlessly demand evidence for said attack(s) - expose those who refuse to produce evidence for their malicious claims. Examine and expose the props they substituted for substance.
Dissect and confront their tactics rather than being played by them!
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10) Better than Skepticism ===> Critical Thinking Skills
The term “Skeptics” has been poisoned by theatre and the grotesque double standard of the GOP.
Critical Thinking Skills is a clear descriptive that explains our process.
Unidirectional Skepticism = Denial
Unidirectional Skepticism = Denial
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12) Confront Trash Talk with Rhetorical Jujutsu
Contrarians depend on personal attacks to distract the discussion away from their bankrupt pretend “science.” Learn to recognize the game, turn it to your favor, be prepared to point out the juvenility of the tactic, while forcing the discussion back to the real world facts your contrarian opponent won’t have.
fyi, studies in the contrarian mindscape:
LandscapesAndCycles, Jim Steele’s malicious deception.
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google “Jujutsu” ~ Food for Thought,
Turn their attacks into an explorations of the GOP's tactics of avoidance, evasion and lying.
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Where appropriate, why not point out Calumny in action?
Be ready to define it: https://dictionary.thelaw.com/calumny/
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13) The pain of our brave new world
Face it, or not, we are like children being inextricably torn from our mother for all time. Our brave new world is arriving, it will be traumatic, and it won't be wished away. Our existence is transitioning into an ever more deadly game of Russian Weather Roulette and cascading consequences.
Delusional thinking and disregard for scientific understanding and rational constructive dialogue will only make the coming decades that much worse.
Why are we all still allowing it?
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About me and why this flier
By nature, I’ve always been fascinated by, and actively learning, about our Earth in all her marvelous aspects - along with the humans she created and the evolving society Earth enabled and nurtured.
Shared science has enriched me and made me feel a member of this world and this moment in the time that I find myself experiencing. It’s this feeling of connectedness that drives me to share these thoughts in return.
Best wishes,
CitizensChallenge at gmail
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Here is a list of videos that do a wonderful job of describing fundamental aspects of our evolution and why we should care above it:
January 6, 2016
{1} Our Global Heat and Moisture Distribution Engine
January 9, 2016
{2} Co-evolution of Minerals and Life | Dr Robert Hazen
January 14, 2016
{3} Evolution of Carbon and our biosphere - Professor Hazen focuses on the element Carbon
January 23, 2016
{4} Evolution-Considering Deep Time and a Couple Big Breaks
February 6, 2016
{5a} The Most Beautiful Graph on Earth - A. Hessler
February 7, 2016
{5b} Earth's Earliest Climate - By Angela Hessler
February 14, 2016
{6} Evolution of Earth's Atmosphere - easy version
February 18, 2016
{7} Our Global Heat and Moisture Distribution Engine, visualized
February 19, 2016
{8} Atmospheric Insulation Explained - appreciating our climate engine
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