How to answer the claims of a Climate Change Sceptic


From Grist Magazine...

Sceptical man
Despite all the evidence some people still aren't convinced about Climate Change.
© iStockphoto/Elena Slastnova

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Perhaps you have a friend, a work colleague or even a family member who still isn’t convinced about Climate Change? Well help is now at hand!

Below is a complete listing of the articles in "How to Talk to a Climate Sceptic," a series by Coby Beck containing responses to the most common sceptical arguments on global warming. There are four separate taxonomies; arguments are divided by:
Individual articles will appear under multiple headings and may even appear in multiple subcategories in the same heading.

Stages of Denial

  1. There's nothing happening
    1. Inadequate evidence
    2. Contradictory evidence
    3. No consensus
  2. We don't know why it's happening
    1. Models don't work
    2. Prediction is impossible
    3. We can't be sure
  3. Climate change is natural
    1. It happened before
    2. It's part of a natural change
    3. It's not caused by CO2
  4. Climate change is not bad
    1. The effects are good
    2. The effects are minor
    3. Change is normal
  5. Climate change can't be stopped
    1. Too late
    2. It's someone else's problem
    3. Economically infeasible

Scientific Topics

  1. Temperature
  2. Atmosphere
  3. Extreme events
    1. Temperature records
    2. Storms
    3. Droughts
  4. Cryosphere
    1. Glaciers
    2. Sea ice
    3. Ice sheets
  5. Oceans
  6. Modeling
    1. Scenarios
    2. Uncertainties
  7. Climate forcings
    1. Solar influences
    2. Greenhouse gases
    3. Aerosols
  8. Paleo climate
    1. Holocene
    2. Ice ages
    3. Geologic history
  9. Scientific process

Types of Argument

  1. Uninformed
  2. Misinformed
  3. Cherry Picking
  4. Urban Myths
  5. FUD
  6. Non Scientific
  7. Underdog Theories
  8. Crackpottery

Levels of Sophistication

  1. Silly
  2. Naive
  3. Specious
  4. Scientific


© 2007. Grist Magazine, Inc.


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