How to Talk to a Climate Change Skeptic

8/14/2019 How to Talk to a Climate Change Skeptic

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BY CASEY MCCULLOUGH

BELLARMINE COLLEGE PREPARATORY

March 9, 2010

How to Talk to a Climate

Change Skeptic


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Skepticism on the Rise

Do you think that global warming is happening?

2010 2008*

Yes 57 71

No 20 10

Dont Know 23 19

http://environment.yale.edu/uploads/AmericansGlobalWarmingBeliefs2010.pdf


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The Argument for ScienceA Personal History


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The Ground Strategy

I. Be Grounded

A. The Basic Science

B. Debunking Some Common Myths and

Misconceptions

C. The IPCC and Current Research

II. Find Common Ground

III. Stand Your Ground


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Climate Science is Complex


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. . . But the Role of Greenhouse Gases is Not

Joseph Fourier

1824

John Tyndall

1859
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Fourierhttp://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/Giants/Tyndall/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fourier2.jpghttp://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/Giants/Tyndall/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Fourier


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The Energy Balance of Earth

30 percent reflected


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255K or

-18 C or

-1 F

Arriving Energy =

ing solar energy : 341 W/ m2

ected back to space : 102 W/ m2

iated as Heat: 239 W/ m2


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Actual temperature:15 C

What could account fora temperature swing

of33 C ?


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Unassailable Fact #1:carbon dioxide* is a greenhouse gas

* Carbon dioxide is the most important of the GHGs, representingapproximately 60 percent of anthropogenic warming.


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Unassailable Fact #2:Combustion generates CO2

Hydrocarbons + OHydrocarbons + O22 HH22OO ++ COCO22
http://ecology.com/ecology-today/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/coal-burning1.jpg


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Does this make sense?


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Molar Mass:C = 12.0 g/molO = 16.0 g/ mol

C + O2 CO2

12 + 2(16) 44

5.3 lbs C (44/12) = 19.4 lbs CO2

Gasoline

1 gallon gasoline

Carbon

5.3 pounds of carbon

Gasoline

6.0 pounds


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Unassailable fact #3:Carbon emissions are increasing

Oil


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Unassailable fact #3:Carbon emissions are increasing


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To Summarize

Greenhouse gases absorb and radiate heat back toEarths surface.

Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is produced from

the combustion of fossil fuels.Fossil fuel combustion continues to increase every

year.

Carbon dioxide is increasing in the atmosphere.

Given these unassailable facts, one would expect tosee a rise in global temperature.

A f t t l 2000


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Average surface temperature anomaly 2000-2009

Source: NASA


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Extent of the Evidence


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The IPCCmost recent conclusions

Warming of the climatesystem is unequivocal,as is now evident fromobservations of

increases in globalaverage air and oceantemperatures,widespread melting of

snow and ice, and risingglobal average sea level


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The Yale Study

Which comes closest to your own beliefs

2010 2008Most scientists think global warming

is happening 34 47Most scientists think global warming

is not happening 5 3 There is a lot of disagreement among

scientists about whether or not globalwarming is happening 40 33

Don't know enough to say 22 18

:


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:The role of the media


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The Unusual Winter


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Weather vs. TemperatureA thoughtexperiment


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Our Most Prominent Cynic
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3601353&id=55018309421


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Skeptics vs. Cynics

Skeptic: a person who questions the validity orauthenticity of something purporting to be factual.

(dictionary.com)

Cynic: a person who believes that only selfishnessmotivates human actions and who disbelieves in orminimizes selfless acts or disinterested points of

view.(dictionary.com)


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The burden of overwhelming evidence

Climategate: the final nail in the coffin of Anthropogenic Global Warming
http://www.prisonplanet.com/climategate-the-final-nail-in-the-coffin-of-anthropogenic-global-warming.htmlhttp://crazationsice.blogspot.com/2009/12/climategate-for-dummies.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B003552M76/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&n=133140011&s=digital-texthttp://www.prisonplanet.com/climategate-the-final-nail-in-the-coffin-of-anthropogenic-global-warming.html


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The risks to society andecosystems from increases inCO2 emissions could prove to

be significant, so it is prudentto develop and implementstrategies that address therisks, keeping in mind thecentral importance of energyto the economies of the

world.

Exxon, in a public statement


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Why It Matters

In South Dakota, a resolution calling for thebalanced teaching of global warming in publicschools passed the Legislature this week.

Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, the resolutionsaid, but rather a highly beneficial ingredient for allplant life.

At least 15 state legislatures attempting to preventlimits on greenhouse gas pollution.
http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2010/Bill.aspx?File=HCR1009P.htmhttp://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2010/Bill.aspx?File=HCR1009P.htm


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Why It Matters, Part II


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Stand Your Ground

How to Talk to a Climate Change Skeptic

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