6398

I just like to post this & have them dissect it. Saves me so much trouble bickering with climate denialists

https://grist.org/series/skeptics/

6399

If we don’t start breaking in 500m, we’ll hit that wall that’s 750m away.
You said we’d hit the wall in 500m, huh, we still haven’t.

Okay.

6400

…and there was great rejoicing.

6401

Yeah, my doctor said I’d kill myself if I drank a bottle of whiskey everyday, but I’m still here 10 years later, I just have a little stomach pain everyday.
My dentist said I’d be toothless if I didn’t brush, but I still have teeth 10 years later.
My friends told me I’d be broke if I spent all my money, but 10 years later I still use all these credit cards.
Yeah…

6402

@Mark_Asher I think that your method of communication is some of the best I’ve seen on this topic, and on many of the topics which generate skepticism-vs-virtue dynamics. I once wrote a post that was about combating climate change, but I approached it from the viewpoint of the beauty of the outdoors, Teddy Roosevelt’s extensive comments on protecting nature, and the Christian conservation group “A Rocha International,” who do some excellent work. By avoiding the skepticism-vs-virtue dynamic, many of my anti-GW/CC friends were very receptive—as makes sense, because none of us are really out to destroy the world, and I think that most people don’t like seeing, say, litter in the mountains and the sea. While hiking in Dinwoody Basin to the Dinwoody Glacier, I met some climate researchers (they have to pack in all of their equipment over 56 miles, as helicopters are no longer permitted) taking glacial samples, and we discussed this. They agreed that we may have issues simply because we often are right, but wrong “at the peak of our voices,” or something like that.

That said, the language of alarm can cause issues. While some people hate him, I believe that the writer of this story is correct. Sometimes it’s better to be persuasive even if it costs us a feeling of assertive correctness: The Incredible Story Of How Climate Change Became Apocalyptic

And Pielke isn’t the only one who thinks this: No, Climate Change Will Not End the World in 12 Years:
Stoking panic and fear creates a false narrative that can overwhelm readers, leading to inaction and hopelessness

We’re All Gonna Die: Climate Change Apocalypse by 2050

Why Apocalyptic Claims About Climate Change Are Wrong

Now, I could be wrong about all of this, and I’ll admit that some of my own interactions have been influenced by the book, “How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide,” but I think that avoiding apocalyptic narratives could lead to a better, joint-effort in not only combating climate change, but making the world a nicer place, from Leave No Trace ethics (why don’t we teach this in high school?) to staving off sites like this, which (amusingly to some) list all the failed climate predictions:

Note: Unrelated to the above, I also think that basic EMS should be taught in high schools.

6403

It finally snowed in Iowa. Less than an inch. Barely a dusting.

It’s almost January.

6404

Heh. That’s the sort of example that makes certain conservative friends of ours who we meet for lunch say they finally believe in human-made climate change but that it won’t be that bad for us. Some areas will get more flooding, like we did this year in the midwest, that will lead to better crop yields down the road. Some areas will get less snow, and that will be alright with them.

6405

It’s also dangerous to pull out those sort of isolated data points because we will certainly get plenty of blizzards and super-cold days in the future, leading deniers to say: “See?! Nothing to worry about!”

Question, though: to those of us who fear climate change is not going to be stemmed, should we be buying up real estate in northern Canada, or something? I mean, if the world is going to hell in a handbasket, maybe I should at least bequeath my daughter a few stately acres in what is now permafrost.

6406

Do you want to be the displaced migrant invading somebody’s property while they shoot at you, or do you want to be the landowner shooting at the displaced migrants?

I’m kinda serious here.

6407

Well, the displaced migrants have the numbers, but the landowner has time to build walls and stock ammo, so… tough call.

6408

Why write something snide like this when I said I wasn’t posting any more on the topic of climate change? Do you consider yourself a friendly or good person?

6409

Total immersion Dwarf Fortress!

6410

I’m not sure who you are replying to, Nathan, but I wasn’t trying to be snide. Sarcastic, maybe, but not towards you. I full expect massive migrations toward both poles during the next 100 years, and there will be a great deal of bloodshed. I think it is way past the point at which we can prevent it. My only real question at this point is will the human race survive at all, and will the planet as a biosystem survive.

6411

Heh, consider yourself lucky that you didn’t start posting here 10 years ago. Every post used to be open to snide comments, even when people agreed with you! The forum has mellowed out a lot since then as people got older. But you should still get thicker skin. I say that as someone who had to realize that myself.

Regardless, as a neutral observer of this exchange, it does read to me as if you’re not really trying to engage in good faith discussion anyway. There were several reasonable posts in reply to yours, but you chose only to focus on those that were annoyed by you, not on the ones who gave reasonable replies to you. You could have chosen to do the opposite. What that tells me (and I might be wrong), is that you’re just looking to stir things up, you’re not here to actually have a reasonable discussion with folks.

6412

The cultural core is descended from comp.sys.ibm.pc.games or one of those old Usenet groups, right?

I love Usenet. “I agree completely with you, you fucking asshole! Go fuck your mother!”

6413

I wonder if some folks of a prepper persuasion don’t so much disbelieve in climate change as welcome it, as it will give them the edge they want and license to start shooting from the ramparts in defense of their hoarded supplies.

6414

Because I think your trolling is contemptible, and was quite pleased that you said you were done. Apparently that wasn’t true either.

6415

Not everyone is your enemy. I hope you have a great New Year

6416

I definitely think there are people who wish for anarchy and hope for the collapse of civilization. Most of them are deluded fools who have convinced themselves they will be the top dog in their imagined Mad Max world. The rest are just variations of insane.

6417

Not everyone!