Discussing global warming: why does this have to be so hard? | John Abraham

How a scientist looks at public discussions of climate changeClimate change long ago joined the topics of politics, religion, and money as something you just can't talk about. It seems that whenever these topics get brought up, previously friendly people get beet-red faces and leave with clenched fists and indigestion. But why?For people who work in this field, on either side of the issue, we tend to get focused on areas of disagreement and nuances. This leads us to quickly defend our positions with a fervor that would not otherwise be needed. For climate "insiders" (and yes, this includes folks who downplay concerns about climate change in particular), we sometimes need to step back. Let's begin the conversation a different way; perhaps we can come to a different outcome.To start, we should all recognize that no one wants to injure the planet, the climate, and the future economies and societies that our children will inherit. Even the radicals don't want to pollute the planet. Can you imagine James Inhofe sitting around the dinner table asking his family to find more ways he can pollute the air and water of this planet? I can't; it just doesn't happen. Next, let's be honest about what is known and what isn't. Starting with what we know:1. Humans emit a lot of greenhouse gases each year and the amount of such gases in the atmosphere have risen significantly.2. Greenhouse gas increase should cause climate change. They do so by theory, in experiment, and by computer simulation....
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: theguardian.com Blogposts Climate change Climate change scepticism Environment Source Type: news