The anger and energy of the climate skeptics is at a fever pitch lately. The breaking story that the Wall Street Journal loves so much is about one climate research center in the UK that may have been unwelcoming to contrary opinions. So the conspiracy theorists are all over this and are making the case that there's a global scientific hoax. I can't stomach diving into whether one research center in the entire world acted somewhat inappropriately to shut out opposing, angry views.
But I do always find the "debate" on warming totally surreal since you don't have to buy the complicated climate models to just look out the window (proverbially). Glaciers all over the world are melting, noticeably, and quickly.
See this little video and discussion of the decline in Himalyan ice (a water source supplying over a billion people) on Climate Progress here.
I'm unclear on what people think is going on. If you put a glass of ice water outside and the ice melts, you know it's warm out there. It's really not much more complicated than that.
And yet the anger at people who want to do something about this serious problem, and even (gasp) profit from the shift or build a more prosperous and healthy country, continues to rise (I've even received hate mail for fairly innocuous commentary on how good it will be for business and national competitiveness to wean ourselves off of oil and carbon).
I prefer to think that the level of animosity is a sign that the debate really is fundamentally over. This is the death throes of an outdated perspective (let's hope the argument dies quickly) from people who are incredibly uncomfortable with change. My three-year-old hates change too -- part of growing up is accepting reality and dealing with problems head on.
Now, let the angry, bizarre commentary begin...