How to Refute Climate Change Deniers

Whenever I write about climate change, I receive a flurry of messages from naysayers and gadflies who still believe that anthropogenic climate change is either not happening or is wildly exaggerated. While temperatures hit record highs month after month and the seas boil, many of these commenters believe the “liberal” or technocratic / World Economic Forum / Bilderberg elites are using a phony global warming hype as a plot to institute totalitarian controls on human freedom.

Almost inevitably, these readers refer to the work of a small number of scientists and academics who rail against the mainstream consensus. These critics either dispute the idea that industrial CO2 causes warming, or they argue that warming is not such a bit problem. In any case, they believe it isn’t a critically important issue that needs to be tackled immediately, with tremendous force, at the expense of Capitalism and GDP growth.

I thought it might be helpful to put out a short guide to the most popular climate-change denying theories. When the subject comes up, we would have a single place to send the doubters, deniers, and anyone who is confused. Here is an initial draft — I would love your thoughts and comments.