Question: Where does the 97% of climate scientists come from? Answer:

[skip fox]

The 97% figure is not antidotal. The percentage is listed on the NASA site ( http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/ ).


Therefore change deniers have to believe at 97% of scientific professionals who have dedicated their lives to understanding of the physical universe (often initiated in adolescence) can be coerced into subverting their basic intentions/beliefs for grants and tenure, . . . or climate-change deniers have to believe NASA is "in the tank" as well.


True skeptics can be won over with this realization.


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NASA's language:

"Multiple studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals1 show that 97 percent or more of actively publishing climate scientists agree: Climate-warming trends over the past century are very likely due to human activities. In addition, most of the leading scientific organizations worldwide have issued public statements endorsing this position."

Which is followed by a list of such organizations with links to their relevant statements.

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That is, they'd really have to be "in the tank" to go to all this trouble.

[HassleCat]

1. But not true cynics

Many people refuse to believe anything supported by the majority. Thus, the 97 percent must be wrong simply because they form the huge majority.

[skip fox]

2. I agree, somethng like this, or a complex ot such things

tend to make common sense unreachable for many. Some cultural-psychological pathology.

[yeoman6987]

7. The deniers hook on to very likely mankind

Since it is not definite, the deniers don't believe it.

[truebluegreen]

3. If their motives really were to board the gravy train

how much do you think the Kochs and ExxonMobil et al would pay them? So that bullshit excuse doesn't fly.

[skip fox]

5. I didn't think I was making an excuse for them, except

as finding them clueless (but open) in a literate, civilized society is an excuse. I'm just dealing with the card we have been given.

A portion of the climate-deniers are "soft." That is, they haven't really though much (or deeply) about the matter., but they are open to logic and common sense. Thus, a portion of these might be strongly persuaded with the few facts above. And these few facts, because they are simple and solid, might work better with this crowd than all the charts or ice and heat over time.

Simply that.

[truebluegreen]

10. Sorry, I didn't intend to imply that you were excusing them;

the "bullshit" in question applies to the good folks who should / do know better but use it anyway to deflect (i.e. conservative media).

[skip fox]

13. No problem. I was just clarifying.

[Wounded Bear]

9. I know...

Anybody who thinks that gov't and acadmic grants will over shadow the kind of money the Oil Industry can shell out in support of the opposition has to be delusional, IMHO.

[olddots]

4. the reason certain people hate science

is because science isn't greedy it is for everything and everyone .

[hifiguy]

6. There are many who hate science because

In the words of Neil deGrasse Tyson, it works whether you believe in it or not. Others hate science because it is wholly objective when done properly. It slaughters sacred cows in the process.

[skip fox]

8. What's curious is how they hate it selectively,

the selection based entirely on their ideology. They happily benefit from the wonders of medicine, satellite detection of economic resources, etc., and are amazed at its marvels like landing a probe on a passing asteroid, but if you mention the age of the earth, or the global patterns of sea-ice loss, etc., the science is in the hire of devil, the god or petroleum haters.

[Tobin S.]

11. K&R

That's my issue, Skip. I think the issue of climate change is the most urgent one facing us right now. To reverse the trend will require drastic and massive changes to our government and our economy.

[skip fox]

12. Personally I think the race to toast, or

at least modern life as we have come to know it will be over within 100 years, but I'll do all I can to prevent it.