They'll Find Any Point to Argue

The Friends of Science website brings up mixed feelings for me. In one way, it makes me laugh, because the true science so completely disproves everything that these people are claiming. But on the other hand, it makes me a bit worried, because it means that there are people out there who still don't believe in climate change. And without everyone being on board that this is an issue, it will be much more difficult to create truly effective policies to change the problems. Even though most of the science that they put forth is false, they organize it in a very convincing way on the page. One such example is their Myth #10. It says that oceans aren't rising and threatening small island nations. If it wasn't threatening the Maldives (which they specifically stated on their website), why would the President and cabinet take the time to go under water to hold a meeting? Overall, this website makes it seem as if they really know what they are talking about and could be instrumental in changing some people's opinions.

The Grist article brought me back to my days of high school chemistry. My teacher was probably one of the biggest climate change skeptics I have ever met. Now, this doesn't come as a surprise to me, seeing as I live in a tiny town full of Republicans. But as one of the oldest (as in, he taught my mom chemistry too) and most respected teachers at the school, most people would just believe anything that he said. One of the most distinct "climate change skeptic" viewpoints that I remember him sharing is about the "fabricated" hole in the ozone layer. His justification was that ozone is a molecule, and thus it cannot create a layer, much less a hole, because the molecules are always moving around in the atmosphere. Since everyone respected him as a teacher, no one really refuted his points, knowing that he was very set in his ways. Everyone just took what he had to be true.

What I don't understand, then, brings us back to the Grist article. In today's world, there are so many indicators and scientific proof that climate change is happening. And it is happening at such a fast pace that it cannot possibly just be a natural phenomenon. I think there were some funny ideas brought up, but it all came back to basically the same idea that no matter how hard you try, most skeptics will not listen to you. They will always bring up the same justifications for the fabrication of climate change, like Democrats wanting more tax money and wanting to kill capitalism and the American way of life. What they don't realize is that with a bit of work, we can change the basics of the system to make it better for the environment, without reverting back 300 years to 1709. Maybe one day, with enough persuasion, all of the skeptics will finally see the light and realize that they are incorrect. Until then, all we can do is hope for this turning point and make sure that we don't lose any support to them.