If I ever catch a genie in a bottle, I’ll ask for two things: bring back debating into high schools and stop unqualified people from saying things like, “And of course, we all know.”
Nothing highlights these wishes better than the debate over climate change. There are literally no public videos where qualified experts discuss the matter all together. We just have clips from those representing one side or the other, or unqualified salespeople pushing an agenda. So if no debate exists, let’s make one.
IPCC
We’ll open with the opinions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, then present a contrarian and an endorser.
Dr. Patrick Moore
For the anti team, from sunny British Columbia, we have Patrick Moore. Dr. Moore is an ecologist and founding member of Greenpeace. To hear his story, click below.
Dr. James Hansen
And for the pro side, we have James Hansen. Dr. Hansen is an earth scientist from Columbia University and former NASA scientist. To hear his story, click below.
Now if five qualified technicians analyzed your computer or six mechanics looked under your hood, do you think they’d be this far apart? And wouldn’t they temper their proposals with comments like, “It’s our best bet” or “We’re pretty sure”—like medical doctors do?
Knowledge vs. trust
The truth is: you and I don’t know anything about this issue. We’re not scientists, we’re not scientists in this particular area, and even if we were—it doesn’t mean we’d be any good at it. So we have no idea how much of this is guesswork. All we can do is trust.
We trust all the time and sometimes we get scammed. Americans trusted George W. about “weapons of mass destruction,” Canadians trusted Bre-X that there was gold in that mine, and Germans trusted Hitler. So could carbon tax be another one? If it were, here’s how they’d do it.
Brainwashing
Social brainwashing is the act of manipulating the public mind. It has three components:
- Flood people with information
- Appeal to their emotions
- Make it a crisis
The article, Opinions, says your thoughts are partially controlled by what you’ve been taught. If I keep teaching that Quebec is a net contributor to the tax system or that the holocaust didn’t really happen, you’ll start thinking my way. The article, Why School, says most people are equipped to learn and reason, but light when it comes to critical thinking. So educated people form a perfect target—give them five pieces of information and they’ll think they know something.
The article, Power, Pleasure, Purpose, says people are motivated by one of three drivers. Hitler used power to rally his troops (appropriate since 1920s-30s German families weren’t known for warmth and the country had just been decimated). Today’s motivators connect with purpose. Left-wing documentaries and speeches emotionally assault us into believing only Lucifer himself could see things differently. And so do American conservatives when they make fun of the Christian right.
Lastly, major issues are always presented as a crisis to force people into acting before they give other considerations their due. This method of eliminating all opposition was used during the financial crisis of 2008. US politicians had only a weekend to authorize an $800 billion bailout.
Conclusion
If five out of six mechanics told me to change my muffler, I’d probably do it. But if it meant greatly altering my lifestyle, I’d try really hard to understand what that sixth mechanic was trying to say.
The determining questions are:
- Is the planet warming?
- Is this warming dangerous?
- Is CO2 the cause of warming?
- How much of CO2 buildup is related to human activity vs. nature?
- How sure are we of these answers?
In the work world, we don’t pay attention to unqualified comments. If we need a new copier, we don’t ask the postman. But for some reason, when it comes to climate, we’ll listen to almost anyone and take them seriously.
Personally, I’m leery of movie actors explaining to me scientific facts. I feel scientists are perfectly capable of doing this themselves. They teach at universities, don’t they?
And why is this even a public issue? When we introduced laws to control pollution, ban DDT, eliminate asbestos, and a host of other items—they just did it. I don’t remember the caravan of do-gooders running around soliciting public approval. So if we need to save the planet, go ahead and save it. Then again, what do I know—I’m not a rock star.