Global Warming's Dangerous Deniers

A recently released report by the International Panel on Climate Change stated that Global Warming was a certainty, that the cause was human activity to at least a 90% probability, and that the consequences would be dire. The IPCC has a history of caution and rigor, and this report was formed by a huge number of respected scientists from 40 countries. It represents a broad, unparalleled scientific consensus

But two other aspects of this report were notable.

First, that a large number of scientists vehemently disagreed with the report. No, not the oil-funded pseudo-scientists—they’ve all but disappeared. These dissenters felt that the word “dire” was too weak. They wanted stronger language, stating that words like “catastrophic” were much more appropriate.

It's significant that the possibilities for Global Warming are increasingly falling into the range of “dire” to “catastrophic”. There are no longer legitimate groups or bodies of scientists arguing that the consequences will be mild or beneficial.

Second, another group of dissenters--outside the scientific community--disagreed with the report, led by Republican Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma. These might best be described as the oil addicts in denial. Flying in the face of a sea of facts and consensus reports, Inhofe and his small but angry following claimed that Global Warming was a “hoax.” Indeed, Inhofe stated recently that the hoax is being perpetrated because The Weather Channel and others stand to make money off it by spreading fear.

As grotesquely ridiculous as Inhofe and his claim are, his office gives him a legitimacy that continues to impede progress on this crucial issue. It should come as no surprise that the oil-patch Senator Inhofe received more campaign contributions from the oil industry than any other, by almost a two-to-one margin.

But beyond revealing ignorance and a conflict of interest, Inhofe’s comment also reveals the dark side of the Conservative mentality. His claim that cable channels make money from climate change is a reflection of the greedy, money grubbing, pay-for-play world he comes from. He’s taking the reality of his own office—one bought and paid for by oil companies and others whose motives are to keep their elite officers in the millions by paying for legislative favors—and projecting that reality on others.

But Senator Inhofe’s brain can neither grasp nor trust that scientists and the environmental community are often motivated by a passion for truth and nature. Unlike Inhofe, they’re not desperate to maintain their hundred-grand membership at the local country club so they can hang with a bunch of other back-slapping, drunken, wealthy white golfers and scheme on ways to make more money by screwing others.

Conservatives like Inhofe have a tough time understanding anything but the motivation to make a buck, and the last six years of GOP rule reflect that mindset. By shifting vast amounts of wealth to the already-wealthy, they’ve done an effective job of widening the gap between rich and poor in America. Which is why those who deny Global Warming are often those who have the most invested in conspicuous consumption and a lavish, wasteful lifestyle.

Denial is a means to avoid responsibility. Accepting the harm that carbon emissions do to the environment--and the threat they have created--means taking responsibility for developing a new paradigm for society, not to mention making personal sacrifices.

In a perfectly just world, our future would include keeping track of those who deny climate change and impede its correction, penalizing them as the situation worsens. If food or energy shortages occur, the deniers would stand at the back of the line. As regions bake, deniers would be the last ones allowed to move.

But the world isn’t just, and voters are often as ignorant and deluded as their leaders. Until people stop electing dangerously misguided and reckless people like Inhofe, the issue of Global Warming will continue to be attacked and impeded while the world burns.

- JT Compton