Auden Schendler claims to have a foolproof way to win arguments with skeptics. His ski area is open this weekend due to record snowpack, while he worries about global warming.
here’s one way fool-proof way to approach the climate science conversation. Here goes:
Let’s all agree on some things. First: we know the planet is warming. Nobody is doubting that, anywhere at all. Second, we know that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are warming agents; again, that’s not being debated in any circles and is two hundred year old science. Third, we know that warming of 2-4 degrees C is much more likely to be catastrophic than good for the world. (It’s very easy to debunk the argument that warming will be bad some places but good other places, the idea that Greenland will be nice and we’ll move there. All that methane filled permafrost melting, plus all the sea level rise easily negates the argument. Not to mention floods, droughts, fires, etc. ) Fourth, we know that humans have the ability to radically cut greenhouse gas emissions, and that doing so will prevent catastrophic warming. So it makes sense to do so, especially since the consquences of inaction will be much more costly.
Auden Schendler is Vice President of sustainability at Aspen Skiing Company.
http://www.grist.org/article/a-foolproof-way-to-talk-about-climate-change
I’m still waiting on answers from the Rapid Response Team, but in the meantime I would be happy to steamroll over lock horns with Auden .
h/t to Marc Morano
Since he’s wrong on at least points 3 and 4, I don’t see him winning any arguments soon.
Dave – you’re wrong. “Fool-proof”, in the sense of “proof dreamed up by a fool”. He scores 10 out of 10 on that.
I have issues with every one of his claims. See this one.
How, without reverting us back to pre-Medieval times and leading to famine and death?
Evidence please! What if inaction coincides with 30 years of cooling or another mini ice- age. What then? For over a decade global warming has stalled. We now have slight cooling. What is the panick about?
Let’s look closer, shall we?
“First: we know the planet is warming. Nobody is doubting that, anywhere at all.”
Well, Auden, that all depends on the starting point of the analysis. From the depths of the Little Ice Age, sure! From the peak of the Medieval Warm Period, absolutely not.
Start the analysis in 1970, yes! Start the analysis in 1934, no!
Indeed, most of mammalian evolution (roughly 65 million years) took place during much, much warmer times than today.
“Third, we know that warming of 2-4 degrees C is much more likely to be catastrophic than good for the world.”
See previous statement of fact. Catastrophic for whom/what??
All strawman arguments, IMHO
“Consequences of inaction WILL be much more costly”. Have you done an audit? Considering very little of consequence is happening, the cost of inaction would appear to be minimal.
There is no doubt the planet is warming? He is wrong. He does not check data.
First statement- what does that mean- do you mean the internal energy of the total planet- air, land and water has increased. Where is the study that proves that to any level of confidence? You’d surely have to exclude 99% of the planet as unstudyable- the internal structure is basically unknown (some theories which are consistant with the tiny amount of data compared to the enormity of the interior) – certainly not its temperature. Second statement don’t have any problem with saying additional CO2 and methane are warming except that it doesn’t prove that it definitely affects the planet in a measureable way.
If you want to argue that permafrost will release methane- that needs a climate analysis- no such thing as a global climate.
As well what others have said.
The last statement also ignore that China and Russia have absolutely no intention of actually doing anything significant that would cost them real money. Russia thinks that if there is global warming then its good for them. China produces wind farms which they don’t use, they are happy with using their own coal and solar hot systems which are viable by themselves.
Foolproof argument win over ‘skeptics’? These people continue to live in a fantasy.
I WILL ARGUE HIM IN PUBLIC
Thanks for posting !! ….. I just can’t stop laughing this morning … this is hilarious!!!!