Post on 30-May-2018
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BY CASEY MCCULLOUGH
BELLARMINE COLLEGE PREPARATORY
March 9, 2010
How to Talk to a Climate
Change Skeptic
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Skepticism on the Rise
Do you think that global warming is happening?
2010 2008*
Yes 57 71
No 20 10
Dont Know 23 19
http://environment.yale.edu/uploads/AmericansGlobalWarmingBeliefs2010.pdf
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The Argument for ScienceA Personal History
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The Ground Strategy
I. Be Grounded
A. The Basic Science
B. Debunking Some Common Myths and
Misconceptions
C. The IPCC and Current Research
II. Find Common Ground
III. Stand Your Ground
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Climate Science is Complex
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. . . But the Role of Greenhouse Gases is Not
Joseph Fourier
1824
John Tyndall
1859
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Fourierhttp://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/Giants/Tyndall/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fourier2.jpghttp://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/Giants/Tyndall/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Fourier8/14/2019 How to Talk to a Climate Change Skeptic
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The Energy Balance of Earth
30 percent reflected
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255K or
-18 C or
-1 F
Arriving Energy =
ing solar energy : 341 W/ m2
ected back to space : 102 W/ m2
iated as Heat: 239 W/ m2
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Actual temperature:15 C
What could account fora temperature swing
of33 C ?
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Unassailable Fact #1:carbon dioxide* is a greenhouse gas
* Carbon dioxide is the most important of the GHGs, representingapproximately 60 percent of anthropogenic warming.
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Unassailable Fact #2:Combustion generates CO2
Hydrocarbons + OHydrocarbons + O22 HH22OO ++ COCO22
http://ecology.com/ecology-today/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/coal-burning1.jpg8/14/2019 How to Talk to a Climate Change Skeptic
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Does this make sense?
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Molar Mass:C = 12.0 g/molO = 16.0 g/ mol
C + O2 CO2
12 + 2(16) 44
5.3 lbs C (44/12) = 19.4 lbs CO2
Gasoline
1 gallon gasoline
Carbon
5.3 pounds of carbon
Gasoline
6.0 pounds
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Unassailable fact #3:Carbon emissions are increasing
Oil
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Unassailable fact #3:Carbon emissions are increasing
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To Summarize
Greenhouse gases absorb and radiate heat back toEarths surface.
Carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is produced from
the combustion of fossil fuels.Fossil fuel combustion continues to increase every
year.
Carbon dioxide is increasing in the atmosphere.
Given these unassailable facts, one would expect tosee a rise in global temperature.
A f t t l 2000
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Average surface temperature anomaly 2000-2009
Source: NASA
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Extent of the Evidence
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The IPCCmost recent conclusions
Warming of the climatesystem is unequivocal,as is now evident fromobservations of
increases in globalaverage air and oceantemperatures,widespread melting of
snow and ice, and risingglobal average sea level
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The Yale Study
Which comes closest to your own beliefs
2010 2008Most scientists think global warming
is happening 34 47Most scientists think global warming
is not happening 5 3 There is a lot of disagreement among
scientists about whether or not globalwarming is happening 40 33
Don't know enough to say 22 18
:
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:The role of the media
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The Unusual Winter
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Weather vs. TemperatureA thoughtexperiment
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Our Most Prominent Cynic
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3601353&id=550183094218/14/2019 How to Talk to a Climate Change Skeptic
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Skeptics vs. Cynics
Skeptic: a person who questions the validity orauthenticity of something purporting to be factual.
(dictionary.com)
Cynic: a person who believes that only selfishnessmotivates human actions and who disbelieves in orminimizes selfless acts or disinterested points of
view.(dictionary.com)
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The burden of overwhelming evidence
Climategate: the final nail in the coffin of Anthropogenic Global Warming
http://www.prisonplanet.com/climategate-the-final-nail-in-the-coffin-of-anthropogenic-global-warming.htmlhttp://crazationsice.blogspot.com/2009/12/climategate-for-dummies.htmlhttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B003552M76/ref=dp_image_z_0?ie=UTF8&n=133140011&s=digital-texthttp://www.prisonplanet.com/climategate-the-final-nail-in-the-coffin-of-anthropogenic-global-warming.html8/14/2019 How to Talk to a Climate Change Skeptic
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The risks to society andecosystems from increases inCO2 emissions could prove to
be significant, so it is prudentto develop and implementstrategies that address therisks, keeping in mind thecentral importance of energyto the economies of the
world.
Exxon, in a public statement
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Why It Matters
In South Dakota, a resolution calling for thebalanced teaching of global warming in publicschools passed the Legislature this week.
Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant, the resolutionsaid, but rather a highly beneficial ingredient for allplant life.
At least 15 state legislatures attempting to preventlimits on greenhouse gas pollution.
http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2010/Bill.aspx?File=HCR1009P.htmhttp://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2010/Bill.aspx?File=HCR1009P.htm8/14/2019 How to Talk to a Climate Change Skeptic
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Why It Matters, Part II
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Stand Your Ground