An extremely informative, in-depth account of four of the major global warming "confusionists" is available free-online.
Naomi Oreskes of the University of California, San Diego Science Studies Program is currently giving a lecture about the people at the center of the denialist camp. It is exceptionally well researched back to the first scientists to raise a red flag about the rising CO2, and who have been proven to be correct with alarming accuracy in their projections of climate change.
She very powerfully dismantles the idea that "nobody could have predicted what we now know to be true". The answer to that is: "Not only could they have, but they did".
But people weren't very concerned in the 50's and 60's, seeing the problem as one far off in the future.
After making an indisputable account of the scientific community's knowledge before the eighties, she examines the people who have seemed to ignore what was known, and more importantly, why they continue to this day to argue that 'the debate is not over'. This is the purpose of the lecture and video as the title is "The American Denial of Global Warming".
"We think that the scientists are still arguing about it, because this is what we have been repeatedly told" (by the press) states Oreskes. Journalists feel a need to give balance to their work and rightfully so. But in the case of a handful of deniers against a couple thousand scientists, the need to hear from the very few is ridiculous and, as she explains, harmful.
The famed republican strategist who gave us such wonderful phrases as "The Clear Skies Initiative", "No Child Left Behind", "Healthy Forests Initiative" (which have all been proven to be spin) Frank Luntz wrote "...you need to continue to make the lack of scientific certainty a primary issue". Mr. Luntz has since given up that idea, but other republicans, sadly, have not, Oreskes says.
She uncovers revealing documents and some humorous facts about the deniers and their tactics. "The plan was never to debate fellow scientists in the halls of science, but rather in the mass media", says Oreskes, with the main goal to confuse the public instead of proving a scientific fact.
It was the same tactic for confusing the public about the link between cancer and cigarettes, and ......... not surprisingly ........ it is some of the same people doing it now on the CO2 issue.
I highly recommend this video. It very clearly explains a situation that is causing much harm to the American public's understanding of a very dangerous situation.
The American Denial of Global Warming, 12/12/07, free on-line, 58 min.
http://www.uctv.tv/search-details.asp?showID=13459
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February 8, 2008 By Don Beck
