by Daniel Brouse
Climate Scientist
In Part I, A Climate Denier Making a “False Narrative” Political Stand, Darren Wolfe made a host of false and misleading statements about climate change.
In Part II, Freedom of Speech, we explained how making false climate claims is equivalent to telling people to ignore the fire alarm in a crowded theater during a fire.
In Part III, Ken Kaplan explains The Climate Denier Syndrome.
“A survey of 468 international climate scientists published by campaign group Global Witness found that prominent scientists were the most likely to face abuse, with half of those who had published at least 10 papers reporting they had suffered online harassment as a result of their climate work.”
Darren Wolfe had made multiple harassing posts on my page. In addition, Darren had posted a call for others to harass me on his page:
Darren Wolfe encouraging harassment
Sidd said:
Mostly I just shut up… if the weather outside their windows don’t convince them, I got no time for this.
Darren Wolfe said:
Ja wohl Herr Gestapoman! You really need a shrink. I’m merely trying to have a discussion with you. Are you really so weak and insecure that you can’t handle respectful disagreement? I will cease and desist because I’m tired of your dogma. You win and freedom of speech loses. I hope you’re happy now.
Ken V Kaplan:
Darren Wolfe, you are a poster boy for this quote. No amount of reason or evidence means anything to you. None of the periods you spoke of were Global and none registered the hottest month basically since Homo Sapians has been on the planet. If you think this is just a “natural cycle” that won’t intensify, you’re nuts.
“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov
Fortunately dangerous fools like you will not be driving policy or the discussions on this.
Opinions don’t change people, events do. Climate Change is bringing everyone to their needs, even deep deniers like him. I saw this coming, as many did, years ago. Now we are in it. It will get worse before it gets better.
Sidd said:
Mostly I just shut up… if the weather outside their windows don’t convince them, I got no time for this.
Ken V Kaplan responded:
Daniel Brouse, the problem is they do not respond to facts or evidence. It’s both an emotional and identity issue with them, similar to a religion. This why he gave you a bogus study (1600 scientists sre against CC) when the actual data breakdown says it is not true. This is similar to arguments I had with mask, virus and vaccine deniers who refused to accept the science or empirical evidence of massk-vaccine efficacy, and pushed psuedo research and outright lies.
There have been extensive studies to show that many or most of these people process through the amygdala (emotional center) rather than the frontal cortex (seat of rational thought). This is why culture wars for conservatives have been so successful.
This is like trying to convince a Creationist in Evolutionary theory. Fortunately, (or unfortunately) the ongoing and intensifying climate crisis is waking up the majority of people, especially young people. I believe (belated) action will occur but barring an engineering miracle, we are in for much rougher times.
I do think that in a formal and somewhat legal sense, preparing this material is important because there will be venues more significant than social media and those like these two are “poster boys” for denialism that is significant to highlight. They represent and express attitudes, misrepresentation and deflection of higher ups in the food chain, including GOP Presidential candidates.
I responded:
Ken, true, but so sad. You are correct on “This is why culture wars for conservatives have been so successful.” That is why I am making him the poster child on our next paper:
Climate Denial Part I: A Climate Denier Making a “False Narrative” Political Stand
People often ask why I am so tolerant of climate deniers… why don’t I just delete or block them?
1) I always hold out hope that education will help the ignorant.
2) We are followed by about 300,000,000 climate scientists and warriors. They use our case studies in their own day-to-day combat with climate denying idiots.