https://nofrakkingconsensus.com/2018/03/14/forget-left-right-politics-read-this-book/
Forget Left/Right Politics, Read This Book
By Donna Laframboise
SPOTLIGHT: Have you been exposed to a range of viewpoints – or have you been spoon-fed intellectual pablum?
BIG PICTURE: Climate change is complicated. How measurements should be taken, how calculations should be performed, and whether numbers actually mean what people think they mean are all open to debate. Even if everyone agreed that a climate crisis was upon us, there’d still be a wholly legitimate debate about what to do next. There’s always more than one way to respond to a problem.
Threats to humanity’s survival are nothing new. We have a long history of triumphing in dire circumstances. But climate activists don’t merely highlight a concern. They’re selling a particular, pre-ordained solution. They’re proselytizing for a profoundly anti-social religion. The gospel of that religion is this: Humans are a selfish, rapacious plague on the planet. Our highest goal should be minimizing our ecological ‘footprint’ – not creating jobs, feeding families, or bringing affordable energy to the poor.
Numerous voices in Marc Morano’s new book, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change, observe that climate activism – within and beyond the scientific community – is now far more about religion than about science. Along the way, we learn about a theology professor who decries the “moral evil” of fossil fuels, and urges repentance.
No thinking person should hold strong opinions about any topic before they’ve spent time considering multiple points-of-view. But that has become difficult. Journalists have designated a select group of people ‘credible’ climate voices. All other voices are treated in two ways: 1) they don’t exist 2) they are misrepresented so egregiously it borders on the comical. This Jordan Peterson/Cathy Newman meme applies in spades to how journalists normally respond to climate skeptics. Few genuine attempts are made to even understand their position.
Forget right-wing politics and left-wing politics. It’s time to throw away those labels. They don’t mean what they once did. The important questions now are:
Is your opinion an informed one? Have you given serious consideration to a range of perspectives? Are you walking around feeling dreadful about the future based solely on pre-digested ideas fed to you by journalists who’ve forgotten that you’re an adult entitled to draw your own conclusions? Wouldn’t it be a good investment to spend a few hours testing/clarifying some of your views?
Morano has assembled a solid, accessible compendium of arguments and perspectives that run counter to mainstream thinking. Within these pages you’ll meet scientist after scientist who expresses not just doubt but absolute disdain for the dominant climate narrative.
Brimming with thought-provoking anecdotes and fun observations, this book lends itself to being picked up when you have only a few minutes to spare. The first four pages feature endorsements from prominent individuals. The quotes appearing at the top and bottom of this blog post have been plucked from those endorsements.
TOP TAKEAWAY: Adults strive to understand the world in all it’s complexity. Religious fanatics, not so much.
LINKS:
- Marc Morano’s The Politically Incorrect Guide to Climate Change
- Full disclosure: Morano quotes me briefly on a few occasions and kindly mentions my books. He also sent me a complimentary review copy.
- This 9-minute video observes that most women in the world continue to wash laundry by hand. In other words, their lives are filled with drudgery. That won’t change until they gain access to affordable energy: Hans Rosling and the magic washing machine
- my related commentary, Why fossil fuels kick butt
- That silly anti-coal speech
- Science says hop on one foot
- Science is not a tyrant
