Climate Change and Denial

There seems to be somewhat broad confusion on the issue of anthropogenic climate change – most notably among certain high-level political figures, who benefit from the confusion.

Climate scientists have never asserted that continuing human emissions of greenhouse gases would result in uniform temperature increases across the planet.  This was NEVER an outcome of research into this issue.  From the start, some models have predicted regions where they suspect the average temperatures may decrease.

The underlying driver is increasing global temperatures, but the effects vary widely.  As with El Niño / La Niña cycles—which causes flooding in some regions and drought in others—the effects of climate change will be all over the map.

Those who cherry pick data to find a glacier that is actually growing, or who look at a one-year anomalous plateau, while ignoring the broader trend, simple broadcast their foolishness and stubbornness.  This is embarrassing on an individual basis, but highly destructive when national or global leaders encourage denial of the science, and delay in addressing this increasingly dangerous crisis.