You're kidding right?

Aahhh, what would the day be without a word on climate change. How should we, as people of earth, approach it? Is a carbon tax the best way to begin reducing harmful gases into the atmosphere? How can we encourage the developing countries to become more engaged? These are the first questions that pop into my mind. How about you? Sorry, can you say that again?! What do you mean by you are not sure you 'believe in it'?

I wish that a conversation like that would result in everyone in listening range turning around to star in amazement and disbelief that some seemingly sane person would utter these fateful words "I'm not sure I believe in it". People like this should be viewed as most people view those who declare the moon landing was just a hoax.

There's a regretfully large part of the population who express doubt over whether climate change is caused/influenced by humans or is it just a natural, rhythmic occurrence. Where this doubt comes from is clear. One only needs to turn on the TV and listen to some politicians, or the occasional self professed 'experts', speaking on climate change and you could be forgiven for believing there is a raging debate over the validity of climate change/global warming and our connection to it as humans. Meanwhile, back in the scientific world there is no debate, no fundamental disagreements and no confusion; except the confusion by scientists over why the public seems prepared to listen to any loud mouth yahoo who gets in front of a camera and professes sincerely that climate change and global warming are just natural events; also claiming that us humans are innocent victims of big business and governments who are trying to con us into wasting our money solving a problem that doesn't exist.

The discussion reminds me of the problems encountered (mainly in the U.S. and some ultra religious countries in middle east) over the teaching of evolution in schools. The religious right have been spectacularly successful in blurring the conversation with pseudoscience and outright lies to the point that there are some very serious battles occurring in the U.S. where creationism (aka Intelligent Design) is being pushed into schools under the label of 'science'.

In that case, (the teaching of bad ideas in place of real science) the evolution battle is not quite as potentially dangerous as ignoring climate change/global warming. Countries where evolution is neglected will fall behind in R & D of some medicines and the development of agricultural crops (improving defence against diseases and increasing yield, etc). Yet should we as a global community choose to put our fingers in our ears and say lahlahlah over climate change, the results could be truly catastrophic.