It’s Twins!: Evolution and Climate Change Deniers

Photo by Mike Baird bairdphotos.com

This past summer we saw yet another hot story reverberate around the Denialosphere. Supposedly the ships logs of Lord Nelson and Captain Cook cast doubt upon the truth of anthropogenic climate change (eg “Captain Cook and Lord Nelson’s logs indicate 1730’s global warming wasn’t man made“, “Lord Nelson and Captain Cook’s shiplogs question climate change theories“).

Total nonsense of course, as has been explained at DeSmogBlog “UK Scientist Dismayed by Media Misrepresentation” and Bad Science “Don’t let the facts spoil a good story“. Just another example how the Deniers lie and distort to further their agenda. But there are two interesting things about this and earlier examples of Denier spin.

In the first place, it is spin. Some small kernal of fact is distorted and mutated until it emerges appearing to say the opposite of what it originally said. Rarely do the Deniers seem to make things up out of thin air. Whether this is so that they can argue that their’s is a plausible interpretation of the facts or a subconscious attempt to retain some small shred of integrity by pretending that what they do is not lying cannot be known.

The second interesting thing is how the strategy and tactics of the Climate Change Deniers is identical to those of the Evolution Deniers. This excellent little video by potholer54 “Creationist Junk Debunked #1 - Introduction“

could just as easily be talking about Climate Deniers. It is well worth watching for understanding both Evolution and Climate Change Denier methods, and because it is fun.

One reason for the similar approach is that in at least some cases it is the same people (eg Roy Spencer). Of far greater concern is that this approach actually works, and you need something when you have no facts or evidence.

Advocates of so-called Intelligent Design (Evolution Denial) have been gaining ground pushing their anti-science nonsense into science classrooms. This summer Louisiana passed a law that effectively puts it on the curriculum. Other States are considering doing so as well.

So while some may laugh when they see the Denier nonsense being posted around the internet, the fact is that it must be taken seriously because it is dangerous. The Deniers continue to enjoy too much success in confusing the public about climate science and that is a threat to every living thing on the planet.

Original here