Climate Change Casual Conversation

 

Have you had the Climate Change Casual Conversation? I have had it three times with three different people, involuntarily, over the last two months. And I do not have a lot of casual conversations because I generally keep to myself.

The first one happened in an AT&T phone store. I was sitting next to an elderly lady and she turned to me and declared (politely) that we are doing things to ruin the planet. She did not mention climate change but I knew what she meant. Maybe she thought I would ask her what she did mean, but I did not want to hear the boilerplate climate “emergency” garbage that is so ubiquitous today.  I did not respond though in retrospect I should have mentioned that her cell phone contained rare earth metals and that extracting them from the ground was hurting the environment. But I didn’t. It was a casual conversation after all.

My latest Climate Change Casual Conversation was with a Board member of our organization. We were at our own fundraiser and this was my first opportunity to get to know him. We were concerned about the weather. Our fundraiser is held outside and the weather had been bad for quite a while. I have to take responsibility for allowing him to bring up the subject of climate change because I mentioned the weather. I opened the door to a Climate Change Casual Conversation. It is not a good idea to talk about the weather with some people. Weather becomes climate in conversations much quicker than in nature.

I mentioned to him that a low-pressure system had stalled off the coast and had been sending us a lot of rain. He then tried to explain to me in a pseudo-scientific way that climate change caused this to happen. You would think that it never happened before, but of course, it had — many times. There was nothing unusual about low pressures hanging around off the coast. Even if it had been unusual, it would not mean that climate change had anything to do with it. But once again I did not respond. I did not tell him that in some northern climes grapes grew and wine was made during the Middle Ages but that you cannot do that today because it is too cold.

Oh, I believe that the climate changing. In fact, I believe it has always changed. It seems to go in cycles over hundreds of years. But I did not tell him that because, after all, it was a casual conversation.

Beware the Climate Change Casual Conversation.

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  1. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    It is tiring. 

    • #1
  2. I Walton Member
    I Walton
    @IWalton

    That’s how they win. The dishonesty is deep and has warped their brains in part because it’s all they hear.    Election fraud is the justified end result but some folks can learn so we can’t always remain quiet because the fraud has to be massive so it’s not over until it’s over.

    • #2
  3. EDISONPARKS Member
    EDISONPARKS
    @user_54742

    My issue with Climate Change absolutists is the hubris in their certainty that human produced carbon based fuel emission is the cause of any change in the Earths temperature and if we do not stop emitting carbon into the environment the Earth’s inhabitants  face an existential crisis.

    I believe it is worth constantly monitoring and studying the issue, however I’m fairly certain that a study of the 4.5 billion year old Earths atmosphere covering 200 million square miles is a project so incomprehensibly vast that all the greatest minds working together could only arrive a best guess hypothesis which could just as easily be wrong than correct.

    The Left has taken over the Climate Change issue to where it has become a political issue, not a scientific study, and as is typical with any Leftist political “cause”, dissent is to be quashed with extreme prejudice …. which never bodes well for the science.

     

    • #3
  4. OldPhil Coolidge
    OldPhil
    @OldPhil

    “But we can make it stay the same forever!!”

    • #4
  5. Muleskinner, Weasel Wrangler Member
    Muleskinner, Weasel Wrangler
    @Muleskinner

    OldPhil (View Comment):

    “But we can make it stay the same forever!!”

    But, what should it be? 

    • #5
  6. DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    Muleskinner, Weasel Wrangler (View Comment):

    OldPhil (View Comment):

    “But we can make it stay the same forever!!”

    But, what should it be?

    Right. That’s the question I like to ask. “What temperature should the planet be?”

    If the answer is that it should be able to sustain the most life, explain that warmer is better. More CO2 is better. Higher crop yield, more people, less starvation and freezing to death. I mean, you can stop and explain that we are at a historic low in CO2, and that in the distant past when dinosaurs ruled the earth (and all that lovely fossil fuel was walking around on four legs), and everything was lush and green and bugs were the size of Golden Retrievers that we had a nice life-sustaining high level of CO2.

    But we have mad scientists talking about how they can strew particulate into the upper atmosphere to block out the sun to save the planet. As if a new Ice Age is the answer.

    Well, it’s the answer to what they see as too many people.

    Another interesting fact: global cooling is directly correlated to a “dark age,” when civilizations collapsed. Global warming is directly correlated to civilizational advance, advances in agriculture, technology, all the things that create true progress and human achievement.

    Clearly the World Economic Forum, as chief purveyors of climate change nonsense, must be destroyed.

    My vote goes to whoever puts the group on the “recognized terrorist organization” list and makes it illegal for any citizen of the United States to be a member.

    • #6
  7. Bob Thompson Member
    Bob Thompson
    @BobThompson

    The Climate Change issue seems to be just the beginning of a total breakdown in the scientific method. Or maybe it’s the disappearance of freedom of speech we are witnessing resulting from collusion between the federal government, big tech, academia, and public media. 

    • #7
  8. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Lowering the Earth’s CO2 level would be a bigger disaster than raising it . . .

    • #8
  9. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    My question is “What is the perfect climate that you wish to achieve and how do we stop the climate from changing once we achieve that perfection?”

    • #9
  10. DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax)
    @DonG

    Nobody ever talks about Climate Change with me.   Maybe it is my Tshirt that says “Global Warming is a Socialist Scam”.

    • #10
  11. DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    No one ever really talks to me about it, either. I think it’s an “accepted myth.” “We don’t talk about it because we just assume everyone agrees.”

    The closest it’s ever come with me is when I refuse a plastic bag at the Kwik Trip, and the guy behind the counter says something about saving the planet, and I respond “No, it’s just that I already got a bag in the car.”

    • #11
  12. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) (View Comment):

    Nobody ever talks about Climate Change with me. Maybe it is my Tshirt that says “Global Warming is a Socialist Scam”.

    I would be happy to talk about climate change with you. Last night I told my wife as we headed out to dinner that it was going to rain in 15 minutes, but the storm was moving rapidly and would be out of our area in five or ten minutes. That is exactly what happened, so I made her pay for dinner. I think that qualifies me for the title of Expert.

    • #12
  13. Jim McConnell Member
    Jim McConnell
    @JimMcConnell

    OldPhil (View Comment):

    “But we can make it stay the same forever!!”

    And I’m not gonna rest until it’s Spring all twelve months of the year!

    • #13
  14. Marjorie Reynolds Coolidge
    Marjorie Reynolds
    @MarjorieReynolds

    I phoned an old friend of mine last night. She’s bipolar and since January she’s been estranged from her family (for the 2nd time in 3 years) and is living a vagrant lifestyle around the country side. She’d been getting into environmentalism over the last few years and last night she told me she’d joined extinction rebellion. I’d been expecting it but still. I thought it best not to tell her what I really thought of them.

    • #14
  15. DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax)
    @DonG

    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic … (View Comment):
    No one ever really talks to me about it, either. I think it’s an “accepted myth.” “We don’t talk about it because we just assume everyone agrees.”

    I recently went to a graduation ceremony at a big state university and the speakers and deans wanted needed to express three things:
    1) Covid was hard on them
    2) Climate Change is an existential threat
    3) George Floyd was the most important event of their lives

    • #15
  16. Muleskinner, Weasel Wrangler Member
    Muleskinner, Weasel Wrangler
    @Muleskinner

    cdor (View Comment):

    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) (View Comment):

    Nobody ever talks about Climate Change with me. Maybe it is my Tshirt that says “Global Warming is a Socialist Scam”.

    I would be happy to talk about climate change with you. Last night I told my wife as we headed out to dinner that it was going to rain in 15 minutes, but the storm was moving rapidly and would be out of our area in five or ten minutes. That is exactly what happened, so I made her pay for dinner. I think that qualifies me for the title of Expert.

    I predict that you’ll pay for that.

    • #16
  17. DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic Oaf
    @DrewInWisconsin

    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Unapologetic … (View Comment):
    No one ever really talks to me about it, either. I think it’s an “accepted myth.” “We don’t talk about it because we just assume everyone agrees.”

    I recently went to a graduation ceremony at a big state university and the speakers and deans wanted needed to express three things:
    1) Covid was hard on them
    2) Climate Change is an existential threat
    3) George Floyd was the most important event of their lives

    In contrast, the three students who spoke at our local Homeschool Grad ceremony last weekend pretty much preached the gospel to everyone. Man, they were great speakers, too. Left me with hope for the future.

    • #17
  18. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    I used to throw aluminum cans away next to recycling at work for efrcet.

    • #18
  19. Barfly Member
    Barfly
    @Barfly

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    The Climate Change issue seems to be just the beginning of a total breakdown in the scientific method. Or maybe it’s the disappearance of freedom of speech we are witnessing resulting from collusion between the federal government, big tech, academia, and public media.

    (C)AGW was one of the principal corruptors. The garbage babies bullied, lied, and screamed until we gave them an inch, and it never stopped. Now every public speaker on any topic has to genuflect to the idol, just like the required celebration of perversion.

    One single corrupt thread can cause a total breakdown because people are psychic wholes.

    • #19
  20. kylez Member
    kylez
    @kylez

    The elderly woman has of course been worrying about it for over 50 years.

    • #20
  21. DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax)
    @DonG

    kylez (View Comment):

    The elderly woman has of course been worrying about it for over 50 years.

    50 years ago people were worried about the global cooling and the population bomb. 

    • #21
  22. Charlotte Member
    Charlotte
    @Charlotte

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):
    efrcet

    Does this have something to do with covfefe?

    • #22
  23. J Ro Member
    J Ro
    @JRo

    Many don’t want to admit or don’t even know that the IPCC’s official mission, buried somewhere in their founding document, is to look into human effects on climate. So, naturally they never consider natural ones like the sun, volcanic activity, methane bubbling from the ocean floor, etc, etc. 

    Almost all the IPCC focus and comments are on human causes of climate change because that is their only area of interest. 

    • #23
  24. namlliT noD Member
    namlliT noD
    @DonTillman

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):

    It is tiring.

    Actually, I think it can be a lot of fun.

    First thing is not to disagree with them.  I mean, they’re probably sincere, at least in the sense that they probably believe in their heart of hearts that we shouldn’t be wrecking the planet.  And if you disagree with them, they are likely to dismiss you as someone who does, indeed, want to wreck the planet, and they’ll be deaf to any further discussion.  So if you agree, you have something to talk about.

    And then, challenge them to be more solid in their opinion.  “Y’know, a lot of people say that, but I don’t think they mean it.”

    Then put it in perspective.  “The way a politician gets wealthy is by coming up with an excuse to drain the treasury, pocketing a percentage of it in the process.  You know, graft.  And there is zero incentive to fix the original problem.  Which explains why the US Department of Education gives us the world’s worst K-12 schools.  Or fifty years of the Great Society programs, and the poverty rate has not improved.  Or the Community Reinvestment Act that gave us the 2008 financial crisis.  Oh, and by the way, happy 50th anniversary to the Environmental Protection Agency.”

    “So if you really cared about the planet you wouldn’t put it in the hands of the folks with this kind of historical success rate, and who make more money by making the problem worse.”

    • #24
  25. Cassandro Coolidge
    Cassandro
    @Flicker

    Charlotte (View Comment):

    Bryan G. Stephens (View Comment):
    efrcet

    Does this have something to do with covfefe?

    A glorious sunrise.  A little cream, a little sugar in my morning covfefe.  Efrcet!

    • #25
  26. Gossamer Cat Coolidge
    Gossamer Cat
    @GossamerCat

    Sometimes a cold is just a cold

    Sometimes a hurricane is just a hurricane

    Sometimes a voting law is just a voting law

    Sometimes a hot summer is just a hot summer

    Sometimes an election is just an election

     

    Ah, I remember those days before everything was a sign of the looming apocalypse.  It is exhausting and frightening to live as a progressive or one of their acolytes.  We should pity them, but gently challenge them.  They have to see its OK to take things in stride.

    • #26
  27. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    Muleskinner, Weasel Wrangler (View Comment):

    cdor (View Comment):

    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) (View Comment):

    Nobody ever talks about Climate Change with me. Maybe it is my Tshirt that says “Global Warming is a Socialist Scam”.

    I would be happy to talk about climate change with you. Last night I told my wife as we headed out to dinner that it was going to rain in 15 minutes, but the storm was moving rapidly and would be out of our area in five or ten minutes. That is exactly what happened, so I made her pay for dinner. I think that qualifies me for the title of Expert.

    I predict that you’ll pay for that.

    Of course! She pulled out the credit card

    • #27
  28. DonG (CAGW is a Hoax) Coolidge
    DonG (CAGW is a Hoax)
    @DonG

    namlliT noD (View Comment):

    Actually, I think it can be a lot of fun.

    First thing is not to disagree with them.

    The first thing to do with anyone is to define terms.   Without common terminology any conversation is just an exercise in frustration. 

    • #28
  29. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Marjorie Reynolds (View Comment):

    I phoned an old friend of mine last night. She’s bipolar and since January she’s been estranged from her family (for the 2nd time in 3 years) and is living a vagrant lifestyle around the country side. She’d been getting into environmentalism over the last few years and last night she told me she’d joined extinction rebellion. I’d been expecting it but still. I thought it best not to tell her what I really thought of them.

    There was an episode of The Rockford Files that had a side-story something like that.  A person who has no self-identity and latches on to new fads as they come by.  The episode is called “Quickie Nirvana” and there used to be some relevant clips on youtube but they may have been removed.  The whole episode is available on “Roku Channel” but I don’t know if it works outside the US.

     

    https://therokuchannel.roku.com/watch/ae76cf8c831b5eceafe5873f5786faa8

    • #29
  30. Phil Turmel Inactive
    Phil Turmel
    @PhilTurmel

    At the first hint that an acquaintance might go there, I like to poison the air by bemoaning the lack of correlation between the models and reality, and how the masses will never be convinced with such shoddy science.

    And leave ambiguous my opinion on whether that latter is good or bad.

    I often get a nod and a new topic of conversation.

    • #30
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