I bet most SDopers are too young to remember all the false studies by industry studying itself just to prove what it ironically knew all along. Like, cigarettes are perfectly safe and not addicting. Or, the lead additive is harmless. Or, solar energy cannot generate the juice to be source of energy. So… here we go again on Exxon vs. climate change! (Source: CNN Money)
What do the SDopers say? Seems the suits know what’s best for us. Funny how no one is ever to blame. :mad:
Key line from the linked story: “A judge said on Wednesday that Exxon Mobil must turn over documents to a New York prosecutor probing whether the company lied to the public and investors about the threat of climate change.”
Seems the case isn’t quite settled just yet.
I have little patience with climate change deniers. I also dislike mass e-mail fishing expeditions to punish people with whom one disagrees on scientific matters (climate change scientists have been on the receiving end of such efforts; scientists who back genetic modification research have also been targeted).
If Exxon Mobil genuinely did mislead investors for profit, they’ll likely wind up paying for it.
Yeah, the only possible arguments are on the margins. There is no chain in the thinking that doesn’t pass a simple common sense test.
CO2 is a greenhouse gas: easily provable in the lab.
The added CO2 in the atmosphere roughly corresponds to what we’ve released.
The added temperature roughly corresponds to what we’d expect given the CO2 and other GHGs.
It would take quite a revelation to disprove any of these.
And the science against most religions is equally irrefutable.
Deniers fall into two loose categories: Those who can’t/won’t believe the world can change around them (to that degree, at least), and those who object to the global economic cost of addressing the issue. Business should be free, dammit!
Here’s an interesting take on a comprehensive assessment of denier thinking. A bit dense and entirely from a psych viewpoint, but it doesn’t miss much.
Disclaimer: I have a very slight professional connection to the site.