I get three basic kinds of hate mail or comments related to global warming:

Good hate mail: Nice smart hate mail or comments with decent arguments and respectful comments (these folks just don’t agree with me). I post these comments and try to respond to the emails.

Stupid hate mail: Idiot hate mail or comments that make no sense and offer no back up, “YOU SUCK!” or “You know why the ice is melting  – the sun dumb ass…” or “This guy says you’re wrong” then there’s a link back to some joke website by Joe Blow the unpublished scientific mind who rambles on and on about nothing. Um, ok. I don’t respond to these because it’s a waste of my time.

The people who want me dead hate mail: To be honest it’s a little startling to get an email from someone who says they’ll find me where I live and get me or that they want to hold my brain in their hands, but oddly, they don’t freak me out like the stupid hate mailers. Sometimes, low and behold the crazies actually offer up some facts to support their violence mind set. NOT that I condone violence but well, at least they’re thinking.

I find all of the above strange because one, I don’t write about global warming all that often, and two, while I do believe in global warming, my whole stance is going green for other reasons too, not just because of global warming. Lastly, hello, nice family blog! I’m not out to get anyone. Oddly, in my real world offline life, people argue with me about global warming, but not to such extremes. I’m guessing hiding behind the Internet makes one braver. Or maybe the people I know in real life just don’t care. I’m not really sure.

That said, maybe you’re not getting death threats, maybe you’re just arguing with people nicely. Still, if you have these global warming issues with folks online or in real life I know a guide that can help you out.

Grist put together an amazing guide called: How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic: Responses to the most common skeptical arguments on global warming, that covers so many arguments and issues related to global warming it boggles the mind about how they found the time to pull this together. The guide is divided into common skeptical arguments on global warming, which include; Stages of Denial, Scientific Topics, Types of Argument, and Levels of Sophistication.

This Grist guide handles the easy – there is no proof that CO2 is causing global warming, to the misinformed – natural emissions dwarf human emissions, to non-scientific – global warming is a hoax, to naive – It’s the sun, stupid, and everything in-between. With over a hundred pieces to this guide so far (it appears to be growing) you’re sure to find one good way to debate with your questioning neighbor, mean MIL, crackpot co-worker and anyone else who comes your way.

Grist rocks all the time, and this guide just makes me love them more. Take a look today.

Post from: Tree Hugging Family