Comments on: Shut Up, For the Children http://www.climate-skeptic.com/2010/02/shut-up-for-the-children.html Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:03:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.3 By: DavidB http://www.climate-skeptic.com/2010/02/shut-up-for-the-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-8048 DavidB Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:21:45 +0000 http://www.climate-skeptic.com/?p=1726#comment-8048 Do you really mean Steve Jones (biologist), or Phil Jones (climatologist)? Do you really mean Steve Jones (biologist), or Phil Jones (climatologist)?

]]> By: Donna Laframboise http://www.climate-skeptic.com/2010/02/shut-up-for-the-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-7891 Donna Laframboise Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:28:13 +0000 http://www.climate-skeptic.com/?p=1726#comment-7891 I, too, have concerns about young people who don't seem to grasp the concept of a "marketplace of ideas." You express yours, I express mine, and may the best argument win. Instead, there seems to be a surprising number of young people who think the world should be shielded from views with which they personally disagree. Now THAT'S an idea that's truly dangerous. I, too, have concerns about young people who don’t seem to grasp the concept of a “marketplace of ideas.” You express yours, I express mine, and may the best argument win.

Instead, there seems to be a surprising number of young people who think the world should be shielded from views with which they personally disagree. Now THAT’S an idea that’s truly dangerous.

]]> By: NewPoster http://www.climate-skeptic.com/2010/02/shut-up-for-the-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-7835 NewPoster Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:21:10 +0000 http://www.climate-skeptic.com/?p=1726#comment-7835 I tried to post a long message with several links (basically saying that I thought Itamar had over-interpreted the email), but it seems to have disappeared without trace. Spam filtered? I tried to post a long message with several links (basically saying that I thought Itamar had over-interpreted the email), but it seems to have disappeared without trace. Spam filtered?

]]> By: NewPoster http://www.climate-skeptic.com/2010/02/shut-up-for-the-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-7834 NewPoster Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:16:23 +0000 http://www.climate-skeptic.com/?p=1726#comment-7834 Itamar - I think you're reading too much between the lines of that email. He hasn't made those connections, and it sounds more like a plea - like you might ask your dad to stop smoking because you don't want him to get cancer. I don't see any suggestion of violence in the email. It is true that there are some pro-AGWs that advocate extra-legal actions like breaking into power stations and destroying private property. And others who urge authoritarian actions by the state (see for example - http://www.amazon.com/Climate-Challenge-Democracy-Politics-Environment/dp/031334504X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265364190&sr=8-1 - "For conversion to sustainable societies, liberal democracy must give way to "a form of authoritarian government by experts" which the authors sketch out at the end.") - but I don't see any suggestion of that in the email. Instead, he simply seems to believe the issues are a binary choice and since he's on the right side of the binary choice, he's 100% right about them and anybody on the wrong side is 100% wrong. These are not untypical things for a 17 year old to believe anyway - and the fact that there are plenty of press articles that portray the issues as being entirely binary (you're with us or against us), and urging stifling of dissent or nuanced discussions - see e.g. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/0204/1224263734237.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/03/bbc-climate-change-denier - is only going to further encourage him about the rightness of his views. Itamar – I think you’re reading too much between the lines of that email. He hasn’t made those connections, and it sounds more like a plea – like you might ask your dad to stop smoking because you don’t want him to get cancer. I don’t see any suggestion of violence in the email.

It is true that there are some pro-AGWs that advocate extra-legal actions like breaking into power stations and destroying private property. And others who urge authoritarian actions by the state (see for example – http://www.amazon.com/Climate-Challenge-Democracy-Politics-Environment/dp/031334504X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265364190&sr=8-1 – “For conversion to sustainable societies, liberal democracy must give way to “a form of authoritarian government by experts” which the authors sketch out at the end.”) – but I don’t see any suggestion of that in the email.

Instead, he simply seems to believe the issues are a binary choice and since he’s on the right side of the binary choice, he’s 100% right about them and anybody on the wrong side is 100% wrong.

These are not untypical things for a 17 year old to believe anyway – and the fact that there are plenty of press articles that portray the issues as being entirely binary (you’re with us or against us), and urging stifling of dissent or nuanced discussions – see e.g. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/0204/1224263734237.html and http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/03/bbc-climate-change-denier – is only going to further encourage him about the rightness of his views.

]]> By: Itamar http://www.climate-skeptic.com/2010/02/shut-up-for-the-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-7833 Itamar Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:04:53 +0000 http://www.climate-skeptic.com/?p=1726#comment-7833 In this mail, he basically say, that you are killing him - and what he doesn't say is : if you are tiring to kill him, then he has the right to hurt you first. If I were you ( or any other public skeptic), I would've see that as a threat. This is the gun in the 1st act, and one of these days a skeptic will get hurt. I guess it will happen when they'll be pushed against the wall, and the politician will start abandon the Global warming BS. In this mail, he basically say, that you are killing him – and what he doesn’t say is : if you are tiring to kill him, then he has the right to hurt you first.

If I were you ( or any other public skeptic), I would’ve see that as a threat. This is the gun in the 1st act, and one of these days a skeptic will get hurt. I guess it will happen when they’ll be pushed against the wall, and the politician will start abandon the Global warming BS.

]]> By: An Inquirer http://www.climate-skeptic.com/2010/02/shut-up-for-the-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-7823 An Inquirer Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:57:17 +0000 http://www.climate-skeptic.com/?p=1726#comment-7823 Regarding having concern for the next generation, I would offer this consideration. Low CO2 levels are not optimum for plants. From research and my own hands-on work with crops, I'm confident that at least 17% of present crop yields are due to increased CO2 levels -- and thank goodness for additional increases due to hybrids and plant genetics! Not that it is feasible, but if we returned to CO2 levels of 100 years ago, what food supply would you be willing to cut. Okay, okay . . . it probably would be healthier for US citizens if we cut our food intake by 17%, but I suspect that is not the case around the world! Regarding having concern for the next generation, I would offer this consideration. Low CO2 levels are not optimum for plants. From research and my own hands-on work with crops, I’m confident that at least 17% of present crop yields are due to increased CO2 levels — and thank goodness for additional increases due to hybrids and plant genetics! Not that it is feasible, but if we returned to CO2 levels of 100 years ago, what food supply would you be willing to cut. Okay, okay . . . it probably would be healthier for US citizens if we cut our food intake by 17%, but I suspect that is not the case around the world!

]]> By: hunter http://www.climate-skeptic.com/2010/02/shut-up-for-the-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-7818 hunter Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:42:53 +0000 http://www.climate-skeptic.com/?p=1726#comment-7818 What cracks me up is how skeptics keep getting vindicated for being skeptical of AGW. http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2010/02/03/black-carbon-himalayan-glaciers/ The only thing that cracks me up more is how AGW true believers stick to their failed theory. What cracks me up is how skeptics keep getting vindicated for being skeptical of AGW.
http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2010/02/03/black-carbon-himalayan-glaciers/
The only thing that cracks me up more is how AGW true believers stick to their failed theory.

]]> By: Fluffy Clouds (Tim L) http://www.climate-skeptic.com/2010/02/shut-up-for-the-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-7814 Fluffy Clouds (Tim L) Thu, 04 Feb 2010 04:36:11 +0000 http://www.climate-skeptic.com/?p=1726#comment-7814 # @NewPoster: I too fear for the future. By the way, on an unrelated topic, could somebody answer a question for me: For the purpose of this question imagine a world in 20 years time when global warming has not happened – perhaps the world has even become cooler. There are two guys in a pub, educated, with science backgrounds, but not climate scientists. One guy says “we should have known all along that global warming was never going to happen because of X” – what would X most likely be? X= magnetic activity ( which changes the clouds ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Landscheidt #
@NewPoster:

I too fear for the future.

By the way, on an unrelated topic, could somebody answer a question for me: For the purpose of this question imagine a world in 20 years time when global warming has not happened – perhaps the world has even become cooler. There are two guys in a pub, educated, with science backgrounds, but not climate scientists. One guy says “we should have known all along that global warming was never going to happen because of X” – what would X most likely be?

X= magnetic activity ( which changes the clouds )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Landscheidt

]]> By: Ron H. http://www.climate-skeptic.com/2010/02/shut-up-for-the-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-7809 Ron H. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:38:28 +0000 http://www.climate-skeptic.com/?p=1726#comment-7809 Many of you are just too mean to a poor 17yo student who is probably struggling to put himself through school by working part time after school, and can only afford a cheap used keyboard with a broken shift key. I'm feel certain he would capitalize if he could. By the way, I only use the masculine pronoun because everyone else has. This 17yo could very well be a girl. I am also concerned, as is Alex Cull, about the vaguely threatening sounding bit “dangerous not only to yourself (in a minor way)”. Is there possibly some mysterious, global-warming related health risk from sceptical blog READING? As with so many other things in life, if the concerned 17yo fears the evil effect attending the continued updating of this blog, he could always STOP READING THE BLOG! (my shift key seems to be working fine) The same advice applies to talk radio. If you don't like what you are hearing, just turn the dial. It's that simple. Don't tell others what they can or can't listen to. Many of you are just too mean to a poor 17yo student who is probably struggling to put himself through school by working part time after school, and can only afford a cheap used keyboard with a broken shift key. I’m feel certain he would capitalize if he could.

By the way, I only use the masculine pronoun because everyone else has. This 17yo could very well be a girl.

I am also concerned, as is Alex Cull, about the vaguely threatening sounding bit “dangerous not only to yourself (in a minor way)”. Is there possibly some mysterious, global-warming related health risk from sceptical blog READING?

As with so many other things in life, if the concerned 17yo fears the evil effect attending the continued updating of this blog, he could always STOP READING THE BLOG! (my shift key seems to be working fine) The same advice applies to talk radio. If you don’t like what you are hearing, just turn the dial. It’s that simple. Don’t tell others what they can or can’t listen to.

]]> By: Waldo http://www.climate-skeptic.com/2010/02/shut-up-for-the-children.html/comment-page-1#comment-7806 Waldo Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:08:45 +0000 http://www.climate-skeptic.com/?p=1726#comment-7806 It cracks me up when the tribe here derides someone else for 'lack of critical thinking skills' or maintains that, somehow, the 'kids of today' aren't learning anything or, better yet, towing a party line. Pot meet kettle, folks. It cracks me up when the tribe here derides someone else for ‘lack of critical thinking skills’ or maintains that, somehow, the ‘kids of today’ aren’t learning anything or, better yet, towing a party line.

Pot meet kettle, folks.

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