Here is a better link to that convincing albeit simplified argument for discussions with skeptics.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDsIFspVzfI

Thanks for posting this Adam.
I am definitely interested in how to talk to the global warming skeptics. There is enough science in to convince most folks now however there is still plenty of resistance out there.

Recently I was asked to speak at a seminar. The organization put on the same seminar twice, one in southern California and the other in northern Ca. I agreed to speak at the northern but suggested they get someone closer to home to do the one in the south. They didn’t find anyone and ended up begging me to fly down there give the talk and fly back. I agreed and they of course agreed to pay for my plane ticket.

When submitting my expenses, I included the carbon offset I bought to cover the flight and 200 mile roundtrip drive for the nor cal seminar. It was only $12.83, which was less than parking all day at the airport! I received a letter with my reimbursement check with the following:

“Unfortunately, we were not able to reimburse you the cost of the carbon credit. XXXX is a non-profit, non-partisan, professional organization that is fiscally responsible to a membership of varied political beliefs. We must be careful not to invest our resources in ways that can be interpreted as politically charged. We commend your commitment to leaving a light footprint on the environment and we hope that you understand our decision.”

I’m not too surprised as most organizations probably don’t have a budget item for this sort of thing. What is interesting to me is that global warming is viewed as a “politically charged” issue. A political issue sounds like something you can agree or disagree with regardless of the science. How do we deal with this?

As a reality check on what the rest of the folks in the US and the world think about climate change, this site has a lot of info:

World Public Opinion.org
http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/btenvironmentra/435.php?lb=bte&pnt=435&nid=&id=