"They mistake logic with internal consistency.
If you show a theist that his views are internally inconsistent, you will have some measure of success. He will make a good faith (ha!) effort at modifying his views to make them more internally…"
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The superhighway to catastrophic climate change
The last presidential debate ignored climate change. As Kelly Rigg puts it,
Think of our CO2 emissions pathway as a superhighway, down which we are barrelling at breakneck speed. Up ahead is a brick wall spanning the highway. It's not a wall of climate impacts -- we are already experiencing those and more are unavoidable whatever we do. The wall is the point of no return, the moment when our emissions cross the threshold between dangerous climate change and globally catastrophic climate change.
... our elected leaders are blithely ignoring the world's climate scientists, most of whom are too polite to actually shout. But make no mistake, scientists are telling us to take our foot off the accelerator pedal and hit the brakes... fast.
... if you think there's only a marginal difference between a 2° and 4° world (which are just off-ramps along the superhighway to a 6° world or higher) think again. Consider this quotefrom climate scientists Kevin Anderson and Alice Bows:
"There is a widespread view that a 4 degrees C future is incompatible with an organised global community, is likely to be beyond "adaptation," is devastating to the majority of ecosystems, and has a high probability of not being stable (i.e., 4 degrees C would be an interim temperature on the way to a much higher equilibrium level)."
[emphasis mine]
Climate Change: Will Presidential Candidates Pass the 'Invisible Br...
Now we know the candidates failed.
Tags: George Lakoff, Kelly Rigg, catastrophic climate change, climate change, climate destabilization, dangerous climate change, systemic causation
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alan Perlman on -
My litmus test is the profligate recreational use of fuel (auto racing, boats, jetskis, etc., etc): no society that is serious about climate change burns fossil fuels for its own amusement. It's not gonna stop, and we're screwed.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Perlman on
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Thanks, Steph. And I really wanted to be an optimist about the future of the human race (faith in technology to solve any problem), but the more I learn -- endless wars, ecological devastation, waste of resources, fossil fuel depletion, presence of WMDs in the hands of crazy people, water shortages, overpopulation, and now climate change -- the less interest I have in seeing how it all turns out. Upside: the worst won't happen till after I'm gone.
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Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on -
Alan, with all the "peaks" and breakdown coming in our generation, I have to agree with your assessment, "Upside: the worst won't happen till after I'm gone."
That said, make every day worth living, to engage in disputes/debates with full knowledge I have nothing to lose and may gain some time for future generations, to not be concerned with making friends, to make the kinds of friends that can see and understand what is happening and why, who seek healthy alternatives, and have fun doing it.And dance to your fine rhythms
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Permalink Reply by Alan Perlman on
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Joan, I am delighted and honored that you pulled together all my clips - even some that I'd forgotten about. Someday we will have an atheists' gathering at your place or mine, and I'll play live. OK? All best, Alan
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Permalink Reply by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on -
Excellent point, Alan!
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Permalink Reply by Alan Perlman on
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Thanks, Ruth. You mean about not being around for the end? I've already seen it many times, in movies. Also saw an interesting documentary about what the world will look like 500 yeara fter we're gone.
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Permalink Reply by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on
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The point to which I was referring was
My litmus test is the profligate recreational use of fuel (auto racing, boats, jetskis, etc., etc): no society that is serious about climate change burns fossil fuels for its own amusement.
As a senior citizen I used to think the worst won't happen till after I'm gone. And while that's still true, Climate Destabilization is unfolding more and more rapidly: Haboob, Derecho, Wildfires rampant, superstorms, record drought and heat wave, melting Arctic, etc. We will live to see a lot of degradation. -
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Permalink Reply by Grinning Cat on -
Thanks for amplifying Alan's incisive words with compelling pictures!
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Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on
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Ruth, as usual, you make powerful points with your photos and prose.
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Permalink Reply by Grinning Cat on
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I agree that as a society we're flagrantly failing this litmus test.
(Any connection between NASCAR fans and anti-science Republicans?)
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(from Reuters: "Romney tries a retool with NASCAR race fans") -
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Permalink Reply by Alan Perlman on
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Thanks for clarifying. Sometimes I think I'm the only one with this concern. The Republicans are definitely courting the NASCAR fans. They, as far as I know, climate-change deniers. All the talk of alternate fuels is just that. But can't you see people picketing the auto races as the gas runs out?
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Richard Haynes replied to Loren Miller's discussion Latest Activity?"I believe we have almost everything complete. Does anyone notice any other problems?"
blue pashmina commented on Randall Smith's blog post The Rednecks are coming, the Rednecks are coming"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LP3Zs_V_BQ
I'm sure you have seen this already because everyone is talking about it, but this lady made my day. I think she was really classy! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LP3Zs_V_BQ
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Steph S. commented on Ruth Anthony-Gardner's group Hang With Friends"Melinda that's so nice of your mom to support your daughter in her decision to focus on her classes. Did she already start summer school?
Joan we are here to support you and you are in our thoughts.
Happy hump day to you too Melinda!"
Wyatt posted a blog postTheists, Cargo Cults, and Logic
So tired of religious apologists asking me to show evidence for the non-existence of their particular god. I've asked them how they would go about showing evidence for the non-existence of the dragon in Carl Sagan's garage or Russell's celestial teapot. They assert that the analogy is false, but don't explain how. They use words like 'logic' or 'inference' as if they were magic charms without fully understanding what these words mean. It's not unlike superstitious primitives from a cargo cult…See More
Joan Denoo commented on Ruth Anthony-Gardner's group Hang With Friends"With that last blast to you on Atheist Nexus, I go to chemo therapy and will be there about five hours as they drain a little bit of poison at a time into my body. I welcome it with gratitude and appreciation for the researchers who look for the…"
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