[Pretzel Logic]

OK, so according the this Steve guy, who seems to know what he's talking about, it's going to take longer to ruin the earth due to warming. That's sweet, but we are still on the wrong trajectory. I said all along that the precise rate of temperature rise is what is uncertain, not the fact that temperatures will rise due to an increase in CO_2 in the atmosphere. I'm sure there are other unknown consequences that will pop up that will cause other problems due to our messing with the earth's chemistry (DRG mentioned the ocean's getting the shaft due to higher CO_2 concentrations). Might as well ignore that since we live on the land part of the planet. Also, there's no reason to do anything since we haven't worked out the exact issues in advance. Let's just keep pumping out CO_2 until the problems are so big we can't undo them. Seems like a foolproof plan, right? I don't think Al Gore or the IPCC or any other scientist out there is doing this to get rich. They see a problem and care about the future. Sure they might be overestimating the problem, but it's still a global problem with unknown consequences and I agree with them that we should be doing what we can to minimize it. Now if you please, you can tell me how much of an idiot I am and exactly how I am wrong and how you are brilliant and objective and right as always. I'm looking forward that very much.

It can be very challenging to conduct debate via written word, because you lose tone, facial expressions, and body language. A huge portion of communication is nonverbal, so it's not unusual for one or both parties to take offense simply because tone of voice means so much to a statement. For example, I can say, "Hey, man!" like a warm happy greeting, or I can say, "Hey, man!" as an ominous warning -- depending solely on my tone of voice. But if I WRITE "Hey, man!" then it is left entirely up to the reader to determine the underlying tone. And that can lead to trouble that was never intended.

So -- let me assure you that however my words came across on their own, the tone I am using in my head when I'm writing those words is not one of anger, malice, or condescension. For the most part, it's just matter-of-fact, with an occasional slice of (intended) good humor.