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Climate change: sceptics, deniers and conspiracy theorists

An observation

By Mehdi Hasan

Why is it that the climate-change sceptics, deniers and conspiracy theorists are so keen to question, critique and/or dismiss the “theory” of climate change BUT don’t ever seem to have a problem with the theory of gravity? Or relativity? Or — dare I say it — evolution? Odd, isn’t it?

On that note, let me draw your attention to a brilliant blog post on the Telegraph website from the wonderfully named Will Heaven, who begins:

Imagine a Premier League of cranks and conspiracy theorists. Who do you reckon would top it? It’s a tough call. I think Holocaust deniers would lift the cup, with 9/11 truthers not far behind. But there’s a new lot on the rise, recently promoted from Division One: global warming sceptics. Fuelled by the hype surrounding Climategate, those who believe that climate change has nothing to do with mankind’s release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere have had a storming week — led, in case you hadn’t noticed, by our very own James Delingpole.

Well, brilliant though he is, Delingpole’s about as much of a scientist as he is the captain of the England rugby team.

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Read the full post here.

Oh, and here’s Hugo Rifkind in the Speccie hilariously dismissing the relevance of the “Climategate” controversy:

So some of them are crooks. It’s like giving up on doctors because of Harold Shipman. I appreciate that you lot don’t like to be called “climate-change deniers” because of the implied Holocaust equivalence but, melodramatic as it is, the comparison hasn’t come from nowhere. You are the forces of anti-science, anti-reason and anti-fact. Your natural bedfellows are the 9/11 Truthers — people who believe that the way to deal with something frightening which they don’t understand is to recast it as part of a convoluted fantasy which they do. Go back a few hundred years, and it’s people like you who would have cried “witch” and run for the kindling when the village crone predicted that bad things might happen if you shagged your sister.

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Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
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