Global Warming Deniers, Delayers Gather for Unreality Check

The world’s largest gathering of climate change deniers has convened in New York City for its annual confusion of climate and weather, science fact and fiction, and criticism of Al Gore as "evil," or at best well-meaning but wrong.

Sponsored by the Heartland Institute, the International Conference on Climate Change is the epicenter for a thriving parallel scientific universe in which our activities have no impact on the climate, a snowstorm during a protest against coal power in Washington proves the Earth is really cooling, and Al Gore’s advocacy on behalf of reduced greenhouse gas emissions is comparable to the Final Solution, Adolf Hitler’s systematic genocide against the Jews.

The conference features "experts" including many PhDs and an astronaut, but few climate scientists. And there's the documentary called “Not Evil, Just Wrong,” which, contrary to the title, asserts that Al Gore wants the Black Plague to return with a vengeance. Meant to be a call to arms, the film comes as across more as “Not Evil, Just Silly."

Groups and gatherings like these were once largely funded by the oil industry. More lately the funders are fringe groups with money to spare.

It seems on its face a sad little conference. But it is part of a network of climate change denial, a focused effort to delay taking action that could rein in global warming.

That’s not just sad and silly. It’s a danger.

Skeptic debunking tip: For many people, it’s hard to separate science fact from science fiction. John Cook’s Skeptical Science is an excellent compendium of climate change skeptic arguments, how often they’re used, and why real science draws different conclusions.