Loaded terms of debate

A short observation on terminologies. You will be aware that whatever is happening to our weather was originally designated as a consequence of ‘global warming’. This then became ‘climate change’ when it was evident that freezing winters did not fit easily into the original thesis. Later, the phrase ‘climate change denier’ was popularised to demonise those who disagreed with the notion that the earth was getting warmer as a consequence of man’s stupidity. This had deliberate connotations of ‘holocaust denier’.

Now I’ve noticed a new one. Opponents of the dominant paradigm are no longer called climate change deniers, they are now called ‘opponents of climate science’. The implication is that the science is all decided and those who question it are sort of Appalachian backwoodsmen with weedkiller in their basements.

I continue to suspect that we have contributed to the warming of the planet, incidentally. But I like to keep a watch on these evangelistic, fundamentalist monkeys.