Climate and Wind

Climate and wind are inseparable; if you have one you have the other. Wind turbines and action to slow climate change are also inseparable; if we want clean energy we have to accept the infrastructure.

Climate change deniers tend also to be wind turbine opponents. The two mind-sets are quite similar. Someone with this mind-set decides that they don’t like something and stick doggedly to opposition despite sound scientific evidence to the contrary. Better still, they dig out some obscure science and misrepresent it to support continued adherence to the view they had at the beginning. In this way it is possible to hold a consistent line with confidence of retaining a following because people don’t like the implications of facing the truth. People will follow really quite nutty viewpoints if it allows them not to bother to support tough action or avoid having to accept change in their lives.

Getting through to these windy deniers is tough but it can be done. Sport drug testing programs demonstrate a way.

Drug testing is always a little behind the cheats; so cheats, with the help of crooked doctors, can evade the system (as Lance Armstrong showed). However, samples are kept, and as the testing technology improves old samples can be rested. Top athletes are always under the threat of a retrospective analysis and have their awards, medals and past sponsorship taken away.

This can be applied to the windy deniers, like this. We carefully archive their interviews and sound bites promising to broadcast amusingly presented compilations to enhance the ridicule and angry backlash they will endure in the future.  In the years ahead, as the world struggles to solve a problem that was solvable in 2012 but is now running out of control, people can have some light relief from the crisis by laughing at the people who opposed action.

Windy deniers are often not stupid, and some are very clever people, who see their short-term interests served by continued denial and opposition. The promise that we will not forget, and that their views will be broadcast, and rebroadcast, should make them stop and think. Lance Armstrong is now a Pariah from mainstream society; we should make that future likely for all drug cheats in sport. Climate deniers will also be Pariahs when the future unfolds; we should remind them of this and gather the evidence to ensure their role is not forgotten.