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In fairness, and quite unfortunately, I don't think we can call climate change deniers a "fringe." A substantial proportion of the American public denies climat

In fairness, and quite unfortunately, I don't think we can call climate change deniers a "fringe." A substantial proportion of the American public denies climate change in one way or another, be it denial of anthropogenic climate change, denial of climate change altogether, or dismissal of the significance of climate change. I don't have the latest figures in front of me, but in the not-too-distant past, deniers polled as a slim majority. The tide seems to be turning, but until quite recently, it was an article of faith (literally, on occasion) among many conservatives that climate change was a liberal-media bogeyman. This was true even among the more respectable conservative publications and commentators, and not just the wackos.

dragonwriter 12y ago
> In fairness, and quite unfortunately, I don't think we can call climate change deniers a "fringe." In terms of science we can. In terms of politics or society we can not, but we can distinguish political reporting from science reporting, even on a scientific issue which has political implications.
- jonnathanson 12y ago
  Sure, but I was responding specifically to the idea that the denial camp (amongst laypeople / GenPop) is a "fringe." In some ways it's dangerous to think of it as such. It's a significant movement with some significant capital behind it, from energy companies and other lobbies. By no means am I suggesting it's a legitimate movement or a non-fringe movement amongst scientists, or that it deserves equal airtime. The viewpoint is largely bunk. Its adherents, however, are legion.
  - dragonwriter 12y ago
    As "fringe" was defined in the context used upthread in the phrase "fringe conspiracy theorists", it means specifically "ones that don't get [presumably, mainstream] media attention". So, the discussion here is largely about making climate change denial into a fringe by that definition. There certainly are other senses of the word "fringe", some of which they fit, others of which they don't.

dragonwriter 12y ago

> In fairness, and quite unfortunately, I don't think we can call climate change deniers a "fringe." In terms of science we can. In terms of politics or society we can not, but we can distinguish political reporting from science reporting, even on a scientific issue which has political implications.

jonnathanson 12y ago
Sure, but I was responding specifically to the idea that the denial camp (amongst laypeople / GenPop) is a "fringe." In some ways it's dangerous to think of it as such. It's a significant movement with some significant capital behind it, from energy companies and other lobbies. By no means am I suggesting it's a legitimate movement or a non-fringe movement amongst scientists, or that it deserves equal airtime. The viewpoint is largely bunk. Its adherents, however, are legion.
- dragonwriter 12y ago
  As "fringe" was defined in the context used upthread in the phrase "fringe conspiracy theorists", it means specifically "ones that don't get [presumably, mainstream] media attention". So, the discussion here is largely about making climate change denial into a fringe by that definition. There certainly are other senses of the word "fringe", some of which they fit, others of which they don't.