How Not to Take on Climate Change Deniers

His first words are, "Perhaps I ought not to have accepted the invitation." Gregory Norminton tells the story of appearing at The University of St. Andrews in England to debate climate change. As he explains, his confrontation with the opposition's distortion of known facts turned him into "a bug-eyed fanatic," a mirror image of his foes. We, too, recently confronted a denier at a local meeting and felt the same kind of extreme frustration. What to do? Mr. Norminton speaks:

I can now offer the following hard-won tips for anyone considering debating climate change deniers:

1. Don’t.
2. If you must, consider ingesting some form of tranquiliser.
3. Study the stagecraft of Bernard Manning.
4. Be up-to-date: know your Aristotle!
5. No matter the provocation, avoid Nazi analogies like the plague.
6. Bring plenty of friends.
7. Just don’t.

Not hopeful.