The Weekend Wonk: How I Avoided the Truth on Climate Change
November 11, 2011
Barry Bickmore is Associate Professor of Geological Sciences at Brigham Young University. His research specialties are low-temperature geochemistry and geoscience education. In this presentation, he discusses how he moved from being a climate change “skeptic” to being an outspoken advocate of mainstream climate science. He then discusses how it is that people like him can so effectively avoid the truth about climate change. (about 40 minutes)
Climate Denial Crock of the Week 
November 11, 2011 at 8:59 pm
Few people outside of Utah (or Mormonism) will appreciate how important this video is. To have a conservative Mormon Republican explain how the science of climate change convinced him to change his belief system is very, very compelling. That the individual is a professor at the Church’s BYU is also very important.
His presentation is very well done to boot. Thanks for posting this.
Lehiboy
November 12, 2011 at 4:32 am
thanks for watching.
I think Barry’s work is excellent and important as well. Stay tuned for lots more
on conservatives and climate
November 12, 2011 at 11:53 am
I wonder if Mitt Romney will turn out to be reasonable and a surprisingly good advocate for acepting the climatologists verdict and science if he ever becomes President? I gather (from Australia, from the media and online looking about) that Mitt once accepted the science publicly but was forced to back away from it due to Tea Party pressure?
NB. Former Climate Contrarian here too – I as taken in by Ian Plimer (who I met personally with a local astronomy group) for a little while to my present shame.
November 30, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Please don’t be shamed because a persuasive argument lead you to an apparently incorrect conclusion. It’s the very essence of science to apply everything you know to create and test your theories. It’s also science if you find that new information forces you to modify or discard a theory.
Just keep moving forward, and don’t close your mind to the possibility that you may be wrong in your understanding and you’ll do fine.
Regards,
Larry
November 12, 2011 at 5:46 pm
Thanks for this Peter. As others have said, the change of heart of this particular individual is very significant and his presentation of the arguments is excellent. Very reminiscent of Clive Hamilton’s book launch speech for Requiem for a Species in March 2010.
November 12, 2011 at 9:25 pm
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November 13, 2011 at 2:09 am
Well, well, well. The things that happen.
I would never have called my husband a ‘contrarian’ but it turns out he _was_ one of those science-trained types swayed by the uncertainty=doubt arguments. The thing that convinced him once and for all? Melting permafrost.
This is not really interesting to anyone but us. But we would never have had this conversation if we hadn’t been discussing Barry’s lecture.
He’s forwarding the url to his group of contrarian-denier-occasional lunatic group of engineer/mathematician/assorted other friends. The accumulating evidence from people like Bickmore, Admiral Titley and others demonstrating how their original scientific or political leanings towards doubt and uncertainty have been turned around by detailed examination of facts should help with discussions in some households and other groups.
November 21, 2011 at 3:39 am
[…] lot of people have seen conservative Mormon Climate Scientist Barry Bickmore’s lecture- “How I Avoided the Truth on Climate Change” – which gives a little insight into the rationalizations that go on in the sentient […]