Climate change deniers ignore facts outside worldview

Monte Heil (Daily Bee, Dec. 23) contends that describing scientific facts as being provisional and evolving is “nonsense.”

However, science is provisional in the sense that it is a work in progress. It is often necessary to reevaluate the scope of established scientific facts/explanations as new information is acquired.

For example, Newton's laws remained unchallenged for nearly 220 years until Einstein showed they are not applicable when objects are observed from very different frames of reference. And quantum mechanics is necessary to explain interactions at the atomic level. Well-evidenced scientific facts/explanations should be accepted as being true, but science operates on the assumption they are conditionally true, not the absolute truth.

Again, Mr. Heil falsely accuses me of failing to provide evidence that 97% of practicing climate scientists concur that anthropogenic warming is a reality and a cause for concern. I suggest, since he has consistently ignored the references I have given, that he enter “climate change scientist consensus” into Google and observe the results for himself. His failure to acknowledge the evidence I have presented is indicative of his approach to this entire discussion. He systematically ignores facts that contradict his worldview.

Mr. Heil appears to suffer from the delusion that concerns about the effects of climate change are alarmist propaganda spread by a cabal of fear-mongering liberals. Because his opinions on this subject derive from ideologically-motivated reasoning rather than evidence-based critical thinking, it is doubtful any amount of evidence, no matter how well-substantiated, will ever change them.

JACK DeBAUN

Dover