Hey Mainstream Media, before you dismiss legitimate scientists who disagree with your global warming meme as “deniers,” how about listening to an actual, open-minded scientist who agrees with you?

One of the most electrifying moments of the Heartland Institute’s Fourth International Climate Change Conference was when Professor Scott Denning of Colorado State University asked to speak to the crowd during the close of the conference. Listen to what Dr. Denning, a climatologist who doesn’t agree with skeptics, who believes that AGW is a problem, has to say and listen to the reaction from crowd of about 700 “skeptics.”


Heartland invites all the leading climate scientists to its conferences. Very few believers in AGW accept that invitation. Denning deserves our respect and admiration for not only showing up, not only listening to other views, but for calling out his colleagues:

It’s really too bad that more of my colleagues from the scientific community didn’t attend this.

And for acknowledging a basic truth:

We have much more in common than our differences.

You’ll note that Denning isn’t backing down on his position or about his research. But neither is he accusing the distinguished, accomplished, independent scientists who have another take of being shills for energy companies, or accusing them of doing shoddy work. You’ll also note that the crowd, including yours truly, gave Denning about as warm a reception as he could have ask for, both when he was complementing us and after he had criticized us.

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At one time, this is just the sort of remarkable moment that the old media would have jumped on. Today? Not so much. But that’s why we’re here.