David Brin on Dan Bloom's polar cities pessimism and why it's better to be optimistic!

Of course, not everyone agrees with me on my POLAR CITIES PROJECT ideas, and one of my most perceptive critics, David Brin, whose

insightiful columns on science often appear on his blog in California , too, is one of them. I respect his good
and positive feedback here: He tells me in a recent email that while he admires the passion that I bring to the issue of human-wrought climate change, and specifically global warming, he is much more optimistic, noting, among other things : [Lightly edited by Dan Bloom]

DAVID BRIN:

"I am considerably less pessimistic than you are, Dan Bloom. I do not perceive global climate change rendering Humanity extinct. On the other hand, I consider that your kind of exaggeration as part of your wake up call of the Polar CIties project to be vastly more sane than the opposite reaction, of ostriches who bury their heads in the sand while declaring all of the smartest folk in our civilization to be the fools.''



"The continuing War on Science now has expanded to include every knowledge clade in American life. Journalists, school teachers, skilled labor, economists, civil servants, diplomats, judges, professors. I can name only two centers of intellect in American life that are not under direct attack by a relentless propaganda machine. Indeed, scientists are not being undermined in order to distract from global warming. Rather, climate change is being trumped up as an issue in order to denigrate science.''



''It should not be an issue. Seven percent of all the men and women who understand the equations and have studied the data have recommended that we take prudent - economically sound - measures to mitigate a potentially dangerous situation that could seriously affect the lives and livelihood of our children. These sensible men and women, many of whom I know personally, who have studied climate on twelve planets, know a heckuva lot more about this than we do, yet fanatics are saying 'Ignore expert advice! Go to witch doctors instead!'"


''Let us get this straight. These are the brilliant minds who transformed the weather report from a four-hour joke to a ten-day reliable forecast, saving us billions every year. If you despise them, then stop relying on their forecasts.

''Especially since the recommendations do not amount to 'sitting in the dark and shivering while ruining the economy.' Nobody wants that. Not even hippies. There are prudent measures we could take now, to prevent the worst mass extinction event in 65 million years. ''

''This is political. ''

''I am an optimist,..... unlike Danny Bloom. ...... I believe we can convince our neighbors to nd come back into the light, where adults argue and negotiate honorably, listen to expert advice, and then work together to solve problems. Like grownups.''