Stream: Monsieur le Président Trump: Adieu à Paris! So long, fair well, auf weidersehen, goodbye.

A typical reaction, this from guy named Matt Stoller, a Fellow at the Open Markets Program at New America: “I’ve honestly been so terrified by climate change for years that I sort of can’t believe climate isn’t in all caps all the time everywhere.”

The worst part is that this Twitter-verified Stoller seems to believe what he’s saying. Sad.

“It’s been clear that climate change will kill billions,” he tweeted, “it’s been clear for years, Paris wouldn’t have stopped it, but this is still bad.”

Sure, global warming hasn’t killed anybody yet, but it will kill billions. Sheesh. Now I ask you: how do we deal with folks who have slipped so far down the propaganda hole?

My question is in earnest. Unlike Stoller, I am an actual climate scientist, but I cannot envision any rational argument or set of facts which would calm this overly nervous man down. If I told him the truth about global warming, about how little scientists actually know about what drives climate change, Stoller might screech “Denier!” at me. Or he might accuse me of being part of a conspiracy.

Led by Oil companies, of course. Ever notice how the Stollers among us are like the guy in the bar who is convinced energy companies are keeping the secret of water-driven engines from us so that the oil companies can maintain their rich monopoly?

Let’s Panic!

Whatever mental malady grips Stoller, it is widespread among the perpetually “outraged”. As I write, the entire Huffington Post site is emblazoned with the words “Trump to Planet: Drop Dead.” Billionaire Tom Steyer, who’d love it if the government bought some of the green he was selling, said Trump’s Paris covfefe was a “traitorous act of war“.

Act of war?

How do you reason with that? Answer: you cannot.

As frenetic and uninformed-by-science as these (common) views are, they at least make sense. If you believe the world is “literally” doomed unless we confiscate people’s earnings and hand them over to an unaccountable global organization, then an unhinged spittle-flecked tirade is the way to go.

Trump Refuses Pied Piper Role

But then how do we explain the attitudes of people like failed presidential candidate Mitt Romney?

He tweeted, “Affirmation of the #ParisAgreement is not only about the climate: It is also about America remaining the global leader.”

This was echoed by “conservative” (her word) Washington Post writer Jennifer Rubin, who wrote of the move, “BAD: US again ceding internatl leadership, kowtow to know-nothings”

So we needed to accept a horrible deal just to show everybody who’s boss?

[…]