A leftist will read this and claim Mike Rowe is an evil climate denier who drinks the Koch brothers' bathwater. You know, because science is settled and all that malarkey (see Climate Expert: ‘Global Warming is Far from ‘Settled Science’…” and SURPRISE! Leonardo DiCaprio’s ‘Global Warming’ Org Embezzling Billions!). A rational person, such as yourself, will bow down and worship at how expertly Mike Rowe shut up those arrogant leftists. In the most Mike Rowe way possible.

Subtle. Factual. Blunt.

This weekend, in a bar called Grumpy’s, I listened as two professors from Berkeley discussed with great passion the inevitable consequences of ignoring climate change. When I was invited to share my opinion, I shrugged and said, “Beats me, fellas. Last week the smartest people on the planet thought there were 100 billion galaxies in the universe. They were off by a couple trillion. I’m not really sure what’s in store for planet earth.” I was surprised by their response. One frowned real hard, and stared into his beer. The other asked if I was some kind of “Climate Denier.” “Not at all,” I said. “Any fool can see there’s a climate.” “You know what I mean,” he said. “Are you skeptical of the fact than man is destroying the planet by heating it up to an unnatural degree?” “I’m skeptical of most things,” I said. “But who cares what I think? I’m just a narrator. You guys are the actual scientists, right?” “We are,” said the one staring at his beer. “Well then, tell me this. Isn’t skepticism at the very heart of scientific inquiry?” “It is.” “Then how come people who question the claims around global warming are called “Deniers?”

Common sense. It's what for breakfast. And lunch. Also dinner. With an extra plate of meat.

As usual, Mike Rowe is right. I'm sure he's aware, by this point it's just habit. But skepticism is integral to science. Shorter: asking why. Or asking any questions at all. Facts, scientific or otherwise, with a solid foundation in truth, can stand up to skepticism. That's why they're facts.

Here's a scientific fact: gravity is real. I picked gravity for its simplicity, sure, but we all know it's real. If it wasn't, we'd all be floating in outer space, our bodies peppered throughout the trillion or so galaxies Rowe referred to up above. If people want to question gravity they certainly can. Nothing is stopping them. But their arguments wouldn't stand up to truth. In fact the mere act of standing proves gravity is real "settled" science.

Gravity-deniers wouldn't be jailed. They wouldn't be censored. They wouldn't be punished at all. Because the fact of gravity proves they're wrong. If anything they'd simply be the butt of many jokes.

"Climate change" believers, on the other hand, behave differently. Critics are censored. Critics are labeled. "Climate change" believers call for "deniers" silencing or even imprisonment. Simply because the climate change argument cannot tolerate skepticism. Unlike gravity, man-made climate change is far from "settled." The reactions to its questioning is all the proof you need.

Also, this...

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