Merriam-Webster online dictionary
patronize
def 2 : to adopt an air of condescension

I don't think I'd be laughed off any genuinely scientifically oriented web site for making a statement like that. In fact, a fairly brief google search turned up quite a number of scientific web sites that discussed the matter of global warming and runaway greenhouse effects in some pretty ominous terms. You might try putting "global warming" and "runaway greenhouse effect" into the google "Advanced Search" boxes and see what you come up with.

One site that poo-pooed the idea of global warming being at all detrimental or dangerous to human life mentioned the possibility of a runaway greenhouse effect turning the earth into a second Venus. It said that 47% of the scientists interviewed said that they didn't think it was possible.

Very interesting.

What about the other 53%, John? They didn't talk about them.

Don Firth