saulgoldie,

No apologies. I with you agree entirely on a personal level. Sadly, I am preparing my kids to live in a world far different from this one.
But in science, nothing is ever certain, and we must listen to all ideas no matter how crazy, and then dispassionately destroy them. If they can survive, they are the new truth. So far, hypotheses regarding anthropogenic climate change are surviving the onslaught by other scientists. I am always prepared to wear my scientist hat and discuss rationally a scientific topic.
Sadly, assaults on anthropogenic climate change hypotheses by non-scientists are being incited by politicians and media blowhards, and it is dangerous to ignore them. This (I think) is what Al Gore meant when he said "we must win the conversation". The science is really quite settled. It is the public conversation that is being lost. So with or without scientist hat I'll go at it on this topic.
Enjoy the pipe and songs.