I am still coming to grips with this as well. I can see it changing my feelings and attitudes on a number of issues. I am a LOT less patient with Climate Deniers.

I still hope I'm wrong.

I got excited this morning when I saw this article.

Use of ‘too hot’ climate models exaggerates impacts of global warming,

U.N. report authors say researchers should avoid suspect models.

But the researcher they quote is one of the 20% who are Climate Optimists. The ones who think warming will be no more than 2.5C.

He thinks that newer climate models, the ones that factor in changes to observed cloud behavior, are flawed because they generate warming of 4.5-5.5C. He's sure that's wrong.

No real evidence. No discussion of data that disagrees with him. Just his "feeling" that those models must be off because I don't like their results.

People get a distorted view of how science works. It's a social process as well as a scientific process. It takes scientists time to come to grips with new information just like the rest of us.

Right now, there is still denial in the scientific community about what's happening. Unfortunately these are the people who are getting press time. Because they are telling people what they want to hear.

Reality is ugly.

Reality is fucking scary.

Reality says we are about to hit the pavement and things are going to break.

It's a lot to deal with.

Do you remember the first episode of Lost, when the doctor has to do the surgery?

He's paralyzed with fear and indecision. Then he takes 5 seconds to get it together, center himself, and do what has to be done.

Take your five seconds. Get it together. Then start doing what needs to be done.