Truth Sandwich and Climate Change
A Truth Sandwich is an attempt to state the truth, call out a lie (without repeating it), then repeat the truth again. The truth is always the bread on top and on bottom of the statement.
When I wrote about the Truth Sandwich technique, in a post published January 28, I used an example of a Truth Sandwich supporting Elizabeth Warren.
Here is another example, a Truth Sandwich to answer accusations against Elizabeth Warren.
“Warren showed that she is truthful and, unlike a lot of Republicans, won’t be bullied by Trump. Trump promised to give a million dollars to charity if Warren took a DNA test that showed that she has Native American heritage, but, when she did just that, he broke his promise, as he so often does.** Warren is a fighter and will fight for middle class and poor Americans, too.”
Truth:
Warren showed that she is truthful and, unlike a lot of Republicans, won’t be bullied by Trump. Trump promised to give a million dollars to charity if Warren took a DNA test that showed that she has Native American heritage.
Refute:
Warren took a DNA test that showed that she has Native American heritage, but, when she did just that,
Truth:
he [Trump] broke his promise, as he so often does.
After that, there is a statement showing Elizabeth Warren’s actions against the accusations are linked to her strengths, not her weaknesses.
What’s this got to do with climate change?
Climate change is made to look stupid to people who don’t believe it. How? Climate change was originally introduced to the public with the term “global warming.” Climate change deniers get photo ops of southern cities under snow, or people in Alaska wearing shirtsleeves in January.
Discussions of unnaturally cold weather in warmer regions and unnaturally warm weather in cold regions feed the sense that “global warming” does not explain it. Part of that is an intentional misunderstanding of what climate change is. The term “global warming” is accurate. It is also easy to misunderstand, if you are of a mind not to understand it.
To answer “Global warming is a hoax”
Truth:
“‘Global warming’ refers to the average temperature of the whole planet.”
Refute the lie without repeating mis-information:
“It can be unusually cold in some places due to what is called ‘global warming.’ This winter, very cold air from the polar regions is being pushed south, due to warmer temperatures at the poles”
Truth:
“Global warming is about average temperature of the climate, year in and year out, and worldwide. It is causing dramatic weather changes, too hot and too cold, too dry and too rainy, in different places.”
To answer “Climate change is a hoax”
Truth:
Changing conditions at the poles are measurable and is documented. You can look that up.
Refute the lie without repeating mis-information:
“It can be unusually cold in some places due to climate change. This winter, very cold air from the polar regions is being pushed south, due to warmer temperatures at the poles.”
Truth:
“Climate change is about average temperature of the climate, year in and year out, and worldwide. It is causing dramatic weather changes, too hot and too cold, too dry and too rainy.”
What not to do
I hear many people remarking about how they are concerned about the warm days we are experiencing around New England this winter. From the sample of my friends and family, they focus on the unusual warmth. This feeds right into the hands of the deniers. All they need is freezing Chicago and South Carolina snowfall to show “the lie” of climate science.
Instead of talking about warm days, focus on the changes in climate patterns. That means remarking on usually warm and unusually cold winters, drought, flooding, and big storms. Understand what is happening with this weird winter. Use simple – non-sciency – language. Explain why it makes you concerned.
Here is an example from scientist from the Adirondack mountains of New York, near Canada. He refuted climate deniers without making “global warming” seem stupid. Here is a way to explain what we are experiencing. He wrote:
“It’s kind of weird to think about the Arctic warming because we have all this cold air spilling out towards us— that air is colder than we’re used to experiencing.”
“But,” Leibensperger explained, “while we’re freezing down here with that cold air, places farther north, like in Alaska, have extraordinarily warm temperatures that they’re unaccustomed to as well.” [source]