Calling climate change a ‘theory’ doesn’t make me Donald Trump – John McLellan
The column questioned the wisdom of politicians encouraging students to skip classes to go on a demo, but didn’t actually go into any opinions I might have about global warming – although I’m not about to disagree with Nasa figures showing the global temperature rising about 1C since 1880 – or have any quibble with the need to curb plastic use.
But my crime was in what I thought was an uncontentious phrase: “Whether you agree with climate change theory or not ...” because the reference to “theory” apparently inferred the beliefs of campaigners such as Youth Strike 4 Climate Change are anything but the absolute truth. It will probably compound the felony by using the word beliefs.
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Hide AdWith the encouragement of a Green councillor, in piled Twitter warriors to condemn me as a denier, the now time-honoured fashion to frame me as a Nazi-sympathiser who thinks the Holocaust is a myth. One somewhat excitable character called me “Edinburgh’s Trump”. Whatever.
I’m a bit of a fundamentalist when it comes to freedom of speech and they are entitled to their views but we are in dangerous territory when even the word “theory” is enough to be strung up on the eco-gallows with environmentally friendly piano wire.