So what are the climate change denialists in your life saying right now?

"Why don't you call anymore?"

It's all a hoax, it's not a big deal, it's just hot out.
My family is from Iowa, where they've had record breaking storms 3 out of the last 5 years, heat waves lasting longer than ever in history, record cold, and to top it off, wildfire smoke for the first time ever. (Note that this is after they made fun of Cali for being Cali and being on fire). No, none of these events have registered as connected in any way.
- Nothing will ever convince these people. They are immune to evidence and argument.
  
  logic will never convince them because they aren't arguing from a position of logic. It's about conforming to the beliefs required to be part of their tribe and/or protecting themselves from coming to terms with the harsh realities of climate change. It's reactionary against a challenge to their beliefs.
  You would need to first convince them to consider that their respected authorities could be wrong. But within this reactionary mindset, being wrong is disgraceful. So unless they lose respect for their leaders or manage to shift away from believing fallibility is disgraceful, I don't know if they can be convinced.
  
  Worse. I think many are immune to observation.
- maybe if you can convince them that global warming helps out joe biden they will be against it.
  
  You see it's a conspiracy, Sleepy Joe wants us to keep using fossil fuels so the liberals will vote him back it so it looks like he's doing something! The last thing he wants is for us to stop using fossil fuels! I bought an EV today just to spite him
- Right on par with the old, “Hurr durr of course it’s hot, it’s July!!!1!1!!1!” comments. These are the same folks who, when faced with a polar vortex in December or January, proudly and obnoxiously crow about “global warming.”
  
  Their tiny brains just can't comprehend the difference between weather and climate. I have had meager success explaining that climate change results in worse extremes, colds get colder,hots get hotter, and storms get stronger, but even then it's only some of them that actually listen. The rest are like "I've got it allllll figured out" and refuse to listen, then drive off in their 0.7mpg Ford Tahoe Super Manly Man Maker to go to the grocery store 8 blocks away.
  
  It's the hottest July in recorded history. Likely the hottest for tens of thousands of years. There hasn't been below average temperatures since the eighties, no not even that winter that you thought was quite cold at the time. Polar vortices are supposed to happen at, you know, the poles.

- I thought this was basically their stance the whole time. People thought it wasn't real at all?
  
  I had a coworker ten fifteen years ago who said basically "God's doing it and it's a sign of the end times." This dude was a trained engineer.
  
  It's like religion people who believe the Earth is only 6000 years old or something. They know about Darwin's Theory of Evolution.... but I'm like, dude, that's done by walking around and measuring plants, animals, insects. We have microscopes and DNA now. We know the DNA difference between two kinds of birds. We know how a single cell from female and male come together and follow DNA patterns to create the whole animal, even humans! They just won't accept that DNA was after Darwin's time and proved he was right!
  Cut down all the trees and put roads and buildings everywhere since year 1800. Start burning whale oil and then petrol oil as fast as you can. Make everything powered by oil. it's burning, like burning wood at a campfire. Do you see the smoke and gas? Do you think a car is not burning petrol? A power plant isn't burning petrol? Fire! It burns carbon products, wood, uses oxygen. It makes carbon dioxide. "A typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of CO2 per year."
  Here, can't we take something like a fish tank and put a burning candle in it, and show you the smoke and gas it creates.
  Oh, they are dumping pollution into the river and you think the town downstream isn't getting poisoned? Who is the town upstream from where you live.
  But the advertising and marketing of the oil companies 'inform them'. You can't convince them how fire works, making smoke and gas. And start counting up how many fires you see driving around on the roads of the world, and how many power plants are burning petrol, etc.
  Advertising and marketing can convince them of anything, the stuff they believe just because snazzy presentation.

According to my father in law: everything's fine, actually. It's hot, sure, but it's been hot before. The actual problem is that The Weather Channel has started to get political/go woke and push an agenda.
So next time it's so hot the power grid can't take it or your house is destroyed in a flood or forest fire, it's just that pesky Weather Channel!
- Fire and Rain have gotten so woke

They don't care about the heat wave in southern Europe because northern Europe has had a relatively cold and rainy July.
The slightly less dumb ones now say "Yeah it's happening but we shouldn't fight it, we should just accept it" (and then proceed to complain about refugees, which will increase x1000 if we don't do anything but they don't make the connection)
The dumber ones say that it's "natural cycles"

My dad: "the earth goes through natural temperature cycles, I've got some good scientific sources who say it's all natural and climate change is just scaremongering"
Guess that's another topic along with the EU, immigration, COVID, vaccination that I can't talk about with my family.
Makes it hard and frustrating to continue to have a relationship at times.
- "Amazing dad, do these cycles usually happen in the span of a lifetime?" I don't expect you to say that, I already know his answer. It's whatever Fox News told him to say
  
  Oh I did. He just has "evidence from reliable sources" to say it's all a hoax.

"hottest summer on record? Give it a rest, they say that every year!"
Also I'm in the UK which has been raining and dreary for the last month so it's not getting as much coverage here.
- "hottest summer on record? Give it a rest, they say that every year!"
  That's funny because it's true. Also sad. Mostly sad actually.
  
  They're so close...

They complain about how weird and unprecedented the weather has been the last few years, but if I so much as mention the word "climate" an awkward silence descends. I also had a guy hint at some weird conspiracy theory about the sun recently.
- Say weather change and see if that gets the ball rolling.
  
  I think I might have at some point, actually. It seems any suggestion that it's not a few years of weird coincidences shakes people.
- Right? Climate is the average of weather, usually over 30 years. So if the weather is substantially different for a few years in a row it starts impacting climate.
  This is simple arithmetic.
  
  Exactly. And I figure a lot of those people think that they're the same thing, or would have, anyway.
- The sun is expanding into a Red Giant and that's why it's getting hotter, obviously /s
  
  I kind of wish they had more than teased whatever they were thinking. I actually know a thing or two about the solar cycle and the current going-ons with the sun.
  
  I think I'll be more concerned about the sun expanding into a red giant

Friendly reminder that it’s not about denial anymore. It’s about how urgent is the existential threat of tipping points and how radical and fast should we act.
One side says, let’s stay reasonable, let’s not hurt the economy, don’t panic because of the these crazy Greta maniacs. Source: We managed a lot of crisis in the past, sometimes it’s not that hot, lobby money.
The other side says we have to hit the breaks immediately or a lot of people are going to die. Source: Science.
- What are you basing the existential threat claim on? I don't think I've heard a credible scientist ever claim it's going to end our specie. The yearly excess deaths estimates I've heard vary from few hundred thousand to couple million a year in 2050 - 2100.
  
  While your numbers, if factual (no source posted), are statistically correct (in that it won't make our species go extinct), you have to remember a simple fact: those numbers represent individual human lives. Family, friends, neighbors, your pizza guy, etc. Pretty brutal to be so flippant about.
  Also, this doesn't take into account the potential for cascading environmental system failures that could be caused by such warming. These unknowns could greatly change the equation.
  I realize you are mainly arguing the point in response to "existential threats" being bandied about, but it's a weird stance to take here.
  
  People are already dying because of the heat or starving because of droughts and water scarcity. Based on the IPCC report it will become even worse, especially of we don’t manage to avoid the tipping points of the climate crisis in the next few years.
  
  There are definitely worse scenarios. The worst I know states that most parts of the world will be uninhabitable by humans and estimate that there will be 1-1.5 billion survivors by the end of the century. So, end of our species? No, just too damn close for comfort.
  Some more context: I couldn't find the report unfortunately and I don't know wether it's a majority opinion in science. The scenario talks about a temperature increase of 7°C and of course it's a worst-case scenario. However, it's definitely a possible scenario.
  Edit: found this, definitely a credible scientist.
- Can you elaborate on the "hit the brakes immediately" or we're all going to die statement? What "Science" backs this claim up? Legit science please, not from agenda-laden website.
  
  The IPCC report is what you‘re looking for! And since it‘s it‘s almost impossible to even reach the goal of 1,5 degrees, we should hit the breaks better sooner than later. It‘s not an „oopsie“ problem we would face otherwise. People are already dying.

I don’t have climate change denialists in my life. That’s usually indicative of other beliefs and values that don’t jive with mine, and we end up being incompatible as friends.

"There is no climate change! It's China and liberals trying to take more of our money!"
My brain... 😮‍💨
- Wait, are you guys getting money from climate denialists? Count me in!

Nothing. They just talk about Biden destroying the economy with Hunter's laptop and Hillary's buttery males.

"It's only natural" seems to be the go to.
The people in my personal life, though, are mostly just EXTREMELY wary of just about any information at all.
They are more comfortable putting shit down to some conspiracy, rather than looking at how awful some people are outright.
I don't think they want to admit, or submit to the hopelessness of the situation, especially economically. So they rather keep themselves busy with petty bs.

Mostly "There have always been hot Sommers."

"I'm following the real scientist. They're called climatists and they just all banded together and said 'stop all this bullshit reporting' to the mainstream media!"
My soul left my body and I died.

It's all being done by HAARP. When confronted by sentences like that, all words escape me.
- What's that?
  
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-frequency_Active_Auroral_Research_Program
  A magnet for conspiracy theorists 🧲

"There was climate change when the Vikings were around so it's not as clear cut as people make out."
In my country we've had the opposite of a heat wave, the worst summer I can remember with rain almost every day and temperatures barely making it above 20 degrees. He says that this shows the planet isn't heating up and jokes that we need more carbon.
- UK maybe?
  
  Probably not, it's rainy at the moment but we already had some drought months in may/june
  
  Yep

Some are now pivoting to “Climate change is good so we shouldn’t do anything about it.” A US representative fork Wisconsin said that recently, since it means Wisconsin would be warmer during the winter.
- Never mind how the whole southwest will become a desert in a lot of projections.

They compare it to heatwaves from the 1970s…
- Boomers never left the 70s

"It's summer what do you expect of course it's going to be hot"

Same as 20 years ago — "the fact that they want me to give up my truck and Nestle gets to dump plastic in the ocean proves it's all liberal bullshit."
U⁠ ⁠´⁠꓃⁠ ⁠`⁠ ⁠U
- Truly the american way. What? Give up a tiny bit of convenience to help other people?? Freedom! Liberty!
  The true arrogance of the average American is driving their big pickup and thinking they deserve to destroy the planet.
- I mean, it would be nice if Nestle stopped dumping plastic in the ocean. But them doing that is obviously not a reason to do nothing to help.
  
  That's my frustration. So many people in my life are so close to getting it. They see the effect, but they're just dismissive of any cause that would cost them comfort.
- So how can climate change be real and the overwhelming majority of emissions be from production and the solution be to cut emissions at the point of consumption where an incredible minority of those emissions are?

I do not have climate change deniers as friends because idiots cannot be my friend.
By now it's pretty obvious what is happening and what probably will happen. The ones unable to understand will inevitably have a hard time and a lower chance of passing on their genes which is fine by me.
- Hi I'm an idiot and would like to be your friend
  
  THEY SAID NO!!!! GET LOST
- Understanding has nothing to do with a person's chances of survival or their children's chances. The biggest determinants will be wealth/poverty and location. Plenty of ordinary people who understand perfectly well what's going on will suffer and die, while fools who can buy their way to a safer place will survive.

No idea, I've either changed their minds or stopped talking to them.

Don’t know any anymore. I am a passionate debater and educator on climate science so I either convince them or they distance themselves from me.

I feel like I don't hear from them much anymore. Maybe it's because I've managed to finally cut all of them out of my life. Or maybe it's because they've realized that even the people who do accept that climate change is real still aren't going to do anything about it because even the softest, most hands-off forms of mitigation would be too disruptive to capitalism.

"Eh they're already fixing it."

I never really knew anyone that would straight up deny science. I mean i've met people before that are that stupid but they were never in my life.

They would rather make up for lies than admit they are wrong

I have expelled them so I do not know.

They move the goalposts.
"It's going to be a problem in Africa"
"It's going to be a problem in 50 years"
"It's futile to do anything unless China stops polluting "
"Electric cars pollute more than ordinary cars"

"Climate change has existed for years, it will not harm us"

It was an abnormally cold and wet winter. Climate deniers here are basically saying “shit happens”

They literally are saying that it is like this every summer. The other excuse they use is that we shouldn’t be forced to do something when there are countries that pollute worse. The other argument they provide is that climate change policy affects poor people the most, so they claim that it would be unfair to them if we enacted any of it.

nuh uh

Wow - are people really disbanding friendships over climate change stuff? Are you sure you were that good of friends prior? Id question all that. As for "deniers" , I dont think people questioning all of this are deniers, they are simply asking legit questions. Remember, this Climate thing has been being pushed/sold to us for like 60+ years now. We've been "Dead" numerous times now but pretty much none of it has come to fruition. So, can you blame people for being a tad skeptical? I dont.
I also get frustrated with those that seem to ignore the very real concerns of the "working person" who finds it a little hypocritical that many of the loudest climate change activists(celebs, athletes, politicians, etc.) tend to NOT walk the talk. So, they can fly private jets, own 4 homes, two yachts and have Lamborghini collections but Im expected to eat bugs, drive a lame EV and ditch my perfectly good appliances? Yeah, sorry, thats a tough sell, IMO.
I see some clean energy initiatives that do appear to make some sense. Slow adoption, logical solutions, etc. should be the way. Not slam dunk, draconian changes that wreck our energy girds and reliability. There should be a happy-medium here is what Im getting at. Im tired of the extremes and most people seem to be also.
- As for “deniers” , I dont think people questioning all of this are deniers, they are simply asking legit questions. Remember, this Climate thing has been being pushed/sold to us for like 60+ years now.
  If you deny 60 years of research how are you not a denier? The only people with doubts at this point have no clue about science, sorry.
  
  60 years of doom, gloom and sure destruction which has resulted in.... nothing. Your science isnt working out. Its clear that we dont fully understand how this all works as we only have data from a tiny fraction of the Earths total history. Again, the predictions that have been harped on over the last several decades have all turned out to be false of greatly exaggerated. Those are the real facts.