The following is a conversation between an environmentalist and a scientist concerning consensus.

environmentalist: There's a catastrophic, looming problem with the climate.

scientist: How do you know?

environmentalist: Because temperatures are up and glaciers are receding. Soon the ice caps will melt and bring on catastrophe. The world will be flooded.

scientist: What if I offer good evidence that temperatures are dropping and glaciers are advancing?

environmentalist: Pollution is throwing soot and particles into the air that block the sun's rays. Soon the world will be bitterly cold; farmland will be inhospitable, thus bringing on catastrophe. All people will die because of the lack of food.

scientist: So both heating and cooling are problems concurrently? Which is it, too hot or too cold?

environmentalist: The consensus of scientists is that climate change is a problem.

scientist: Climate change? Too much heat or not enough? How does a consensus matter if you cannot even pick one of two mutually exclusive trends?

environmentalist: You're just a reactionary stooge of industry. Oppressor.