Fact-check, Al Fonzi 

After reading Al Fonzi's opinion piece in the July 20 edition of New Times titled, "What makes a skeptic?" I felt compelled to fact-check some of his assertions. I went to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) website and found lots of factual, useful information. It describes how the emails associated with the so-called "climate-gate" scandal was misunderstood by the media and public, and how the scandal was debunked years ago. This website posted a new article titled, "We fact-checked a bogus 'study' on global temperature that's misleading readers," dated July 21. In this article, a senior UCS climate scientist reviews the "study" Mr. Fonzi had referred to in his opinion piece. The UCS article points out several major flaws contained in that global temperature database "study."

The Global Warming section of the UCS website provides climate change articles and links that I think you will find enlightening. I encourage everyone to check out this website to conduct your own fact-checking journey on climate change.

Regarding Mr. Fonzi, once again, he has made wild and baseless accusations intended to de-legitimize mainstream, peer-accepted climate science and create public confusion/inaction. He also associated those who call climate skeptics "deniers" with Nazi Holocaust deniers. How low will you go, Al?

Dean Arrighi

San Luis Obispo