Bozeman monthly luncheon group airs differences on climate

The letters to the editor in Montana’s Bozeman Daily Chronicle are probably similar to those in other small-town newspapers. People worry about the growth of the town, complain about dog poop, and debate the politics du jour.

This past January, when Quresh Latif wrote a letter defending climate science, the online comments devolved into the usual tit-for-tat vitriol. But unlike the relative anonymity of social media commenters, these came from his neighbors. Dismayed by the unproductive toxicity, Latif sought a better way to exchange ideas.

“I have pretty strong emotions on this topic,” says Latif, an ecologist and father of two young girls. “I have difficulty meeting my own ideals when talking to skeptics of mainstream science.” Like many other Americans, Latif is troubled by our society’s deepening polarization. “After Trump got elected, I felt like I needed to make a concerted effort to practice conversation with people who are outside my bubble.”

Read Karen Kirk’s story on Yale Climate Connections - “Bozeman monthly luncheon group airs differences on climate.”