Let's pretend that global warming isn't happening. Or, if you prefer, it's happening, but that it's a natural occurrence -- nothing to do with seven billion people spewing carbon dioxide, and other pollutants into the atmosphere.

Climate scientist Peter Gleick recently leaked documents from the Heartland Institute's board of director's meeting, proving the organization is using its taxpayer-supported status to spread lies and misinformation. Stealing is wrong, but Heartland is wrong when it lies about the most serious threat to humanity.

People accuse me and other environmentalists and scientists of being "alarmist". But the situation is alarming, and it's even more alarming that some people ignore it. This disconnect with reality is because industrial interests spend billions of dollars continually promoting discredited theories.

Let's stop wasting our time on deniers. It would be better spent trying to resolve the serious problems we have created.