From Donald Trump to anti-environmental "environmentalists" - we'll discuss it all at Skepticon 2020

We are really looking forward to these two speakers at Skepticon 2020 - they are bound to get people talking!

The 45th President of the United States has certainly made an impact on the world and we all have strong opinions about him. Critical thinkers everywhere look upon his leadership with anger, eye-rolls and utter disbelief; but how does emotion free, scientific psychology explain him? Gary Bakker calls upon his 40 years of experience and expertise as a clinical psychologist to evaluate the Most Powerful Man in the World in his talk, “The Dark Triad: Is Trump Insane?”

Modern human societies have placed a tremendous amount of pressure on the natural world. These pressures have manifested itself in the forms of deforestation, topsoil erosion, pollution and climate change. If unchecked, either one of these pressures can destroy both the natural world and modern human societies as we know it.

Fortunately, some people are aware of this self-destructive path and are fighting not only for the protection of the environment but ultimately for our children's future. These people, collectively termed "environmentalists", have saved countless hectares of natural grasslands, prairies, rivers, oceans and forests from being destroyed. However, there have been instances where environmentalists have impeded their own cause by following ideology rather than taking an evidence-based approach.

Justifying these anti-environmental positions is a suite of anti-science, science denial, misinformation or irrational forms of reasoning which have become rampant in the minds of many environmental activists or environmental groups. Consequently, the efficiency and productivity of these activists may have become compromised.

How does such an enigma occur in one of the most important movements of the 21st century? Has adopting "environmentalist ideology" as opposed to "evidence-based environmentalism" become an important part of joining some environmental groups?

Environmental scientist Jonas Larson examines the disparity between environmentalist ideology and evidence-based environmentalism in his talk “Anti-Environmental Environmentalists - How Irrational Environmentalists Impede Their Own Cause“

Don't forget to get your Skepticon 2020 tickets here.

Early bird ticket sales end 24th Sept.