Who, in your opinion, is the most dangerous person alive?

Ah, Mez. I was going to dodge this, but I won’t.

What’s the danger I care about most? Not the planet blowing up, and not what happens to America in isolation from the rest of the planet. (I mean, of course I care, but not most. And boy, will there be a bunch of isolation from the rest of the planet for the next four years.)

The danger I care about most is the dissolution of our civilisation—of life as we know it. Even if we survive it, I don’t think life will be worth living as cavepeople.

What are the biggest threats to life as we know it? The rise of the robots (Tom Higgins, I never did read your “bring on the Singularity” answer; sorry!) And global warming.

The rise of the robots could go well or it could go very very bad. Global warming will only go very very bad.

Who made sure that we couldn’t stop global warming when we had a decent chance to? Who’s working to make sure we still don’t?

Plenty of people who are going to find life even more unpleasant than their neighbours, when shit goes down and their neighbours look for scapegoats. Including lots of ex-presidents, and lots of reactionary and (sadly) libertarian pundits. Lots of political strategists (Frank Luntz might “accept the science” now, but he targeted the science back at the time of Kyoto). Lots of “sceptics”.

But you know, if I had to pick one guy, I’ll pick the most influential denialist politician, and he’s the most dangerous because he’s still in office, and he’s still influencing environmental policy in the US—which is where leadership has had to come from. I give you the Gentleman from Oklahoma, the king of snowballs: Senator Jim Inhofe.

Yeah, yuk it up, Jim.

See you in hell, buddy. Don’t bring your snowball there; it won’t last. Won’t last up above under global warming, either.