Dear Senator James "Global Warming Is a Hoax" Inhofe

(The following is an email I sent last week to the Tulsa World newspaper, and I then forwarded it on to Senator Inhofe. I'll be sure to post in the unlikely event that I get a response.)

Subject: Senator Inhofe - put your money where your mouth is on global warming

To the Editors:

I have an open challenge to Senator Inhofe: he has
repeatedly said global warming is “the greatest hoax
ever perpetrated on the American people.” I suggest
that Senator Inhofe put his money where his mouth is.

He also said, “I believe that the balance of the
evidence offers strong proof that natural variability
is the overwhelming factor influencing climate.” In
other words, temperature changes are a 50-50 coin
toss. I think the odds are different, and we can bet
on it.

There’s a charitable website called Longbets.org,
where bettors donate their bet money to a foundation
that ultimately donates the two bettors’ money to the
charity chosen by the winner. I challenge Senator
Inhofe to bet over global warming - I even have a bet
waiting for him at www.longbets.org/196. If
temperatures go down or even just go up slightly, my
money will go to a conservative charity of his choice.
I’ll even sweeten the pot – if I win, I’ll make sure
the money goes to environmental protection in
Oklahoma. Given how strongly he’s spoken out on this
issue, I sure hope he won’t run away now that he has a
chance to be personally invested in the outcome.

-Brian Schmidt