Many of us have an Uncle Pete, for whom the climate change issue is not a science topic at all. It is just one more way for the authority of the state to control the lives of citizens. This view has nothing to do with science, and no argument based only on science can change it. For Uncle Pete, attacking climate science and scientists is simply a disguise for what really concerns him, a government that in Pete’s view seizes power, limits freedoms, increases taxes, regulates markets, and diminishes prosperity. As a climate scientist, I can say something with very high confidence about what will happen if we do nothing, which is Pete’s preferred policy. Vast numbers of people will become environmental refugees, and we will see the destabilization of governments, especially in failed and failing states. In wealthy and powerful countries, such as the United States, governments coping with severe climate change will surely have to act forcefully, including using emergency powers, as in wartime, to preserve order and to minimize chaos and damage. Doing nothing is likely to force governments to do exactly what Uncle Pete fears most: seize power and limit freedoms.