Don't believe that a man like, oh I don't know, say Al Gore, can explain the past 4.5 million years of the history of the planet by examining what has been occuring in the last 100 years. If you do, then you, too, are a pompous ass.
For every scientist that wants to pad his research dollars by agreeing with the powers in charge, there's another that says we are headed for a mini ice age. These scientists that disagree are not benefiting from the public cash cow (remember, you are paying for this research). But they are putting their reputations on the line.
I think I would tend to believe the people who are making their decision base on principle instead of the ones that base thier decisions on whether or not they are going to make money from it. Just my $0.02.
Oh, and just one more thing. Even if you are an atheist, you still believe in something. Doesn't that make you a hypocrite?