"When scientists give us contradictory reports, how can we, mere mortals, decide where the truth is?"

We test. Then we publish the results. Then others try to duplicate. They publish their results. Then the people with the knowledge analyze the results, and the ones with the support from the most relevant scientists are the winners. That is science. You, apparently, decide that the truth lies where Ayn Rand told you to look.

You seem to ignore the fact that the predictions in the 80s about the results of AGW are occurring exactly as predicted, except much sooner. And your stories about previous climate cycles ignore a very important distinction - previous cycles occurred over many hundreds or thousands of years. AGW is occurring over about 150 years. There is no time for the Earth to adjust. Millions of people will die. We are already seeing the beginning of the 6th great extinction, thousands of animal species will become extinct.

Anybody can come up with arguments to refute anything if they stretch far enough. AGW skeptics like you are the reason we have done very little to alter our destructive behavior. You want the truth? Here it is - this is your fault.