[verklaring]

...the earth had a warm atmosphere full of carbon dioxide but was completely covered with ice.

This is the functional equivalent of saying:

1) The woman was a virgin but had ten children.

2) He was happy but very sad.

3) Global peace reigned in the second World War.

4) Stupidity is a form of brilliance (which is evidently where we are headed).

[Ronin]

All of the above sound very plausible, yet impossible.

(Back at my last editing job a gal actually wrote that in a story.)

[trebb]

Agree with your post - they finally found what they consider a winning slant - no matter whether it causes cooling or warming, greenhouse gases are bad for us. Imagine the poor sheep who are really worried about these scams trying to imagine an earth that is hotter than hell and covered with freezing ice at the same time - they’ll be out with their “save the planet” signs in droves.