A lengthy but rewarding article from The New Scientist about the emotional basis for denialism.
Why do people deny climate change?
According to the author, “denial is largely a product of the way normal people think. Most denialists are simply ordinary people doing what they believe is right. If this seems discouraging, take heart. There are good reasons for thinking that denialism can be tackled by condemning it a little less and understanding it a little more.”
She also has some pointers for people presenting on the topic, like use anecdotes! Scientists have traditionally rejected such techniques, relying instead on statistics and accumulation of detail. However, as we have seen, one doesn’t persuade people with logic alone.