You are SO right! The problem isn't dissent among legitimate scientists; it's that there are plenty of pseudoscientists out there who are willing to endorse any opinion for a buck or two, and plenty of deep-pocket organizations - with vested financial and other interests - that are willing to spread those bucks around to confuse the issue to gain some sort of political or economic advantage.

It's not only the energy companies who stand to reap the rewards of continued obfuscation on the climate-change issue, but the Religious Right, who assert that their god gave man dominion over the earth to use and abuse as he sees fit.

The uber-fundies have been trying to squash the nascent environmental movement among some fundamentalists / evangelicals who believe that "dominion" means "respectful care", not "go ahead and use the planet like toilet paper". The RR's political power is eroding fast with the approach of the end of King George's final term, and they will need wealthy and powerful collaborators in Washington to continue to advance their agenda.

Pseudoscience-promulgating allies can also lend a hand to other pet RR causes: controlling women and their bodies, controlling everyone's sexual behavior, preserving man's "supremacy", controlling the minds of children (enforced school prayer, teaching creationism), etc. In return, the RR can stir up their followers to promulgate the "misinformation, misrepresentation, and obfuscation" that allows entire industries (pharmaceutical, energy, and education, to name a few) to reap millions in profit and/or seize backroom political power while the science is being "debated".