February 05, 2007

Global Warming - don't believe the hype

The words of a REAL CLIMATOLOGIST, which has nothing to do with inventing the internet.....

What would happen if tomorrow we were told that, after all, the Earth is flat? It would probably be the most important piece of news in the media and would generate a lot of debate. So why is it that when scientists who have studied the Global Warming phenomenon for years say that humans are not the cause nobody listens? Why does no one acknowledge that the Emperor has no clothes on?

Believe it or not, Global Warming is not due to human contribution of Carbon Dioxide (CO2). This in fact is the greatest deception in the history of science. We are wasting time, energy and trillions of dollars while creating unnecessary fear and consternation over an issue with no scientific justification. For example, Environment Canada brags about spending $3.7 billion in the last five years dealing with climate change almost all on propaganda trying to defend an indefensible scientific position while at the same time closing weather stations and failing to meet legislated pollution targets.

No sensible person seeks conflict, especially with governments, but if we don't pursue the truth, we are lost as individuals and as a society. That is why I insist on saying that there is no evidence that we are, or could ever cause global climate change. And, recently, Yuri A. Izrael, Vice President of the United Nations sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirmed this statement. So how has the world come to believe that something is wrong?

Maybe for the same reason we believed, 30 years ago, that global cooling was the biggest threat: a matter of faith. "It is a cold fact: the Global Cooling presents humankind with the most important social, political, and adaptive challenge we have had to deal with for ten thousand years. Your stake in the decisions we make concerning it is of ultimate importance; the survival of ourselves, our children, our species," wrote Lowell Ponte in 1976.

I was as opposed to the threats of impending doom global cooling engendered as I am to the threats made about Global Warming. Let me stress I am not denying the phenomenon has occurred. The world has warmed since 1680, the nadir of a cool period called the Little Ice Age (LIA) that has generally continued to the present. These climate changes are well within natural variability and explained quite easily by changes in the sun. But there is nothing unusual going on.

Since I obtained my doctorate in climatology from the University of London, Queen Mary College, England my career has spanned two climate cycles. Temperatures declined from 1940 to 1980 and in the early 1970's global cooling became the consensus. This proves that consensus is not a scientific fact. By the 1990's temperatures appeared to have reversed and Global Warming became the consensus. It appears I'll witness another cycle before retiring, as the major mechanisms and the global temperature trends now indicate a cooling.

Here's the summation for those of you who zombied at the very idea of such a long passage:
 
-- It is UNBELIEVABLY PREMATURE to state that people are the main cause of Global Warming. PERIOD.

-- Thirty years ago many of the same scientists raising a ruckus today were DEAD SURE we were headed for a man-made ice age FROM THE SAME CAUSES (greenhouse gasses, etc.)

--Consensus is different from fact: 95% of 4 year olds believe in Santa, but this doesn't make him REAL, does it?  So why should we believe something just because a majority of pinheads with PhDs do?

And yes, for the record I too have a PhD.  So what?  But I'm not a pinhead.  Doesn't make me a sheep, either.

Please read all of Dr. Bell's article (yes, there is more. A lot more.),  It is a fascinating look at how popular politics colors even the most rigorous of disciplines.

h/t Q and O via RWV

Posted by caltechgirl at February 5, 2007 12:19 PM | TrackBack
Comments

Excellent post.

Posted by: Ith at February 5, 2007 12:24 PM

wait... what do you mean Santa isn't real?

Posted by: wRitErsbLock at February 5, 2007 12:42 PM

But...but...how can we blame the evil Amerikkkans (esp. the reich wing) if it's not the fault of humans???

There MUST be a way! George Bush doesn't care about black people!

Posted by: Beth at February 5, 2007 01:19 PM

You take that back, Santa is real. I've writen him a letter each year for the past 27 years. He hasn't responded yet because he's very busy keeping those elves in line, trying to keep things warm at the north pole. It's hard to relax with a lemonade when they drink freezes immediately.

Posted by: Bill at February 5, 2007 02:43 PM

Exactly... I remember the global cooling (they called it "nuclear winter") phase very well. It was as idiotic then as this is now.

As to the "why do these people all jump on the bandwagon without tangible facts?" well, that's easy... always follow the money. There's money in the global warming scare - lots and lots of lovely cash. Facts be damned - it's who gets the paid the most and has the most money to lose... they fight the hardest for their position.

Posted by: Teresa at February 5, 2007 04:10 PM

good one CTG

Posted by: Jane at February 6, 2007 05:25 AM

LOL at Beth!!

This is a great article.

"As Lindzen said many years ago: "the consensus was reached before the research had even begun." Now, any scientist who dares to question the prevailing wisdom is marginalized and called a sceptic, when in fact they are simply being good scientists. This has reached frightening levels with these scientists now being called climate change denier with all the holocaust connotations of that word. The normal scientific method is effectively being thwarted.

Meanwhile, politicians are being listened to, even though most of them have no knowledge or understanding of science, especially the science of climate and climate change. Hence, they are in no position to question a policy on climate change when it threatens the entire planet. Moreover, using fear and creating hysteria makes it very difficult to make calm rational decisions about issues needing attention.

Until you have challenged the prevailing wisdom you have no idea how nasty people can be. Until you have re-examined any issue in an attempt to find out all the information, you cannot know how much misinformation exists in the supposed age of information."

True scientists must be appalled by what's going on. From what I understand, the sun's temperature has increased too (not that you'd know it in the northeast right now).

I'm no scientist, but who are we to think that our tiny little speck in the galaxy is experiencing climate change thanks to us? Aren't there at least a gazillion other variables to consider? Why does that idea seem to be rocket science?

(Snarky aside: Oh, and did you see the IMDB rating on Gore's film? 8.2/10 Ooooh. Peace-prize worthy, huh?)

Posted by: Marie at February 6, 2007 07:06 AM

I don't know, that global cooling sure would explain about the local temps of late. :)

Posted by: Contagion at February 6, 2007 03:38 PM

Thanks for the "ammo" for my debates.

Posted by: Crassus at February 7, 2007 05:40 AM

When you pull your collective heads out of the sand, you'll be baked at just the right temperature. You're all idiots.

Posted by: googoodolly at February 9, 2007 10:44 PM