Here is a major problem with the kafuffle about climate change. Who should you believe?
My paper carried a piece by a local scientist. He is an expert in glaciers. He wrote that “97 percent of all climate scientists attribute the current rate of warming to human activity”.
He is a friend. I respect his knowledge. But next day I saw a presentation at the online Prager University. You can see it at prageru.com. It demolishes the 97 percent claim. Calls it “One of the most illogical and unscientific arguments you can make.” Shreds the 97 percent claim piece-by-piece.
So who do we believe?
Scientists and science writers tell us the earth is warming, warming, warming. But other scientists tell us there has been no appreciable warming for 19 years. According to satellite data.
So who do we believe?
We have seen scare headlines about Arctic ice shrinking. Yet Danish Meteorological Institute says temperatures in the Arctic are normal. And that Arctic ice and Greenland ice caps are expanding lately. At Climatedepot.com we read we have rapid global surface cooling. And growing Arctic ice thickness. And that Antarctica’s ice sheet has been stable for millions of years. During warmer temperatures than now. Yet we see headlines about Antarctica’s ice sheet cleaving away.
Scientists tell us we are about to burn. But from Britain this week scientists predict we are about to begin a “Little Ice Age”. Because of low solar activity. Also, that we get a cooling cycle every 230 years. We have just begun one.
Don’t forget sea levels. They are going up, many scientists predict. Because of climate change. Caused by you and me. Yet a recent study suggests sea levels were higher 2000-years ago.
So who do we believe?
Scientists and others say the world must spend 2 percent of its GDP to keep evil global warming at bay. But others say if we did everything the Paris Climate Accord calls for we would change virtually nothing.
Many scientists and global bureaucrats say the accord is the perfect remedy. Others call it an utterly worthless fraud.
Each side of the issue calls the other side frauds. One Princeton physicist reckons “There’s a whole area of climate so-called science that is really more like a cult.” A Georgia Institute of Technology climatologist retired because of “craziness” in the field of climate science. An MIT climate scientist says that believing Co2 controls client “…is pretty close to believing in magic.”
Who do we non-scientists believe, then?
Meanwhile, some scientists tell us droughts and nearly all extreme weather events are declining. Or are at near-record lows.
University of Virginia science center estimates that 70 percent of all scientific studies cannot be reproduced. So which studies do we accept and believe?
Many scientists predicted devastating warming. By now. Has not happened. Many others claim warming will benefit the earth. So…? You can ask the question.
Politicans are usually not too believable. And on this subject they are hopeless. Al Gore has served up countless predictions of doom. As did Jimmy Carter. Their predictions look ridiculous today.
Barrack Obama just collected $2.7 million for speaking at a global agriculture conference. There, he said manmade global warming was shrinking crop yields and raising food prices. “Our changing climate is already making it more difficult to produce food.”
Huh? Last year was a record year for crop yields. Yields have basically doubled since 2007. And prices for major food commodities are below prices of 1965. Maybe the conference guys should ask for their money back.
So who do we believe in all this?
Eminent scientist Stephen Hawking just told us we have only 100 years to escape this dying planet. Buy your ticket for Mars. But a year ago he said we had 1000 years. So which Stephen do we believe? Is he going to blame this 999-year difference on Trump’s election?
At this rate his next prediction will shorten our time on this planet to 10 years. Which will be a good reason to buy a gas-guzzler and turn up the heat. Eat, drink, be merry. And spew out as much Co2 as you like.
From Tom…as in Morgan.
Find Tom on Facebook. You can write to Tom at tomasinmorgan@yahoo.com.