Note to climate change deniers: It's real, you idiots
The news this week that natural climate cycles may see planetary temperatures plateauing for a decade or so was a gift to climate change deniers. That select group of fact-ignorers have pulled their heads out of the tar sands long enough to declare victory and claim the news as proof that manmade climate change is a hoax, and that humanity can now look forward to a future of worry-free polluting. Excellent stuff, and reassuring.
Unfortunately, real scientists don't agree, saying that the shift may disguise - briefly - some of the effects of global warming, but not much, and not for long. But that doesn't matter, because the war against the truth of climate change is about PR, not science.
Who are these so-called skeptics, or deniers? They claim that climate change isn't happening, and it's not our fault, and anyway it's too expensive or too late to do anything about the thing that isn't happening and isn't our fault. They present their case as if the topic were still up for debate, which it most emphatically is not. While experts disagree on many details about climate change - it's an immensely complex subject - there's an overwhelming consensus that it's here, we're a major cause, and we need to do something about it now.
It's not like the truth isn't out there. For an excellent summary, I recommend a terrific site by former physicist John Cook which takes each denier argument one by one and demolishes them with a simple application of the facts. Cook also offers a list of major scientific organizations who support the idea of anthropogenic climate change (the short version is, pretty much all of them.)
So why do the deniers do it? In the case of the more organized groups, there may be a simple profit motive. One of the groups most active in promoting a denial agenda is the Heartland Institute, which according to Greenpeace site Exxonsecrets.org has received $791,000 in funding from ExxonMobil between 1998 and 2006 (The Institute's latest achievements include sending grade schools unsolicited DVDs which make wildly unscientific claims about climate change, and publishing a list of "500 Scientists WIth Documented Doubts About Manmade Global Warming Scares" , which, as DeSmogBlog.com notes, within a couple days of posting got at least 45 angry replies from scientists on the list saying that they refute unequivocally the Heartland Institute claims.)
Groups like this have easy but effective techniques to spread their distorted message - firstly, use the language of science, and put it in the mouths of people who sound like scientists, even if their expertise is not in climatology, or their findings have already been discredited. Send portentous bulletins to the press, pronouncing each industry-funded junk science study as a new discovery that disproves everything we know about climate change. Hold conferences where the various shills, cranks, and liars of the Anti-Global Warming movement can come together, wear ties, and pat each other on the back over lunch .
That's the aristocracy of deniers, but the core community of letter-to-the-editor blitherers and online trolls who surface, fists raised, at the first mention of global warming or even a nasty weather report, have a variety of motivations. While their continued belief is fed by the stream of disinformation from groups like the Heartland Institute and the Competitive Enterprise Institute, there's evidently an array of unsettling psychological factors that draw individuals to this nonsense, including:
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Politics. Liberal hippies types believe in climate change. I hate them, so they're wrong.
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Fear. Global warming is scary, so I refuse to believe in it.
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Economics. Fixing this might make gas prices more expensive, so it can't be broken.
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Conspiracy. Big Solar is looking to shut down the struggling oil industry.
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Psychosis. Things are only true if I think they are.
Scientists go where the science leads, and in this case that's to a theory of human-caused climate change. Deniers go where their agenda takes them, which is to an intellectual place that's becoming more bizarre and irrational every day. It would be quaint - like the Flat Earth Society - if it weren't for the fact that these people can create enough doubt in the public mind to prevent us from doing the things that need to be done to prevent catastrophe.
To the deniers I say, your schtick isn't cute anymore. Educate yourselves, and do the right thing - you've got to live here too.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
5-05-2008 @ 6:07PM
Deborah said...
I think what I hate is about 5 out of 6 people who say global warming IS real arer:
~going green as a fashion statement
~going green to get attention (why buy tables and chairs that still have bumper stickers and loose nails unless you're a metaphorical dog, begging for others to pat your head and say you did good?)
~going pouser-green (hopping on yet another bandwagon)
~trying to sell a new book/cars/electronics/clothes 3x more expensive in order to save the lump-gilled lilly algae...
~adoring the chaos (as they say global warming and a gas shortage is real, while saying new sources of energy are unrealistic. see also: "farewell to suburbia" ...i think that's what the documentary was called...)
I think global warming isn't the issue. My dad doesn't believe in it. But we both believe in more **affordable** green solutions for the sake of being better stewards with the planet we were born on.
I think if we highlighted things like these, then there'd be much less division.
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5-05-2008 @ 8:15PM
Lou Alcantar said...
Altough I believe that the climate is changing, I have yet to see proof that it is man made. The whole solar system has seen a rise in planetary temps. It is never metioned. I have seen this panic before over global cooling it never happened. And if they are right the only thing that will save us is an extreame population decrease. That is the ultimate answer and everyone knows it, but is unwilling to acknowlage it.
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5-07-2008 @ 9:44AM
archiesteel said...
"The whole solar system has seen a rise in planetary temps. It is never metioned."
That's because it's *not true*. There have been sign of warming on Mars, but signs of cooling on other planets (and no change at all on the rest). If the Sun really was the cause, one would assume that it would be throughout the whole solar system.
The Mars warming has already been explained as seasonal variations, and solar output is already calculated in the computer models. That theory has been debunked, and you should refrain from spreading it any further - as the blog post says, deniers have done enough damage already.
As for Global Cooling, you can't compare that short-lived phenomenon, which involved no more than a dozen serious scientists at best, with the current scientific consensus, which only becomes more solid as the years pass.
Global Warming is real. Stop being part of the problem, become part of the solution.
5-05-2008 @ 9:03PM
ryan said...
There are quite a few problems both related and unrelated to climate change that we are starting to face.
Food scarcity and price increases.
Water scarcity and fights over available potable water.
At least in the U.S., a weakening economy.
If all else were equal, most everyone would choose the more environment-friendly alternative. It is really hard to change peoples' thinking and desires though. Someone that has worked 30 years to buy his Porsche 911 Turbo is going to buy it, with no concern for the CO2 emissions it spews. Sure it gets about a third to a quarter of what the Prius gets for FE, but you can't compare the driving excitement a Porsche gives you to the weak lack of acceleration of a Porsche.
Now, if we could have huge houses that naturally cooled/heated themselves, cars that were insanely fast while not consuming any fuel, and delicious meats made from petri-dish animals with no feelings, then everyone would be happy. Fact is though, everything requires compromises. A good winter tire makes a bad summer tire, and vice versa. Sure an all-season tire is a decent COMPROMISE, but is is just that, a compromise.
When we can appeal to people and sell them on the idea of living a more "down to earth life," then we can start changing for the better. Soft persuasion is the key. Nothing can be forced on anyone without a gun to their head.
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5-05-2008 @ 9:54PM
Mick said...
We just have the completely idiotic belief that the GIANT NUCLEAR ORB IN THE SKY controls the weather. I dunno how stupid that seams to you, but to my puny brain it makes sense.
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5-06-2008 @ 8:06AM
Robert said...
Hi,
Yes you have 100% right climate is changing. And you have another right, you should educate yourself about what this change is about, when it is happened and which side (hot/cold) now going climate on earth.
More then public rumor for changing cars and other stuff.
Emission (mld tons carbon per year)
Nature:
Oceans - 106
land and Vulcan's - 69
Human:
industry and agriculture - 7,6
cars - 0,57
people breathing - 0,65
Global warming (%)
H2O - ~98
CO2 natural + human + other gases - 2
CO2 human - 0,25
Check this links
http://www.polityka.pl/_gAllery/97/08/97081/Rys2B_600.jpg
http://www.polityka.pl/_gAllery/97/07/97079/Rys2_600.jpg
and finally average temperature
http://www.polityka.pl/_gAllery/97/07/97077/rys1_600.jpg
Best regards,
Robert
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5-07-2008 @ 9:42AM
Archie Steel said...
The figure you give for Human Activity are wrong - it's not 7 million tons, it's 7 *billions* (with a "b"), or about 30x what is produced by volcanoes.
You also fail to realize that water vapor is part of a natural cycle, and as such is very stable, while fossil fuels *add* CO2 to the atmosphere.
All of this has been thoroughly explained many times before. It's time for deniers like you to STFU and learn some real science. You've done enough damage as it is.
5-06-2008 @ 12:44PM
drivin98 said...
Does anyone even read the post (and links) before they start commenting away stuff like the deniers above? "My Dad doesn't believe in it"? Kid, your Dad's as big an idiot as the commenter who thinks the whole solar system is heating up. Aim higher. Read.
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5-06-2008 @ 4:46PM
Deborah said...
"do people even read the article before commenting"
Do you even read a comment before replying? If you did, then you would not have posted, having seen that I was saying that my dad thinks radically differently than I, yet we both agree that humanity has been a terrible steward of the planet. And that commonality is what pro-green groups and the general population have been missing.
"you're dad's an idiot"
Oh wow. Aren't we high-and-mighty, insulting family members of people we've never met. And what a wonderful pre-school American attitude of "you think differently than I do? then you're a little baby doody-head!"
5-06-2008 @ 1:55PM
Sara said...
I would add "Ignorance" to the list. So many people in my conservative family have seemingly gotten over the liberal-hippie-hating but genuinely just don't understand the issue. They'll say "I'm not opposed to the idea that there might be global warming, I just don't see how we have that much of an impact." What's maddening is that they don't take the 30 minutes to research it a bit on some reputable sites - they seem content to remain in ignorance. I don't understand that fundamental lack of curiosity but it is strikingly present in many Americans. We have to remember not to assume that people are all inherently curious to truly understand or master an issue. Thinking is a lot of work! :)
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5-09-2008 @ 10:03PM
johnhubbard78 said...
Sara, it's 25 facts like this that prompt your so called ignorance
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YmFiZDAyMWFhMGIxNTgwNGIyMjVkZjQ4OGFiZjFlNjc=
5-06-2008 @ 4:10PM
johnhubbard78 said...
That average temperature link says it all. It is obvious the new surge in denial is because of the facts that support climate change being cyclical and having nothing to do with humans. Recent temperature averages have concluding we are now in a cooling stage. Blaming the economy and food/water shortage is laughable. The economy is also cyclical and we all know why we have a food shortage...... Ethanol!!!! The bottom line is Scientists can NOT predict what the climate will do and unjustified negligence of the natural variability in comparison with the recent trends is why so many waste their time on this subject.
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5-07-2008 @ 9:47AM
archiesteel said...
Please read up on this, as you clearly haven't understood what's going on: we are *not* seeing a reversal of Global Warming - what we are seeing is short-term variations temporarily offsetting the warming (the key word here being "temporarily").
Please STFU. You've caused enough damage as it is.
5-07-2008 @ 8:55AM
dave said...
There is no real solid evidence that world is getting warmer ... unless you check NASA numbers!!! ... which have been revised upwards??? ...
The UK Meteorological Office's Hadley Center for Climate Studies Had-Crut data shows worldwide temperatures declining since 1998. According to Hadley's data, the earth is not much warmer now than it was than it was in 1878 or 1941.
By contrast, NASA data shows worldwide temperatures increasing at a record pace - and nearly a full degree warmer than 1880.
The other two widely used global temperature data sources are from earth-orbiting satellites UAH (University of Alabama at Huntsville) and RSS (Remote Sensing Systems.) Both show decreasing temperatures over the last decade, with present temperatures barely above the 30 year average.
So why the conflict!! ...
NASA has been reworking recent temperatures upwards and older temperatures downwards
NASA and Had-Crut data are largely based on surface measurements, using thermometers. They both face a lot of difficulties due to contaminated data caused by urban heating effects, disproportionate concentration of thermometers in urban areas, changes in thermometer types over time, changes in station locations, loss of stations, changes in the time of day when thermometers are read, and yet more factors.
Also NASA has a very small number of long-term stations in the Arctic, and even fewer in Africa and South America.
Satellite temperature data (UAH and RSS) is more reliable because it covers the entire earth - with the exception of small regions near the north and south poles. They use the same methodology from year to year, and the two sources tend to agree fairly closely
Bottom line ... things ae getting cooler, not warmer. Thats a fact.
Bear in mind that warming and cooling concerns are nothing new, as this alarming bulletin reminds us -
The Arctic ocean is warming up, icebergs are growing scarcer and in some places the seals are finding the water too hot, according to a report to the Commerce Department yesterday from Consul Ifft, at Bergen, Norway. Reports from fishermen, seal hunters and explorers, he declared, all point to a radical change in climate conditions and hitherto unheard-of temperatures in the Arctic zone. Exploration expeditions report that scarcely any ice has been met with as far north as 81 degrees 29 minutes. Soundings to a depth of 3,100 meters showed the gulf stream still very warm. Great masses of ice have been replaced by moraines of earth and stones, the report continued, while at many points well known glaciers have entirely disappeared. Very few seals and no white fish are found in the eastern Arctic, while vast shoals of herring and smelts, which have never before ventured so far north, are being encountered in the old seal fishing grounds.
A RealClimate blogger? No, that was the US Weather Bureau in 1922.
We saw a global cooling scare in 1924, a global warming scare in 1933, another global cooling in the early 1970s, and another warming scare today. The changes the USHCN promised Watts won't help resolve anything for another decade or so, but perhaps future generations will be able to reduce the alarming increase in the number of climate alarms.
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5-07-2008 @ 9:50AM
archiesteel said...
"Bottom line ... things ae getting cooler, not warmer. Thats a fact."
Actually, that's not. Recent leveling up of temperatures is due to temporary cooling variations offsetting the expected results. But please, keep on doing ExxonMobil's work for them - I hope you at least get paid a good sum of money for helping sacrifice our future!
(Note: I used to be civil with deniers, and try to argue rationally with them, but in the face of their repeated lies and refusal to accept scientific evidence, I've decided it was a waste of time. Deniers are more dangerous to society than those who support terrorists, and should be treated as such - *that* is the bottom line.)
5-07-2008 @ 4:04PM
johnhubbard78 said...
Well said Dave, here is a great site with without a doubt the most extensive up-to-date Global Warming facts.
http://www.schnittshow.com/globalwarming.html
5-07-2008 @ 9:12AM
Phaquor said...
I am a master’s student in inorganic chemistry. The documentary film "Global Warming or Global Governance" has raised some serious doubts in me and my friends about the validity of the current climate change hype.
While we do indeed have political objection, the example noted about "liberal hippies" is not our concern. Instead we are worried that shaky science is being used to promote a globalist agenda.
I read this article with an open mind, but frankly the condescending tone of the article was not particularly helpful. I see great similarities between how climate change skeptics are treated to the way those who question the official story of 9/11 are unjustly ridiculed. The conventional theory of 9/11, like man-made global warming, is being used to justify bigger government and ever expanding foreign intervention.
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5-07-2008 @ 9:52AM
archiesteel said...
I have some tinfoil hats for sale. Interested?
9/11 "truthers" and GW deniers should indeed be ridiculed, because there is *no* scientific evidence to support their position, or that of the existence of some "big bad world government". None.
5-07-2008 @ 9:14AM
Evgeni said...
Wherever the money is, there you will find so called "scientifically" proven evidence, whether it is really true or not.
I am not ruling out that humans on this planet have had no impact on it. But it is clear as daylight that its BIG BUSINESS for a lot of people.
Pointless to go into a deep analysis but a good example would be: The Australian government has spent "Millions" of dollars so called "saving" the Yarra river in Victoria, slowing it and stopping it from drying up... Massive campaigns and Green movements have been set up, once again more money. Completely ignoring the fact that the Yarra river has dried up twice in the last 100 years. Its a natural phase.
And so is "Global Warming".
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5-07-2008 @ 9:54AM
archiesteel said...
There is *much* more money being made by the Multinational Oil Companies, so following your *own* logic, their position must be false as well, so Global Warming would then be true.
Nice argument you had there...