Difference between revisions of "Document:No Need to Panic About Global Warming"
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| − | {{ | + | {{Document |
| − | | | + | |type=article |
| − | | | + | |source_URL=http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052970204301404577171531838421366-lMyQjAxMTAyMDIwODEyNDgyWj.html |
| − | | | + | |source_name=Wall Street Journal |
| − | | | + | |subjects=Climate Change |
| − | | | + | |authors=Editorial staff |
| − | | | + | |publication_date=28 January 2012 |
| + | |note=This article has been signed by the 16 scientists listed at the end of the article | ||
| + | |comment=There is good reason to treat anything published in the fount of the US {{ccm}} with a healthy dose of scepticism. This article is no exception. The 'Green Lobby' will dismiss it as corrupt, covert support for the Oil, Gas and related industries that underpin the global economy as currently configured. That is of course their default position when '''any''' criticism of the [[AGW]] creed is challenged. However, to do so in this case is to conveniently ignore the potential of the carbon cap-and-trade derivatives regime proposed as a means of controlling CO<sub>2</sub> emissions. As a globally enforced regime, carbon trading would simply dwarf all other financial derivatives markets and represents a source of vast potential profit for the very same financial interests that are allegedly also behind criticism of AGW. The whole AGW issue has morphed into a latter-day financial verson of the [[Wikipedia:Strategy of tension|Strategy of tension]]. | ||
}} | }} | ||
==No Need to Panic About Global Warming== | ==No Need to Panic About Global Warming== | ||
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In spite of a multidecade international campaign to enforce the message that increasing amounts of the "pollutant" carbon dioxide will destroy civilization, large numbers of scientists, many very prominent, share the opinions of Dr. Giaever. And the number of scientific "heretics" is growing with each passing year. The reason is a collection of stubborn scientific facts. | In spite of a multidecade international campaign to enforce the message that increasing amounts of the "pollutant" carbon dioxide will destroy civilization, large numbers of scientists, many very prominent, share the opinions of Dr. Giaever. And the number of scientific "heretics" is growing with each passing year. The reason is a collection of stubborn scientific facts. | ||
| − | Perhaps the most inconvenient fact is the lack of global warming for well over 10 years now. This is known to the warming establishment, as one can see from the 2009 "Climategate" email of climate scientist Kevin Trenberth: "The fact is that we can't account for the lack of warming at the moment and it is a travesty that we can't." But the warming is only missing if one believes computer models where so-called feedbacks involving water vapor and clouds greatly amplify the small effect of | + | Perhaps the most inconvenient fact is the lack of global warming for well over 10 years now. This is known to the warming establishment, as one can see from the 2009 "Climategate" email of climate scientist Kevin Trenberth: "The fact is that we can't account for the lack of warming at the moment and it is a travesty that we can't." But the warming is only missing if one believes computer models where so-called feedbacks involving water vapor and clouds greatly amplify the small effect of CO<sub>2</sub>. |
| − | The lack of warming for more than a decade—indeed, the smaller-than-predicted warming over the 22 years since the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) began issuing projections—suggests that computer models have greatly exaggerated how much warming additional | + | The lack of warming for more than a decade—indeed, the smaller-than-predicted warming over the 22 years since the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) began issuing projections—suggests that computer models have greatly exaggerated how much warming additional CO<sub>2</sub> can cause. Faced with this embarrassment, those promoting alarm have shifted their drumbeat from warming to weather extremes, to enable anything unusual that happens in our chaotic climate to be ascribed to CO<sub>2</sub>. |
| − | The fact is that | + | The fact is that CO<sub>2</sub> is not a pollutant. CO<sub>2</sub> is a colorless and odorless gas, exhaled at high concentrations by each of us, and a key component of the biosphere's life cycle. Plants do so much better with more CO<sub>2</sub> that greenhouse operators often increase the CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations by factors of three or four to get better growth. This is no surprise since plants and animals evolved when CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations were about 10 times larger than they are today. Better plant varieties, chemical fertilizers and agricultural management contributed to the great increase in agricultural yields of the past century, but part of the increase almost certainly came from additional CO<sub>2</sub> in the atmosphere. |
Although the number of publicly dissenting scientists is growing, many young scientists furtively say that while they also have serious doubts about the global-warming message, they are afraid to speak up for fear of not being promoted—or worse. They have good reason to worry. In 2003, Dr. Chris de Freitas, the editor of the journal Climate Research, dared to publish a peer-reviewed article with the politically incorrect (but factually correct) conclusion that the recent warming is not unusual in the context of climate changes over the past thousand years. The international warming establishment quickly mounted a determined campaign to have Dr. de Freitas removed from his editorial job and fired from his university position. Fortunately, Dr. de Freitas was able to keep his university job. | Although the number of publicly dissenting scientists is growing, many young scientists furtively say that while they also have serious doubts about the global-warming message, they are afraid to speak up for fear of not being promoted—or worse. They have good reason to worry. In 2003, Dr. Chris de Freitas, the editor of the journal Climate Research, dared to publish a peer-reviewed article with the politically incorrect (but factually correct) conclusion that the recent warming is not unusual in the context of climate changes over the past thousand years. The international warming establishment quickly mounted a determined campaign to have Dr. de Freitas removed from his editorial job and fired from his university position. Fortunately, Dr. de Freitas was able to keep his university job. | ||
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Related Video | Related Video | ||
| − | A recent study of a wide variety of policy options by Yale economist William Nordhaus showed that nearly the highest benefit-to-cost ratio is achieved for a policy that allows 50 more years of economic growth unimpeded by greenhouse gas controls. This would be especially beneficial to the less-developed parts of the world that would like to share some of the same advantages of material well-being, health and life expectancy that the fully developed parts of the world enjoy now. Many other policy responses would have a negative return on investment. And it is likely that more | + | A recent study of a wide variety of policy options by Yale economist William Nordhaus showed that nearly the highest benefit-to-cost ratio is achieved for a policy that allows 50 more years of economic growth unimpeded by greenhouse gas controls. This would be especially beneficial to the less-developed parts of the world that would like to share some of the same advantages of material well-being, health and life expectancy that the fully developed parts of the world enjoy now. Many other policy responses would have a negative return on investment. And it is likely that more CO<sub>2</sub> and the modest warming that may come with it will be an overall benefit to the planet. |
If elected officials feel compelled to "do something" about climate, we recommend supporting the excellent scientists who are increasing our understanding of climate with well-designed instruments on satellites, in the oceans and on land, and in the analysis of observational data. The better we understand climate, the better we can cope with its ever-changing nature, which has complicated human life throughout history. However, much of the huge private and government investment in climate is badly in need of critical review. | If elected officials feel compelled to "do something" about climate, we recommend supporting the excellent scientists who are increasing our understanding of climate with well-designed instruments on satellites, in the oceans and on land, and in the analysis of observational data. The better we understand climate, the better we can cope with its ever-changing nature, which has complicated human life throughout history. However, much of the huge private and government investment in climate is badly in need of critical review. | ||
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*Nir Shaviv, professor of astrophysics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem | *Nir Shaviv, professor of astrophysics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem | ||
*Henk Tennekes, former director, Royal Dutch Meteorological Service | *Henk Tennekes, former director, Royal Dutch Meteorological Service | ||
| − | *Antonio Zichichi, president of the World Federation of Scientists, Geneva. | + | *Antonio Zichichi, president of the World Federation of Scientists, Geneva. |
| − | |||
| − | |||
Latest revision as of 10:25, 30 September 2022
article by Editorial staff dated 28 January 2012Subjects: Climate Change
Source: Wall Street Journal (Link)
This article has been signed by the 16 scientists listed at the end of the article
Wikispooks Comment
There is good reason to treat anything published in the fount of the US commercially-controlled media with a healthy dose of scepticism. This article is no exception. The 'Green Lobby' will dismiss it as corrupt, covert support for the Oil, Gas and related industries that underpin the global economy as currently configured. That is of course their default position when any criticism of the AGW creed is challenged. However, to do so in this case is to conveniently ignore the potential of the carbon cap-and-trade derivatives regime proposed as a means of controlling CO2 emissions. As a globally enforced regime, carbon trading would simply dwarf all other financial derivatives markets and represents a source of vast potential profit for the very same financial interests that are allegedly also behind criticism of AGW. The whole AGW issue has morphed into a latter-day financial verson of the Strategy of tension.
★ Start a Discussion about this document
No Need to Panic About Global Warming
There's no compelling scientific argument for drastic action to 'decarbonize' the world's economy
A candidate for public office in any contemporary democracy may have to consider what, if anything, to do about "global warming." Candidates should understand that the oft-repeated claim that nearly all scientists demand that something dramatic be done to stop global warming is not true. In fact, a large and growing number of distinguished scientists and engineers do not agree that drastic actions on global warming are needed.
In September, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Ivar Giaever, a supporter of President Obama in the last election, publicly resigned from the American Physical Society (APS) with a letter that begins: "I did not renew [my membership] because I cannot live with the [APS policy] statement: 'The evidence is incontrovertible: Global warming is occurring. If no mitigating actions are taken, significant disruptions in the Earth's physical and ecological systems, social systems, security and human health are likely to occur. We must reduce emissions of greenhouse gases beginning now.' In the APS it is OK to discuss whether the mass of the proton changes over time and how a multi-universe behaves, but the evidence of global warming is incontrovertible?"
In spite of a multidecade international campaign to enforce the message that increasing amounts of the "pollutant" carbon dioxide will destroy civilization, large numbers of scientists, many very prominent, share the opinions of Dr. Giaever. And the number of scientific "heretics" is growing with each passing year. The reason is a collection of stubborn scientific facts.
Perhaps the most inconvenient fact is the lack of global warming for well over 10 years now. This is known to the warming establishment, as one can see from the 2009 "Climategate" email of climate scientist Kevin Trenberth: "The fact is that we can't account for the lack of warming at the moment and it is a travesty that we can't." But the warming is only missing if one believes computer models where so-called feedbacks involving water vapor and clouds greatly amplify the small effect of CO2.
The lack of warming for more than a decade—indeed, the smaller-than-predicted warming over the 22 years since the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) began issuing projections—suggests that computer models have greatly exaggerated how much warming additional CO2 can cause. Faced with this embarrassment, those promoting alarm have shifted their drumbeat from warming to weather extremes, to enable anything unusual that happens in our chaotic climate to be ascribed to CO2.
The fact is that CO2 is not a pollutant. CO2 is a colorless and odorless gas, exhaled at high concentrations by each of us, and a key component of the biosphere's life cycle. Plants do so much better with more CO2 that greenhouse operators often increase the CO2 concentrations by factors of three or four to get better growth. This is no surprise since plants and animals evolved when CO2 concentrations were about 10 times larger than they are today. Better plant varieties, chemical fertilizers and agricultural management contributed to the great increase in agricultural yields of the past century, but part of the increase almost certainly came from additional CO2 in the atmosphere.
Although the number of publicly dissenting scientists is growing, many young scientists furtively say that while they also have serious doubts about the global-warming message, they are afraid to speak up for fear of not being promoted—or worse. They have good reason to worry. In 2003, Dr. Chris de Freitas, the editor of the journal Climate Research, dared to publish a peer-reviewed article with the politically incorrect (but factually correct) conclusion that the recent warming is not unusual in the context of climate changes over the past thousand years. The international warming establishment quickly mounted a determined campaign to have Dr. de Freitas removed from his editorial job and fired from his university position. Fortunately, Dr. de Freitas was able to keep his university job.
This is not the way science is supposed to work, but we have seen it before—for example, in the frightening period when Trofim Lysenko hijacked biology in the Soviet Union. Soviet biologists who revealed that they believed in genes, which Lysenko maintained were a bourgeois fiction, were fired from their jobs. Many were sent to the gulag and some were condemned to death.
Why is there so much passion about global warming, and why has the issue become so vexing that the American Physical Society, from which Dr. Giaever resigned a few months ago, refused the seemingly reasonable request by many of its members to remove the word "incontrovertible" from its description of a scientific issue? There are several reasons, but a good place to start is the old question "cui bono?" Or the modern update, "Follow the money."
Alarmism over climate is of great benefit to many, providing government funding for academic research and a reason for government bureaucracies to grow. Alarmism also offers an excuse for governments to raise taxes, taxpayer-funded subsidies for businesses that understand how to work the political system, and a lure for big donations to charitable foundations promising to save the planet. Lysenko and his team lived very well, and they fiercely defended their dogma and the privileges it brought them.
Speaking for many scientists and engineers who have looked carefully and independently at the science of climate, we have a message to any candidate for public office: There is no compelling scientific argument for drastic action to "decarbonize" the world's economy. Even if one accepts the inflated climate forecasts of the IPCC, aggressive greenhouse-gas control policies are not justified economically. Related Video
A recent study of a wide variety of policy options by Yale economist William Nordhaus showed that nearly the highest benefit-to-cost ratio is achieved for a policy that allows 50 more years of economic growth unimpeded by greenhouse gas controls. This would be especially beneficial to the less-developed parts of the world that would like to share some of the same advantages of material well-being, health and life expectancy that the fully developed parts of the world enjoy now. Many other policy responses would have a negative return on investment. And it is likely that more CO2 and the modest warming that may come with it will be an overall benefit to the planet.
If elected officials feel compelled to "do something" about climate, we recommend supporting the excellent scientists who are increasing our understanding of climate with well-designed instruments on satellites, in the oceans and on land, and in the analysis of observational data. The better we understand climate, the better we can cope with its ever-changing nature, which has complicated human life throughout history. However, much of the huge private and government investment in climate is badly in need of critical review.
Every candidate should support rational measures to protect and improve our environment, but it makes no sense at all to back expensive programs that divert resources from real needs and are based on alarming but untenable claims of "incontrovertible" evidence.
The original 16 signatories to this article
- Claude Allegre, former director of the Institute for the Study of the Earth, University of Paris
- J. Scott Armstrong, cofounder of the Journal of Forecasting and the International Journal of Forecasting
- Jan Breslow, head of the Laboratory of Biochemical Genetics and Metabolism, Rockefeller University
- Roger Cohen, fellow, American Physical Society
- Edward David, member, National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Sciences
- William Happer, professor of physics, Princeton
- Michael Kelly, professor of technology, University of Cambridge, U.K.
- William Kininmonth, former head of climate research at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology
- Richard Lindzen, professor of atmospheric sciences, MIT
- James McGrath, professor of chemistry, Virginia Technical University
- Rodney Nichols, former president and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences
- Burt Rutan, aerospace engineer, designer of Voyager and SpaceShipOne
- Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 astronaut and former U.S. senator
- Nir Shaviv, professor of astrophysics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
- Henk Tennekes, former director, Royal Dutch Meteorological Service
- Antonio Zichichi, president of the World Federation of Scientists, Geneva.
