PseudoScience behind Global Warming

bokbadok · Senior Bucketkeeper

PseudoScience behind Global Warming

arbilad · Head Chef

Wow. That's amazing stuff. Of course, I'm predisposed to accept what he says because it supports my beliefs. But it fits with so many other evidences that I have heard that it makes logical sense as well.
Global warming does get my blood boiling, though.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Pretty well written article. I usually don't like much of Card's articles / essays, because they typically have a spin to them, but this was more objectively written than I've seen in a while.

Of course, he does point out what most rational people already know or suspect... that many "scientists" actually give science a bad name by using studies and data to prove only what they want to prove and not letting it tell what it really tells.

arbilad · Head Chef

That's what I thought, Cat; I generally don't like OSC's stuff. But there's no arguing with the fact that the man can write, and this piece was especially good.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

I love Card's political commentaries. They're most excellent, so I'll have to make sure to check out the latest... only drawback is that they're really long, which means it's hard to get other folk to read them... short attention spanned humanity...

--Ray

Mahonri · Senior Bucketkeeper

You are correct Ray... it was so long he put me to sleep before I'd finished even 1/4th of it.

I just wanted to say.... c'mon, get to it, just say what you want to say for heaven's sake!

fear of shiz · Profuse Pontificator

My 4th grader got all upset when she heard that the electric company was cutting down trees in our neighborhood that interfered with the electric lines. Didn't they know that was endangering the earth? We can't cut trees down! Global warming!

It was fun trying to convince her that her science teacher was full of it.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Some of his essays read like books... you'd think he was a novelist or something!? ;)

--Ray

fear of shiz · Profuse Pontificator

And I'm eager to hear his thoughts on the automobile.

arbilad · Head Chef

Mahonri wrote:

You are correct Ray... it was so long he put me to sleep before I'd finished even 1/4th of it.

I just wanted to say.... c'mon, get to it, just say what you want to say for heaven's sake!

The point, in a nutshell, is that some UN puke used one study, that certain trees had wider rings in recent years, plus a creative error in his computer model, to create the bulk of the case supporting global warming. That same computer model cannot accurately predict the weather for past decades for which we have all the information. The study of those tree rings stated flat out that the tree rings weren't wider because of increased temperature, but because of increased carbon dioxide in the area. A nearby measuring station recorded a drop in temperature over those years.
So basically, the study that everyone quotes is based off an incorrect interpretation of one extremely small subset of climate information that a computer model interpreted incorrectly.
There's a lot more information there, and it was very eye opening.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

I liked how he summed up the whole Global warming political agenda to revolve around condemnation of the West and its wealth compared with the rest of the world... Of course he didn't provide any scientific evidence for that assertion (a thing he criticizes the UN for doing) but I tend to agree with it, at least at a gut level.

--Ray

Euphrasie · Senior Bucketkeeper

Hey...I'm the resident book-cooker around here.

fear of shiz · Profuse Pontificator

I loved the lead to this story:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070312/ap_on_sc/polar_trek_1

A North Pole expedition meant to bring attention to global warming was called off after one of the explorers got frostbite

arbilad · Head Chef

Don't you love that whatever temperatures you have, warm or cold, they use it as evidence of global warming? Their expedition got called off because of temperatures getting down to 100 degrees below, which is unseasonably cold, and they blamed it on the unpredictability of global warming.
Isn't it convenient when, whatever the evidence, you can use it to support your theory?

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

Right on Arb. Any weather seems to be "evidence" of global warming. Funny how that happens.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Ninja Deer and Mutant Squirrels are evidence of Global Cooling...

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

...and giant beavers...

I saw that on the Discovery channel...

--Ray

Mahonri · Senior Bucketkeeper

check this out...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6IPHmJWmDk

or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XttV2C6B8pU

TitusTodd · Senior Member

The point, in a nutshell, is that some UN puke used one study, that certain trees had wider rings in recent years, plus a creative error in his computer model, to create the bulk of the case supporting global warming. That same computer model cannot accurately predict the weather for past decades for which we have all the information.

While taking an Environmental Science class at Ricks I did a paper on Global Warming. I found plenty of disagreement on man's part in it. The computer model problem was known back then (in 1992) so it amazes me that people still rely on the results of a computer model that couldn't even predict weather that had already happened. The fact is, there is a lot involved in making our climate what it is. Computer models don't take into account all those factors and even if the did, it would be the known factors. The unknown is what often skews scientific results which makes conclusions from those studies merely theory not fact.

TitusTodd · Senior Member

Thanks, Mahonri. That presentation is another example of the consensus on human caused global warming...er...wait...

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

I remember back in 95 or so when I took weather and climate in college. The instructor showed a video on how the data from past was being compared with data today using the same weather station locations but that many of the areas had become heavilly urbanized since the data started being tracked. The data showed a warming trend and seemed to support the global warming theory. When the urbanized recordings were removed from the data, things were shown to be cooling off. Of course the true believers totally discounted the urban warming effect. The real story as Glen Beck would put it is that the enviros want the government to take great control over our lives and take more of our money for their projects in the name of saving the planet. Follow the money. The enviros have tossed off the traditional religions for a new religion of environmentalism. They talk of mother nature and the earth in reverent terms. They spread fear of an apocolyptic future not brought on by war in the middle east but by SUVs. Their willing friends in government and the media fall right in step because they also believe the government should have more control over our lives and more of our money. Their worship the idols of Prius, polution credits, and rail against the sins of man against the planet. Every element of religion is there. And if you question their faith, you are an uniformed crazy that wants to kill children and destroy the planet.

Mahonri · Senior Bucketkeeper

More global warming....

Coldest April in 113 years....Global Warming

Roper · Senior Bucketkeeper

I've noticed a subtle change in the rhetoric over the past few months. It's now being referred to as human-caused "climate change" in order to co-opt all the contrary evidence and still make the same argument.

bokbadok · Senior Bucketkeeper

I'm thinking about buying a Prius. Does that make me an "enviro"?

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

Why are you asking us, bok?

--Ray

Mahonri · Senior Bucketkeeper

I dunno Bok... producing those big batteries for cars does a number on the environment.

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

Now they are saying that pine trees in Europe and Canada may be contributing to global warming. Thinning these trees out was offered as a possible solution since they trap the heat. Recently San Francisco banned plastic grocery bags and now only paper are permitted. What happened to saving the trees?

arbilad · Head Chef

It is deeply disturbing that major policy decisions are made based on this bad science.
And Bok, it depends on your reasons for buying the Prius. If you're buying it to prevent global warming, then yes, you are an enviro-whacko. But if you're buying it to save money on gas, then I wouldn't label you that way.
Of course, I prefer to drive cars well past the 100,000 mile mark. Don't they only rate the engine of the prius up to 100k miles?

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Global Warming May Put U.S. in Hot Water

The Sky is Falling! The Sky is Falling! And here is how, where, and when!

I went to the "study" that this article is based on, and it basically sounded to me to be a military think tank's what if security risk scenario with recommendations based off the assumptions of the pseudoscience behind global warming...

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

I blame Global Warming for the massacre at Virginia Tech. Obviously the South Korean young man was disturbed about the future calamity in his country and lashed out while under the influence of handgun.

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Well, looks like NASA has gotten into the act as well... rolleyes

Roper · Senior Bucketkeeper

From the CATO Institute:

Klaus to Address Climate Change at UN Summit

A special UN Climate Change Summit opens in New York on September 24. Speaking at this summit will be Czech President Vaclav Klaus, who discussed global warming at a Cato policy forum in March. Klaus took issue with global warming alarmists, asserting "Global warming is a false myth and every serious person and scientist says so. It is not fair to refer to the U.N. panel. The IPCC is not a scientific institution: it's a political body, a sort of non-government organization of green flavor. It's neither a forum of neutral scientists nor a balanced group of scientists. These people are politicized scientists who arrive there with a one-sided opinion and a one-sided assignment."

Lots more on the pseudoscience of climate change available at CATO.

-- Edited by Roper at 22:09, 2007-09-21

Janey · Senior Member

I have been skeptical of global warming ever since 7th grade. In 6th grade, I read a book and did a book report about the impending Ice Age. Seriously, in 6th grade our science teacher was talking about the next ice age, and in 7th grade, it had switched to global warming. I've been waiting for two decades now for them to start talking about an ice age again.