M* has been a source of a lot of interesting discussions lately on climate change, global warming, global cooling, etc. The ever intrepid Bruce Nielson has done a great job looking into the issue from a fresh perspective, and I believe his search — and his discoveries — will continue.
In the meantime, this may be as good a moment as any to look at some recent developments in the world of climate research. Why are we doing this on a Mormon blog? We could say it has to do with being good stewards of the Earth, but the reality is that (some of us) are just interested in the subject.
Some of you may know that leading promoters of the global warming theory are promoting a black list. The point of the black list was to point out which scientists support the theory of man-made global warming and which ones don’t. This whole issue is roiling the scientific community, causing discussions of suppression of academic freedom and totalitarian behavior.
One respected scientists says:
Interestingly, there are a few scientists who are on the “good” (meaning you believe in manmade global warming) and “bad” (meaning you are a denier, kind of like a Holocaust denier) lists. He is one of the most respected climate scientists around, and here is what he has to say about the blacklist:
I was one of only three scientists who made both the “good guy” and the “bad guy” lists. Quite an honor I suppose. However, I think the study was pathetic. It basically says, “Those of us who agree with each other like to cite the work of our friends and not the other guys.” Duh. (One of my fellow scientists calls this “tribalism” – an appropriately primitive description.) I think the more sinister motive was evident in that the paper chided the media, such at the SF Chronicle, to stop investigative-reporting and just “trust us” (the guys on the “good guys” list) when it comes to climate change. It really was an attempt to make a blacklist. In that sense, I guess I ended up being gray, which fits my hair color now.
By the way, what does Christy have to say about the climate and manmade global warming?
Natural variability is still the major driver of the climate changes that create challenges for society. The one confident conclusion we can make about added CO2 is that the biosphere has clearly been invigorated – plants love what we do with carbon-based energy because its by-product is CO2 – plant food. (I can hear the shrieks of horror all the way here in Alabama from California, my home state.)
By the way, Christy participated in the IPCC process. So much for that “consensus.”
Speaking of the IPCC process, nearly every week brings a new revelation of incompetence and faulty science in the UN’s reports on climate change. The latest involves fabricated evidence on the Amazon, which is being calling Amazongate.
Luckily, the world’s leading nations are catching on that global warming alarmism will get you nothing except higher unemployment and economic decline. The meetings of the G8 and G20 both ended with no real commitment on climate change and a quiet recognition that the worldwide climate regime is dead for now.
One of the major causes of this new global consensus is the fact that Climategate really was a fiasco for the man-made warming cause. Despite repeated attempts to sweep the issue under the rug and whitewash bad behavior by a small group of leading climate scientists, the scientific community recognizes that the leaked e-mails ruined the credibility of the worst alarmists.
Oh, and by the way, Al Gore is continuing to make the Nobel committee proud.