I know, I know, we’ve touched this subject before! But hey, I’ve been good — always searching, always something new, often startling, and it is clearly at or near the top of the most crucial issues facing the human race. And then, too, with all the testy, angry denials from righteous conservatives, I have to keep you posted, right? Hey, it’s your kids and mine I’m concerned about here! (And theirs, and theirs, on through the long reach into that threatened future!)
First, a hair-raising bulletin from Salon concerning the Canadian artic: “Arctic town cancels Halloween on account of polar bears: Ice melt is rerouting the animals straight through town,” Oct. 21, by Lindsay Abrams:
“If you want an obvious, undeniable example of the ways in which climate change is already affecting our planet, look to the Arctic, which is heating up at double the rate of lower latitudes. One illustration of that phenomenon — 35,000 walruses huddled on an Alaskan beach because they have nowhere else to go — is terrifying because of the powerful message it sends about the dramatic, real-time changes happening as a result of our planet’s warming. In the Canadian hamlet of Arviat, the message is more than symbolically terrifying: thanks to the decline of shore ice, migrating polar bears are being rerouted straight through town!
“As a precaution, town officials are banning outdoor trick-or-treating this year. Which means that ‘Halloween canceled on account of climate change’ is a real thing we can now say is happening.” (And in another northern town, “Don’t dress up as seals!” counts as vital public safety advice.)
“October is polar bear season in Arviat, with up to 1,200 of the endangered animals passing by on their way north. Ice along the Hudson Bay, over which they travel, has been melting earlier and freezing later each year, making it impossible for the bears to wander as far out onto the Bay — where they go to hunt seals — as they used to. So they’re probably not thrilled about this either.
“And while there haven’t been any fatal encounters with Arviat residents yet, some believe it’s only a matter of time before human-bear tensions result in disaster. ‘Picture 1,200 kids going door to door in Arviat in the middle of polar bear season,’ Steve England, the town’s senior administrative officer, told the CBC. ‘It’s a pretty obvious conclusion of what tragedies could come out of that. We’re just trying to safeguard the younger population by offering an alternative.’
“To the town’s credit, they’re doing their best to ensure that Halloween isn’t completely ruined. They plan to bus kids to city hall, where there will be a haunted house, face painting and lots of candy. If all goes well, England thinks the indoor party could become a town tradition — as warming continues, it’s not like they’re going to have a choice.”
Then to underline that and attach a couple exclamation marks, check out this temperature bulletin from the same author:
“Attention deniers: Earth just had its hottest September ever recorded,” Salon, Oct. 13:
“Since climate deniers love it when NASA says something that can be deliberately skewed as suggesting that the planet isn’t warming, here’s hoping everyone pays attention to this announcement too: According to the U.S. space agency, last September was Earth’s hottest on record.
“And as Slate’s Eric Holthaus points out, September’s high global temperatures mean Earth just saw its hottest-ever six-month stretch, going back to an unusually warm April. Every month from then to now was the warmest of its kind, except for July, which was fourth-warmest. At this pace, according to NOAA, we’re on track to see the hottest year in recorded history — and that’s without El Niño, which has a good chance of starting soon and which will bring regional warming. (As Joe Romm of Climate Progress explains, ‘it’s usually the combination of the long-term manmade warming trend and the regional El Niño warming pattern that leads to new global temperature records.’)”
So why then is warming being denied by conservatives — passionately and with considerable anger? Given the realities and the vital stakes in this matter, this is surely the crucial question to be addressed. I excerpt from the following piece published Oct. 24 by AlterNet which deals with this issue, “Why conservatives prefer propaganda to reality: A new Pew study on America’s media consumption offers a window into the right’s collective mindset,” by Amanda Marcorte:
“Pew Research set out to find what’s behind what it considers the increasing political polarization of the United States; why the country is moving away from political moderation and becoming more and more divided between liberals and conservatives. Its first report on the phenomenon, which examines where people are hearing news and opinion in both regular and social media, shows that this is happening for very different reasons among people moving to the right than for people moving to the left.
“Or that’s the charitable way to put it. The less charitable way is to say Pew discovered that conservatives are consuming a right-wing media full of lies and misinformation, whereas liberals are more interested in media that puts facts before ideology. It’s very much not a ‘both sides do it’ situation. Conservatives are becoming more conservative because of propaganda, whereas liberals are becoming more liberal while staying very much checked into reality.
“That this polarization is going on isn’t a myth. Previous Pew research shows the percentage of Americans who are ‘mostly’ or ‘consistently’ conservative has grown from 18 percent in 2004 to 27 percent in 2014. During that same period, the percentage of Americans who are ‘mostly’ or ‘consistently’ liberal stayed a little more consistent, growing from 33 percent to 34 percent in 10 years. (These statistics don’t measure what you call yourself, but what you rate as on a scale of beliefs about various issues.) While liberals became more liberal, conservatives both became more numerous and more rigidly conservative over time. What gives?
“Enter right-wing media, which has a nifty trick of convincing audiences it’s the other guys who are the liars, all while actually being much less trustworthy in reality. From conservative screaming about the ‘media elite’ to Fox News’s old slogan ‘Fair and Balanced,’ conservative media is rife with the message that everyone is out to get you, conservative viewer, and only in the warm blanket of right-wing propaganda will you be safe.
“The message, the Pew research suggests, has really taken hold. Pew researchers gave respondents a list of 36 popular media sources and asked how much they trusted each one. Some were liberal, like ‘The Daily Show’ or ThinkProgress. Some were conservative, like Rush Limbaugh or Fox News. Most of them are fairly straightforward news organizations with no overt political agenda, like NPR, various network news, CNN, and the New York Times.
“The findings were astounding. Out of the 36 news sources, consistent liberals trusted 28, a mix of liberal and mainstream news sources. Mostly, liberal respondents generally agreed, holding out a little more skepticism for overtly ideological sources like Daily Kos or ThinkProgress, but not actually distrusting them, either. The only news sources liberals didn’t trust, generally, are overtly right-wing ones, such as Fox News, the Blaze, Breitbart or Rush Limbaugh’s show.
“Conservatives, on the other hand, saw betrayers and liars around every corner. Consistent conservatives distrusted a whopping 24 out of 36 outlets and mostly conservative respondents distrusted 15 and were skeptical of quite a few more. The hostility wasn’t just to well-known liberal sources like MSNBC. Strong conservatives hated all the network news, CNN, NPR and the major national outlets, except the Wall Street Journal. Respondents who are mostly conservative fared better, but were still hostile to the New York Times and the Washington Post, as well as skeptical of mainstream organizations like CBS and NBC News.
“The fact that conservatives are this paranoid should be alarming enough, but it becomes even more frightening when you consider who conservatives do trust in the media. Consistent conservatives only trusted eight media sources — compared to the 28 liberals trusted — and of the eight, only one has anything approaching respectable reporting or reliable information. And that one, the Wall Street Journal, has good straight reporting but has an op-ed page that is a train wreck of right-wing distortions and misinformation.” (Italics mine) “Most conservative people were a little more open-minded, trusting USA Today and ABC News, but still were supportive of openly distorting sources like Fox News or the Drudge Report.
“The trust conservatives put in conservative media is utterly misplaced. For instance, both consistent and mostly conservative people love Glenn Beck, though he’s a well-known purveyor of outrageous conspiracy theories that percolate up to him from fringe characters. Breitbart and Sean Hannity also rated high, despite their shared history of championing right-wing fringe characters like Cliven Bundy.
“But what is really frightening is the reach of Fox News. Fox News rated as the only real news source for consistent conservatives, with 47 percent of them citing it as their main source of news. Nothing even came close to touching it, as the second most common answer, ‘local radio,’ was cited by only 11 percent of consistent conservatives. Eighty-eight percent of consistent conservatives trusted Fox News. Mostly conservative and even ‘mixed’ people also liked Fox News.
“The problem with this is watching Fox News actually makes you less informed than if you don’t watch any news at all. In a 2012 study, Fox News viewers rated the absolute lowest in ability to correctly answer questions on a quiz about recent news events. People who didn’t take in any news programs at all did better on the quizzes. NPR listeners rated the best. Consistent liberals in the Pew research were big fans of NPR, by the way. It was the second most common outlet cited as a favorite by consistent liberals, topped only by CNN.
“Fox News is one of the main factors, possibly the main factor, driving political polarization in this country. Huge chunks of this country listen mostly or solely to a relentless stream of misinformation coming from Fox News, coupled with warnings, implied or even baldly stated, to avoid listening to other, more factually accurate news sources. Unsurprisingly, then, more people are becoming conservatives and people who were already conservative are becoming more hardline about it. If you have any Fox viewers in your family, you probably already suspected this, but now Pew has given us the cold, hard facts to confirm your suspicions.”
Lots of words, most quotations, but hopefully all in the service of providing you a picture of the parlous state of our current environmental realities and of opinion formation in these United States in our day. When that many folks are deriving their realities from the ceaseless stream of distortion emanating from Fox, we are in big trouble. It is not some simple conservative-versus-liberal framework we are confronting. I grew through decades of that reality. While there were some fringe voices, the major networks featured commentators, both liberal and conservative, whose primary obligation was objectively reporting the news. And they stuck to that. It is captured in a simple descriptive phrase: journalistic integrity!
Jerome Page is a Benicia resident.
Sharing is caring!
Good work, Jerome, I don’t depend on conservatives for anything, not lies, moron moves, or stupidity. In the end they hamper only themselves. How sadly pathetic…pb
Oh come on Mr. Bray …. Name calling? You diminish the debate with Kindergarten tactics.
I disagree with Mr. Page but I can do so with respect. I understand the liberal arguements but simply disagree. Climate change is an open topic subject to data presented by both sides. The debate will continue and those with open minds can be persuaded.
But name calling such as you forward …. One cannot attach the label “liberal” or “open minded” to your comments. Quite prejudiced and bigoted I say.
Well stated Matter.
Unfortunately Mr. Bray is not alone in regards to his posting tactics.
Oh Lord , please, not another overcooked alarmist climate change article from Mr. Page!
Yawn!
TyT – Most viewed internet news channel.
From the piece:To the town’s credit, they’re doing their best to ensure that Halloween isn’t completely ruined. They plan to bus kids to city hall…
So Halloween for the kids is potentially ruined because of excessive carbon contributions from mankind.
And their solution is to contribute more carbon?
Peter said: I don’t depend on conservatives for anything, not lies, moron moves, or stupidity.
At last Peter we are on the same page; I too do not depend on conservatives for all of that as I get more then I need from the progressives.
When I saw Liberals followed Saul Alinsky’s rules their credibility with me went to zero.
Apparently Mr. Page has not spoken to Mr John . Coleman
U.N. Climate Change Report Offers Stark Warnings on Global Warming:
“Failure to Lower Emissions Could Lead to ‘Irreversible’ Changes, Including Rising Seas, Melting Glaciers and More Heat Waves, IPCC Report Says”
http://online.wsj.com/articles/u-n-climate-change-report-offers-stark-warnings-on-global-warming-1414946130
Thank you Mike. Just as a counter point … Let the debate continue. Let science and data prevail.
http://www.westernjournalism.com/co-founder-of-weather-channel-destroys-al-gores-climate-change-hoax/
Beyond the anti-intellectuals ,anti- science and climate change denial crowd—-
From the above commenter:
“Let science and data prevail.” Indeed!
“Days after Weather Channel co-founder John Coleman told Fox News that global warming is a myth, the cable network has clarified its stance on the matter.”
In an official “position statement” (read their official position) on global warming issued Wednesday, the Weather Channel said that man-made climate change is real.
“The climate of the earth is indeed warming, with an increase of approximately 1 – 1 1/2 degrees Fahrenheit in the past century,” the statement reads, adding that climate scientists “nearly unanimously” agree that “the majority of the warming” over the last hundred years has been the “result of human activities.”
Who is John Coleman—More information below:
This is not the first time Coleman has shared his views on the subject. In 2007, Coleman wrote in a blog post that global warming is a “non-event, a manufactured crisis and a total scam.”
“[I’ve] read dozens of the scientific papers. I have talked with numerous scientists. I have studied. I have thought about it. I know I am correct,” Coleman wrote at the time.
“Earlier this month, Coleman penned an open letter criticizing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, insisting that “there is no significant man-made global warming at this time, there has been none in the past and there is no reason to fear any in the future.’
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/29/weather-channel-global-warming_n_6072054.html
http://www.weather.com/news/science/environment/global-warming-weather-channel-position-statement-20141029?hootPostID=229120d79777fd4b8ae874f7ea6fd729
Critics of Coleman who do study and work in the field of climate science have produced detailed line-by-line rebuttals of his arguments against global warming.
Read more at http://www.snopes.com/politics/science/coleman.asp#TJivFtj9BV1vOMUi.99
Rebuttal to “The Amazing Story Behind the Global Warming Scam”:
http://uscentrist.org/platform/positions/environment/context-environment/john_coleman/the-amazing-story-behind-the-global-warming-scam
Beyond the anti-intellectuals, anti- science and climate change denial crowd—-
From the above commenter:
“Let science and ‘data’ prevail.” Indeed!
The above commenter secured his information from something called the Western Journalism Center? Who are these folks?
More information for Mr. Page, our citizen- voters and appointed and elected representatives to seriously contemplate…
The Return of the Western Journalism Center
“With a new smear artist at the helm …”
Today the Center is lead [sic] by columnist and veteran broadcaster Floyd Brown. The Western Center for Journalism is a vigorous watchdog that keeps a check on government abuse and the media. The Center believes strongly in open public debate. It also believes that informed public debate requires quality journalism and reporting.”
Yes, that Floyd Brown, who does indeed identify himself as WJC chairman on his own website. He’s a longtime right-wing hitman — the guy behind the notorious Willie Horton ad in 1988 — who last year was peddling smears of Barack Obama and falsely suggesting that Obama is a Muslim.”
So, as you can see, Mr. Page, the above commenter–your sometimes nemesis–really doesn’t matter!
http://conwebwatch.tripod.com/stories/2009/western.html
Fox “NEWS”? “Western Journalism Center”? “John Coleman”?
HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA, A-HAH, HA-HA!
MATTER, It’s perfectly clear to well educated folks that you have very small stock of adequate, or accurate, notions of scientific method or the philosophy of science, let alone the pains taken in assessing validity of results. Verifying the proof of an hypothesis can be impossible for someone who can’t discern “stochastic” from “statistic, nor “induction” from “deduction.” Eduction by flexible interplay of both is quite beyond you doctrinaire babies. Now, show me how stupidly you can come back with inept flack! (Come on, DDL, smart-off with me. You should stick to physical engineering and keep out of politico-social engineering. If you were smart enough to grasp how wrong you are about so many things you blab about, you’d shut up for shame!)
MATTER, YOU are in water totally too deep for you. Stay out of it? Of Course Not! You CAN’T do that. It wouldn’t be conservative or “rightist.’ What you CAN do is blather CANT (look it up!) True believing Righties don’t have to actually KNOW much, just keep their heads in the “TALKING-POINTS ECHO-CHAMBER” and be good transponders of pre-cooked KOCH and canned factoids. You don’t even have to be awake to do that, you’re deeply conditioned to merely imagine you think for yourselves. Many of you “individual-ists” are mentally alike as peas in a pod. You would be laughable, were the fact of you not so sadly disheartening.
This is actually getting very funny! Mr. Shelby, your rants are really beyond control. But against my better judgement, I will respond.
I am a degreed engineer from UC with a major in Geological Sciences and over 20 years of environmental and industrial consulting. My post graduate work involved a Paleontological study of Miocene Era climates. I hope that satisfies your worry about my technical pedigree.
My posts have all involved a plea to keep the debate open. The science is not concluded. There are predictive models throughout showing drastic climate changes directly related to carbon compound levels in the atmosphere. All the models have proven to be false. The hypothesis is not proven. Period. This does not mean the hypothesis is false, just unproven. The debate and science continues.
My position has and continues to be that the economy, and therefore humanity, can be harmed by “curing” global warming when the cure may not be needed. My opinion is that new clean sources of energy will be developed in 100+ years. Carbon fuels will not be needed then, and 100 years of carbon based energy will do no harm.
But please … Go ahead and accuse me of terrible, stupid things and insult my intelligence because I dared to have another opinion.
I will concede one thing … Your responses to my posts lead me to believe I have a great impact on you. And that impact is quite hostile, rude, and beyond the point of reasonable exchange of ideas.
Good luck to you sir.
Bless you for wishing me luck. I’m glad to hear that what looked to me like idiocy is well-qualified opinion.
I’m not shut-minded as you suppose, but no push-over for just any seemingly articulate argument. What you call my rants are reverse counters to those perpetrated by your phony Rightist friends. As for comment impact, you bet your boots I get “impacted feelings” from those I’ve assumed participated in (your?) circle of retrogressive commenters. Better luck to you, too, at convincing me you’re not just another Talking-points-biased, climate change denier, but open to developing fact.
Why do I call ’em phony? Because they have not really EARNED all the views they project and imply. Like “FOX creatures, they lean on others for authority whose authority is very often specious or wishful.
Yes, indeed, Dennis. I not only studied two sciences at U.C. Berkeley, I read voraciously on many subjects, especially all those relative to language and thought which I practiced long and deeply, winning a fair share of poetry prizes over the decades. In 2008, a Library Board committee chose me to be official Poet Laureate for a two-year term, following Benicia’s first in that office, my friend Joel Fallon. Three laureates have succeeded me. I’m sorry you didn’t get better grounded in the Humanities. You might not have turned away from democracy and progress. (Oh, I know, you think you’re well-grounded in everything. You’re just “grounded,” with your feet lost in cloud and your head buried in sand.) You’ve told me several times to “Get a life!” I say to you: “Get a mind.”
You have a right to be proud of yourself, but you’re proud for some wrong reasons.
Beyond the anti-intellectuals, anti- science and climate change denial crowd—-
From the above commenter:
“Let science and data prevail.” Indeed!
More information for our citizen- voters and our appointed and elected officials to consider…
Who is John Coleman—More information below:
Credentials:
According to an article in Columbia Journalism Review, “Coleman had spent half a century in the trenches of TV weathercasting; he had once been an accredited meteorologist, and remained a virtuoso forecaster. But his work was more a highly technical art than a science. His degree, received fifty years earlier at the University of Illinois, was in journalism.” [1]
Key Quote:
“Now the really good news: The increase in our atmospheric carbon dioxide during the 20th and early 21st centuries has produced no deleterious effects upon Earth’s weather and climate. There is absolutely no correlation between the increase in CO2 and average worldwide or US temperatures. And, predictions of harmful climatic effects due to future increases in hydrocarbon use and resulting increases in minor greenhouse gases such as CO2 do not conform to current experimental knowledge or have any scientific basis. On the other hand, increased carbon dioxide has markedly increased plant growth. Forest growth and farm crop output per acre have grown proportionally with increased atmospheric CO2 that is a key to photosynthesis in plants.” [4]
http://www.desmogblog.com/john-coleman
Wow. Really upset you guys with a counter point didn’t I?
I can repost many other counter posts. Do we want o do this?
BTW – I am a Geological Engineer and base my decisions on data. No matter what you post, there are significant scientific questions to all the attached articles:
1). Carbon compounds and there relationship to global warming – many models that have ALL proven to be errant,
2). Data clearly shows that with the increase of carbon compound influx into the environment, no data shows a corollary to percentage of such compounds to global temperature increase.
3). In the last 150 years, the global temperature has increase a total of 1.4 degrees F. This is clearly within the normal bandwidth of solar output.
4). Ice shields with in Polar latitudes have increase int he last 5 years.
5). Global temperatures, as a mean based study, have not increased in the past 15 years, yet global output of carbon compounds have increase 20% during the same time.
6). No where, and I mean NO WHERE, in all the attached studies you post will show a carbon compound absorption rate due to vegetation nor atmospheric dissipation rate that would mediate any carbon influence in the atmosphere. All models hold that every carbon compound molecule generated will be a molecule accumulated and not absorbed or dissipated. This is false modeling that has led to provable false conclusions.
I am very much a person of science. I need proof, not speculation. I do not deny that there is a threat of climate change due to man made activity. But I have seen no proof.
And there is a HUGE political agenda that is attached to the Global Warming agenda. The agenda includes the nationalism of resources and energy companies. This makes me highly suspicious.
If any of you just park the politics aside and READ, you will see that this subject is open to great debate and far from concluded. No scientific conclusion has been finalized. Yes .. You can post advocate articles from left leaning web sites, and yes you can post articles from activists, but the science is the science. And whether you like it or not, there is no consensus on the matter. Period.
But go ahead … Post your articles from Salon, Huffington Post, the UN …. I read actual data from scientific and quantitative based organizations.
This is all very correct. You always hear that 90+% of scientists all agree on global warming. I would like to know who these so called scientists are. We know that the predictions being made are based on modeling of data not ACTUAL data. You can theorize all you want, but there is NO clear scientific data to support the crazy notion of man made global warming. There have been plenty of doomsday predictions made that have already not come true but been proven to be so out of whack that it is laughable! Can you say Al Gore?
Volcanos (the big ones) have been sighted as putting more crap into the atmosphere than all of the last 50 years of the industrialized world combined and these volcanoes have been going off for millions or billions of years and yet they have not destroyed the planet. How can this be?!
There is, however, insurmountable evidence that there are a bunch of elitists (wealthy elitists) in our ranks that stand to benefit hugely if we can make a big enough deal out of global warming to the extend that the masses buy into it. If they can get wide spread acceptance then they get richer than they already are.
When there is no scientific evidence and yet there is as big of a push as we have, then the intelligent people follow the money. Do that and the story becomes clear.
I have said it many times, it is a solution looking for a problem. And Americans in mass are not buying it no matter how hard Mr. Page and the rest beat the drum. It’s a not issue. Move on!
Beyond the anti-intellectuals, anti- science and climate change denial crowd—-
From the above commenters:
“Let science and data prevail.” Indeed!
“Volcanos (the big ones) have been sighted as putting more crap into the atmosphere than all of the last 50 years of the industrialized world combined and these volcanoes have been going off for millions or billions of years and yet they have not destroyed the planet. How can this be?!”
Wrong. See correct answer below.
More information for our citizen- voters and our appointed and elected officials to consider…
“Do volcanoes emit more CO2 than humans?”
“What the science says…”
“Humans emit 100 times more CO2 than volcanoes.”
“Climate Myth…”
Volcanoes emit more CO2 than humans
“Human additions of CO2 to the atmosphere must be taken into perspective.
Over the past 250 years, humans have added just one part of CO2 in 10,000 to the atmosphere. One volcanic cough can do this in a day.” (Ian Plimer)
“The solid Earth contains a huge quantity of carbon, far more than scientists estimate is present in the atmosphere or oceans. As an important part of the global carbon cycle, some of this carbon is slowly released from the rocks in the form of carbon dioxide, through vents at volcanoes and hot springs. Published reviews of the scientific literature by Mörner and Etiope (2002) and Kerrick (2001) report a minimum-maximum range of emission of 65 to 319 million tonnes of CO2 per year. Counter claims that volcanoes, especially submarine volcanoes, produce vastly greater amounts of CO2 than these estimates are not supported by any papers published by the scientists who study the subject. ”
“The burning of fossil fuels and changes in land use results in the emission into the atmosphere of approximately 30 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per year worldwide, according to the EIA. The fossil fuels emissions numbers are about 100 times bigger than even the maximum estimated volcanic CO2 fluxes. Our understanding of volcanic discharges would have to be shown to be very mistaken before volcanic CO2 discharges could be considered anything but a bit player in contributing to the recent changes observed in the concentration of CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere.”
http://www.skepticalscience.com/volcanoes-and-global-warming.htm
MATTER, dear fellow, nothing limits the number of questions that can be put by a Doubting Thomas. Stick your finger in the world’s wounded side and wait for the blood to quit gushing black petro-carbons? Maybe there’s more to your position than I think. If so, you should get off your BUTT and write up your evidence of EXHAUSTIVE research in quest of knowledge on climate stasis or change. Quit POSTURING. Deliver the goods, in worthwhile observation and valid reasoning. SHOW US you’re made of more than hot air.
BTW, maybe YOU aren’t posturing, but be sure, some others against Page and human causation in global warming, are posturing impostors “sold out” as it were, to the carbon interests. Cheers.
Excellent comment Matter. You put the pro global warming/climate change folks in a place they may not be able get of. Very good. I do believe someone like you is necessary to get the correct info out. Some you will never even read or think about global warming/climate change in the correct science context.
Beyond the anti-intellectuals, anti- science and climate change denial crowd—-
From the above commenters:
“Let science and data prevail.” Indeed!
” I read actual data from scientific and quantitative based organizations.”
For your information:
Fox News and Western Journalism Center and John Coleman are not scientific organizations or scientists. And by the way i’m not impressed that the commenter mentions authoritatively that he’s a Geological Engineer. So what!!
Local Geological Engineer vs. the world’s top climate scientists—who are “we” the community going to believe?
Below more peer reviewed scientific information for our citizen- voters, appointed and elected officials to seriously contemplate
“Climate Change Threat Is ‘Higher Than Ever’, Warn World’s Top Scientists
The fifth-installment of the IPCC climate report paints a bleak picture for the Earth’s future.”
“The world’s top climate scientists have given their sternest warning yet that manmade climate change is poised to wreak havoc on the Earth, saying the fate of the world is at stake. The United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the fifth installment of its climate assessment, and they are warning if the world does not curtail the amount of atmospheric carbon, there will be “severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts for people and ecosystems.”
“The 116-page IPCC report, a review of more than 30,000 climate-science studies, is the latest in a series that began in 1990. It has been signed off by more than 100 governments, and is the first report to be released since 2007. It presents new conclusions that environmental scientists arrived over the past seven years.”
http://www.alternet.org/climate-change-dangers-are-higher-ever
Not to worry, filthy fuel will always be argued for by its stockholders. Much like buggy whip manufacturers and old harpooners.
Old crustacians like what they like. They own no oceans. They all have Al Gore their biggest BoogeyMan under their beds.
Peter Bray
Benicia, CA
Beyond the anti-intellectuals, anti- science and climate change denial crowd—-
From the above commenters: Who by the way don’t even use their real names–how about that for hutzpah!!
*“Let science and data prevail.” Indeed!
*” I read actual data from scientific and quantitative based organizations.”
*”If any of you just park the politics aside and READ, you will see that this subject is open to great debate and far from concluded. No scientific conclusion has been finalized. ”
Below more actual data and scientific informations for our citizen voters, and appointed and elected representatives to ponder….
Local Geological Engineer vs. AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES
Statement on climate change from 18 scientific associations
“Observations throughout the world make it clear that climate change is occurring, and rigorous scientific research demonstrates that the greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the primary driver.” (2009)2
American Association for the Advancement of Science
“The scientific evidence is clear: global climate change caused by human activities is occurring now, and it is a growing threat to society.” (2006)3
American Meteorological Society
“It is clear from extensive scientific evidence that the dominant cause of the rapid change in climate of the past half century is human-induced increases in the amount of atmospheric greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), chlorofluorocarbons, methane, and nitrous oxide.” (2012)7
American Meteorological Society
“It is clear from extensive scientific evidence that the dominant cause of the rapid change in climate of the past half century is human-induced increases in the amount of atmospheric greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), chlorofluorocarbons, methane, and nitrous oxide.” (2012)7
And, last, but not least, drum roll, please….
The Geological Society of America
“The Geological Society of America (GSA) concurs with assessments by the National Academies of Science (2005), the National Research Council (2006), and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2007) that global climate has warmed and that human activities (mainly greenhouse‐gas emissions) account for most of the warming since the middle 1900s.” (2006; revised 2010)9
http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/
Dear ol’ Robert Livesay, you don’t know SHOE from SHINOLA about anything but business economy and civic accounting.
You, too, are out of your depth about nearly everything else, and I haven’t called you any names. You do demonstrate egotistical hubris. I know you’re not a bad fellow, just an imperfectly reliable authority on subjects not belonging to your particular forté, your stock-in-trade.
People should not carry on about matters in which they lack substantive qualification. People on the “Right” have the notion that anyone’s opinion is as good as another’s. “Therefor, I have the same rights to self-EXPRESSION as anybody. I’m free to give others an IMPRESSION of my abject foolishness, because I’m CON-servative, hence always RIGHT about everything, whether it’s accurate or not.
Robert Shelby I do know more than you will ever know. Have you every sat with President Nixon, Presiden Reagan and Nancy. No you have not I have. Talked with Martin O”Malley, Senator Makulski, no you have not. I have Talked with Martin Sheen, no you have not. I have . Been to the White House, I doubt. you have.I have twice. Talked with top union officials, I doubt you have. I have. Been to the oil field in Kern County and talked with all the folks that work those jobs. Many well educated with advanced degrees. No you have not. I have. I have beem all over the USA and talked to the folks that make this country great. You I doubt have. Robert you are stuck in a very narrow group that does not like Republicans, Fox News, fracking, crude by rail all of which you know nothing about except what either someone told you or you googled. You and the other two followers show disrespect for Matter, Dennis and for sure me. Dennis, Matter and myself have a lot of respect for Page, we just do not agree. Robert there are many folks outside of Joplin and Benicia that ARE very well qualified to make convincing comments on all your anti business talk. Go to Western Kentuckty and see what the Progressives have done to those folks and then offered no help to get them back on their feet. Robert you need more than google and Page to convince folks of your so called broad knowledge on any subject. You appear not to have any knowl;edge. But you do put down folks that do not agree and that is not convincing. I could go on and on Robert but it will do no good. You and the other duo will react as you always do. Very negative and personal comments about me. Have at it as you always have.. I have no reason to have any personal objections to you Robert or your duo. But I will admit when attacked I will react. Robert it is about time we all have our opinions posted without being personally attacked. Can you do that. I do think you try but it appears something overcomes you. Think about what you say about others and how they may react. Yes I have have been very opinionated and have said some not so nice things about Progressives but at the same time try to keep the personal crap out. It is difficult at times.
Bobbie, you dared post that comment on my 83rd birthday? Just you wait, Henry Higgins!
Thank you, Will…Keep up the good work, I read Dr. Hansen’s work years ago and believe it then and now. Non-science Deniers have nothing to lose, they live in Lala land where petroleum stocks will always protect them from filthy skies. Their children are impervious to air pollution and asthma.Denial works for everything for them. First it’s Santa Claus and then Easter Bunny.
Hey, Pete! Yes, Mr. “MATTER” may be cooler than I supposed, but the fly-weights in Lala Land bother the unicorns around their tails. 😉
Bob Shelby:
Not to worry, old harpooners and buggy whip manufacturers went down in history with equal whining, moaning, and gnashing of teeth. They just didn’t have a horseshit Supreme Court decision like Citizens United and the Koch Bros. capital fueling their “non-science” arguments. Grassroots citizenry will always prevail, stupidity doesn’t last long, it just whines the most.
PB, Benicia
“Enter right-wing media, which has a nifty trick of convincing audiences it’s the other guys who are the liars, all while actually being much less trustworthy in reality………………”
Jerome, I read something pretty spot-on recently:
“What is the difference between Fox News and McDonalds? One sells cheap crap with lots of filler & seasoning to masses with no taste. The other is a fast food restaurant.”