From a lecture at Hillsdale College, Dr. Fred Singer in Imprimis:
Climate will continue to change, as it always has in the past, warming and cooling on different time scales and for different reasons, regardless of human action. I would also argue that--should it occur--a modest warming would be on the whole beneficial.This is not to say that we don't face a serious problem. But the problem is political. Because of the mistaken idea that governments can and must do something about climate, pressures are building that have the potential of distorting energy policies in a way that will severely damage national economies, decrease standards of living, and increase poverty. This misdirection of resources will adversely affect human health and welfare in industrialized nations, and even more in developing nations. Thus it could well lead to increased social tensions within nations and conflict between them.
If not for this economic and political damage, one might consider the present concern about climate change nothing more than just another environmentalist fad, like the Alar apple scare or the global cooling fears of the 1970s. Given that so much is at stake, however, it is essential that people better understand the issue.
Read the entire article at the link above. Here is the .pdf version
UPDATE 3:19 p.m.: I just noticed an article on the subject by Bret Stephens in today's WSJ Opinion Journal:
I confess: I understand that global warming may have negative consequences. Heat waves, droughts and coastal flooding may become more intense. Temperature-sensitive parasites such as malaria could become more widespread. Lakes may be depleted by evaporation. Animal life will suffer.But as Bjorn Lomborg points out in his sharp, persuasive and aptly titled book "Cool It," a warming climate has advantages, too, and not just trivial ones. Though global warming will cause more heat deaths, it will also mean many fewer cold deaths. Drought may increase in some areas, but warming also means both more rain and longer growing seasons. Temperature changes will harm some wildlife in some places. But many species will benefit from a bit more warmth. Does anyone know for certain that the net human and environmental losses from global warming will exceed overall gains?
Read it all at the link preceding.
Comments (16)
Very good description and l... (Below threshold)1. Posted by iurockhead | August 28, 2007 2:54 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Very good description and links to recent studies debunking Gorebull Warming at:
http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Blogs&ContentRecord_id=84e9e44a-802a-23ad-493a-b35d0842fed8&Issue_id
Dead issue walking. MSM is ignoring it all, of course, but they will have to acknowledge the elephant in the room eventually.
1. Posted by iurockhead | August 28, 2007 2:54 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 14:54
2. Posted by spurwing plover | August 28, 2007 2:55 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Climate change is natural prosses it has nothing to do with man made cuases
2. Posted by spurwing plover | August 28, 2007 2:55 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 14:55
3. Posted by P. Bunyan | August 28, 2007 3:18 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
I think an important aspect of this whole thing, as this lecture points out, is that what the left is trying to do will do much more harm than good. (Then again, can anyone think of a single thing the left has ever done that didn't ultimately do more harm than good.)
This fact flies in the face of the arguement made by some that even if catastrophic anthropogenic global warming is a hoax, it's still good to follow the recommendations of the leftists as well all be better off regardless.
Bullshit. Universal poverty, which is the ultimate outcome whenever anyone trys to implement modern American Democrat policies, is not better. Stalin tried it, Castro tried it, Kim Jung Il tried it, and Bill's wife will try it. And it still won't work.
3. Posted by P. Bunyan | August 28, 2007 3:18 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 15:18
4. Posted by BarneyG2000 | August 28, 2007 3:19 PM | Score: -9 (9 votes cast)
The Fred that...
"In a September 24, 1993, sworn affidavit, Dr. Singer admitted to doing climate change research on behalf of oil companies, such as Exxon, Texaco, Arco, Shell and the American Gas Association. [10]
However, on February 12, 2001, Singer wrote a letter to The Washington Post "in which he denied receiving any oil company money in the previous 20 years when he had consulted for the oil industry.
Also, he has done work for the tobacco industry.
He is a real stand-up (whore) guy.
4. Posted by BarneyG2000 | August 28, 2007 3:19 PM |
Score: -9 (9 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 15:19
5. Posted by SPQR | August 28, 2007 3:35 PM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Barney, meanwhile people like Michael Mann and Hansen have received millions of dollars in grants to do climate research but refuse to publish the raw data and methodology so that others can validate their work.
So we know who to trust don't we?
5. Posted by SPQR | August 28, 2007 3:35 PM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 15:35
6. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 4:06 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
We're cooling, folks.
====================
6. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 4:06 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 16:06
7. Posted by [email protected] | August 28, 2007 4:23 PM | Score: -5 (5 votes cast)
Kim,
It's your coloring book, you can make the sky any color you like.
Just don't get mad when we don't agree agree with you.
7. Posted by [email protected] | August 28, 2007 4:23 PM |
Score: -5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 16:23
8. Posted by marc | August 28, 2007 4:25 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Baghdad barney:
"In a September 24, 1993, sworn affidavit, Dr. Singer admitted to doing climate change research on behalf of oil companies, such as Exxon, Texaco, Arco, Shell and the American Gas Association. [10]
Back to not linking your sources again? What are you afraid of?
That aside, what in the passage quoted above says he accepted money?
One can assume it's true, but not by your unlinked quote.
Where's the proof Baghdad?
8. Posted by marc | August 28, 2007 4:25 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 16:25
9. Posted by P. Bunyan | August 28, 2007 4:34 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
SPQR,
Don't ya get it? It's o.k. to be biased and a "whore" if you're biased for and a whore of the left.
9. Posted by P. Bunyan | August 28, 2007 4:34 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 16:34
10. Posted by SPQR | August 28, 2007 6:27 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
So I've noticed, Bunyan, their whores are sacred Madonnas.
No matter that the "science" they flog is anything but.
10. Posted by SPQR | August 28, 2007 6:27 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 18:27
11. Posted by dc64 | August 28, 2007 6:54 PM | Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Nice to see that Global warming has stopped, but somebody needs to tell the governments of the countries with claims on the arctic b/c they're all going gangbusters for an expected thaw:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,261240,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6941426.stm
11. Posted by dc64 | August 28, 2007 6:54 PM |
Score: -1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 18:54
12. Posted by marc | August 28, 2007 7:24 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
dc64:
Nice to see that Global warming has stopped, but somebody needs to tell the governments of the countries with claims on the arctic b/c they're all going gangbusters for an expected thaw:
People rushed to build the Edsel too. How did that work out. And the Pinto. And the Vega.
Just because countries and companies are hedging their bets don't make global warming fact.
12. Posted by marc | August 28, 2007 7:24 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 19:24
13. Posted by Jo | August 28, 2007 8:32 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
This phony way to give the leftists more power is getting more and more exposed everyday. Pun intended.
13. Posted by Jo | August 28, 2007 8:32 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 20:32
14. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 9:02 PM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Hey, live at nine, James Hansen has a little book of catechisms for you.
=====================
14. Posted by kim | August 28, 2007 9:02 PM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on August 28, 2007 21:02
15. Posted by kim | August 29, 2007 7:27 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Interesting, with all the bombast, no one here is defending Gore. Haven't you all been propagandized by his urgency? Oh global warming chickenhawks! Can't even man your keyboards?
Hey Bjorn Lomborg doesn't sound like a maniac in his interview with Salon. Maybe it is a good time to be a skeptic.
==================================
15. Posted by kim | August 29, 2007 7:27 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on August 29, 2007 07:27
16. Posted by spurwing plover | August 29, 2007 3:05 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
All that HOT AIR comming from AL GORE and GREENPEACE and what about those GREENPEACE idiots going up on that glacer naked to call attention to GLOBAL WARMING which only proves that GREENPEACE is fort hose who are stupid and how did they gett here? what form of transportation did they take?
16. Posted by spurwing plover | August 29, 2007 3:05 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on August 29, 2007 15:05