This is in reply to a local ex-oil man and perennial climate change naysayer. His letter can be found in the February 5th issue of the Durango Telegraph. Since his letter is a parroting of the usual naysayer nonsense, I see no need to add his letter to my blog.
Besides, the following is pretty self explanatory and speaks to the greater naysayer camp, not just one individual.
I have noticed that in the following three posts I have left out one essential reference source regarding climate change - www RealClimate. If you want to examine the issues in detail, this is the place!
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Dear Durango Telegraph Editor,
RC’s letter of February 5th is filled with exactly the kinds of transgressions he condemns in his “8 rules.”
But, let’s skip the rhetoric and go to the authoritative data being collected and digested by NASA’s Earth Observatory Satellite system. To follow along please go to the internet: http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/2008/ this opens to NASA’s “GISS Surface Temperature Analysis ~ Global Temperature Trends: 2008 Annual Summation.”
The opening page shows the famous graph everyone points to regarding “average” global temperatures. From a distance it looks serious and uphill. But, looking closer, it starts getting more complicated. In this thicket of details is where RC, Heartland Institute, and a host of other corporate sponsored naysayers do some statistical voodoo. Through their tunnel vision they conjure a downward trend and are trumpeting: ‘Lookie here the temperatures are going down, Global Warming is an elaborate hoax!’
Back, to the GISS’s graph. On the website you will notice that next to the graph is a Global Map representing the distribution of temperatures that went into the averages displayed in the famous graph. Naysayers, never direct your attention to this map ~ but, it is definitely something to study.
Looking at that map, the colors represent the distribution of heat energy on our Earth. Consider our climate as the heat engine it truly is. This heat engine’s job is to maintain a state of dynamic global equilibrium. “Barometric differentials” and “temperature gradients” are the throttles of this atmospheric weather machine. It’s simple undeniable physics!
Looking at the actual map, notice the white areas representing no change in temperatures. Not too much of that. Beside that is a lot of yellows, meaning increased temperature. Next to that is quite a bit of reds reflecting significant temperature increases in these regions. Nestled between all of that are the blue patches recording regional decrees in temperatures.
RC, engineer/scientist; come on, please think about this picture. What is there to be smug about? Don’t barometric differentials and temperature gradients drive weather fronts & storm intensity? Read the details within that GISS report. There is nothing in the least supportive of your clarion call to willful ignorance. All the “Faith” in the world does not change the truth that ignoring our changing climate does us more harm than good!
RC writes: “even though the science does not support a substantial human contribution to 20th century warning.” This is perhaps the most outrageous, even treasonous, nonsense the corporate driven naysayers perpetrate. How can any informed person claim that human impact upon this earth isn’t substantial and overwhelmingly destructive. RC show us some positive proof. Not just slick sound-bits! Any serious research yields frightening visions of what unrestrained greed continues to do to our Biosphere ~ you know that web of water, earth, air and life that is our collective life support system. Read the U.S. Geological Survey report at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2002/of02-349/, or for a visual: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/eye/impact.html. Do some web browsing asking your own questions. The facts are out there and deserve to be studied critically - stifling our preconceived notions. All sides have much to learn.
RC writes: “The second group consists of, well, political propagandist.” RC, isn’t this who you represent? Where are they doing any research? Where do they actually try to explain the dynamics of climate to the public? Where do they acknowledge the full spectrum of data being gathered these days? Where is their funding and reason for existence coming from?
Look at Heartland Institute, the latest mega player in the contrarian media campaign. Last spring they came up with “500 Scientists with Documented Doubts about Man-Made Global Warming Scares.” Well, it was a fraud. As proven by the dozens of signees who, within days, publicly condemned their names being usurped. For a collection of links exposing the Heartland Institute’s fraud, see: http://greenfyre.wordpress.com/denier-vs-skeptic/denier-myths-debunked/the-heartland-institute/
If you’re interested in the history of the contrarian camp this talk by Naomi Oreskes Ph.D., Stanford Professor of History & Science is a must. See: http://www.uctv.tv/search-details.asp?showID=13459.
RC writes: “... solutions should cost as little as possible in economic, political, and social terms.” Silly man. Our economy may depend upon weather patterns, but it doesn’t work the other way around! Stop mixing the two! Understanding the climate is more important than pretending we are in control.
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