“The arctic ice is melting!” “No it’s not. There’s more arctic ice than ever.” “Polar bears are suffering.” “No they’re not. They are thriving.” Competing claims abound. Are you suffering from climate change whiplash? Small wonder if you are.
Al Gore wants us to believe that the debate (regarding what used to be called anthropogenic- human caused – global warming, AGW) is over. Of course, the mantra has been changed from “global warming” to “climate change.” Some want to bolster this claim by claiming that 97% of scientists believe that the survival of planet earth is threatened by climate change. Yet a growing number of scientists are claiming that there has been no appreciable global temperature increase for at least a dozen years. Al Gore and Barack Obama’s pronouncements not withstanding, it’s clear that the debate is not over.
Typical exchanges can be found here: http://stevengoddard.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/antarctic-sea-ice-hits-second-all-time-record-in-a-week/
Here: http://www.co2science.org/
or here: http://wattsupwiththat.com/”
It seems that one side or the other is either woefully ignorant or is lying. (Dare I suggest that both sides have their share of unprincipled propagandists?) If the climate change claimers are right, it could be suicidal to ignore them. If the so-called “climate deniers” are right, ignoring them could be destructive of entire economies and with them our modern way of life.
Given full-throated claims on both sides (ranging from “We have to save the planet” to “It’s a hoax.”), a sensible conclusion is hard to come by.
One thing we can do is to examine the motives of proponents on both sides. Are climate change claimers acting out of altruistic concern for the survival of their fellow earthlings? Are the “deniers” acting out of selfish desire to protect the carbon-based industries, and let earthlings’ survival, including their own, be damned?
It’s a complicated question that requires more research than I can provide here. A cursory search did reveal that Al Gore’s fee to speak on this topic for 75 mins. is $100,000. plus transportation.
Source: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/al-gore-100000-man
For Ten Facts and Ten Myths On Climate Change go here: http://www.rense.com/general88/climchn.htm
Dwight Boud
TheMiddleofSomewhere 