The latest of many sceptic claims about global warming is that sea level is falling. Satellite altimetry (measuring sea-surface heights from satellite radar systems) supposedly shows the steady rise of sea level has reversed. Well, no, sea level is rising faster than ever.
Another favourite argument of global warming sceptics is that increases of carbon dioxide (CO2) lagged increases of temperature during the ice ages, so CO2 cant be the cause of global warming. At first sight this seems like a very reasonable argument. However climate scientists are not as stupid as some make them out to be.
It is almost universally believed that reducing Australia�s carbon emissions will be very expensive and therefore our economy will be disadvantaged if our emission reductions get ahead of the rest of the world, but it is not true.
Scepticism about global warming continues, along with outright denial that it is caused by humans, or even that it is happening at all. Informed debate is healthy, but much of the discussion is ill-informed, much of it addresses the wrong questions, and much of it misconceives science as a source of proof or truth.
As Kevin Rudd twists slowly in the asylum-seeker noose of his own making, it is not only the flimsy basis of his “Indonesian solution” that is exposed to the world. Also exposed is a consistent failure to assume leadership, a failure that has defined the Labor Party for a generation, and that comes at a critical time in our history.
Full article at New Matilda
[An updated version of this article now appears as
Global Cooling Over, Hottest Year to Date So Far, July 15 2010.]
One of the most frequently and loudly repeated claims of climate sceptics is that the Earth has cooled since 1998. The data to not show that.
The way global warming and our efforts to stop it have been discussed in this critical Parliamentary week tells a sorry tale of Australian societys scientific illiteracy, myopia and psychological denial.
According to global warming sceptics and denialists, climate scientists are variously really stupid, prone to irrational herd behaviour, egotists pushing barrows, trying to feather their nests, or all of the above. According to the media they are apparently nerdy pains whose gloomy message is easily trumped by serious, reality-based political dramas. According to politicians they are another interest group to be placated. According to the Prime Minister they are radical greens.
[This was sent to the Canberra Times Tuesday. I’ve been busy with my day job for a while, but expect I’ll get more posts up here from now on.]
The Government fails completely to grasp the urgency of the global warming situation. This is obvious every time it speaks about climate. Its views on the economic effect of emission reductions are dominated by those of the polluter industries, and fail completely to take account of the new industries that could and should be developing to replace them. These failures are fundamental failures of leadership, and the failures are critical, because they threaten Austalias future, and the future of industrial civilisation.
I just sent this to On Line Opinion. It may take a week for it to be posted, if they like it.
Are On Line Opinion readers interested in innovative solutions to major problems? Or do they (you) just want to defend old positions, or have an argument? Or what?
I ask these questions because there have been several pieces recently that present quite innovative ideas or perspectives on solving the economic crisis and/or global warming. Yet four such articles attracted a total of 15 comments. (They are Remaking the economy, 4 comments; Energy Rewards to stimulate the economy, 2; The need for indirect action on climate change, 3; Sustainability will not be sidelined, 6)
[This is punchier than the version I posted 23 March, which was for a different Senate enquiry.]
The Government fails completely to appreciate the urgency of the climate situation, which must be seen in terms of dominos and tipping points. The first big domino seems to be tipping now, and there may soon be no way to prevent or reverse catastrophic warming.
The Government also fails completely to appreciate the opportunity to rapidly reduce emissions while creating an economy that can secure Australians wellbeing indefinitely.
This submission focusses on reframing the policy discussion. It is intentionally brief. Details are irrelevant unless the problem is properly framed.
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